On 8 November, Åland Post issued two Christmas stamps as a joint venture with the Vatican. Both motifs are very well suited for franking Christmas greetings posted from Åland as well as the Vatican.
The two Åland stamps feature the Nativity of Jesus. The first stamp features the infant Jesus lying on a felt with adoring Virgin Mary close by. Another stamp shows the Adoration of the Magi with one of the three wise men paying homage to infant Jesus in the arms of Virgin Mary.
The two masterpieces are on display in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. The frescos were created by the Italian painter Pinturicchio in the late 15th century. The Vatican State will be issuing two stamps with the exact same motifs.
Åland Post and Poste Vaticane are both members of SEPAC (Small European Postal Administrations’ Cooperation), which led to this unique joint venture. A joint presentation pack with both stamp issues is also planned.
New technology is also embedded in the stamps. A special application is planned to become available for download from both App Store and Google Play. By starting the application and scanning the stamps with a smartphone or tablet PC, a photo slideshow featuring specially composed Christmas music will open.
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