Irish Christmas stamps

Melancholicus sent off his Christmas cards today (yes, gentle reader, he does actually have friends) — somewhat late, but as none of the missives is going further afield than Limerick, he reckons they should reach their destinations on time.

Arriving at the post office to purchase his stamps, Melancholicus was surprised and gratified to note that the true significance of Christmas has not been censored by An Post. Their themed stamps for this year’s festive season bear an unmistakably Christian — and Biblical — impression.

Here are two examples of the 2007 Christmas range. I wonder, did An Post lose any sleep at all over the fact that Mohammedans, pagans and other ‘minorities’ (including rabid secularists of a type that would put the ACLU to shame — we have plenty of these in Ireland) would be traumatised and upset by such a clearly religious theme instead of the generic snow-covered fields, pine trees and robins?

The first example (55c) shows the presentation of the divine infant in the temple, fulfilling the beautiful messianic prophecy of Haggai 2:7; the figure on the left is clearly Simeon receiving the desired of all nations, and about to utter Nunc dimittis.

The second example (78c) is a little more ambiguous, but Melancholicus reckons it must be in the cave/stable/whatever in Bethlehem where the Saviour was born; this is probably the feast of the Epiphany, and the three men are most probably the Magi. They look regal and serious, and the large white dot under the 78c is clearly the star that led them to Bethlehem.

Bravo to An Post for these beautiful images, as well as for refusing to bow the knee to the tyranny of multiculturalism.