URU - 2012 - #036 - SERIE - CHRISTMAS

Uruguay - 2012 - Christmas

Options:

SERIE --- 1,40 EUR
FDC not Sent --- 2,80 EUR
FDC Sent on First Day --- 9,00 EUR
COVER Sent on First Day --- 6,00 EUR

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Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: November 23rd, 2012
Printed: 15.000 copies

Stamp Shape and Size: Rectangular [27 mm. x 39 mm.]
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

Block Configuration: 25 stamps [5 x 5]
Block Shape and Size: Rectangular [Unknown Size]

FDC Type: Normal
FDC Shape and Size: Rectangular [165 mm. x 105 mm.]
Cover Shape and Size: Rectangular [241 mm. x 159 mm.]

Catalogue information:

Michel: No Data Available
Ivert: No Data Available
Scott: No Data Available
Stanley & Gibbons: No Data Available

Topics:

Issue:

This stamp commemorates the vicinity of a new Christmas, the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25th by millions of people around the world.

This serie is a traditional annual one, surely the oldest of this periodical issues, having his first edition for the Christmas of 1973, and having one realease on almost all years from this one to the one presented here.

As usually in this christmas stamps, all around the world it issue date is some days, this time around a month, before Christmas day, as it is often the kind of stamp choosen for postage in sending christmas postcards, or letters with christmas and new year wishes.

It is very peculiar the motif choosen this year to depict christmas, that is a painting of artist Ramón Cuadra Cantera called "Juglar en navidad", in english: "Minstrels in Christmas", which connection with Christmas, besides it title, is only what it seems to be the classic iconic symbol of the star of Bethelem, or Christmas Star.

Then, not only the selection of the painting for the stamp is peculiar, also the paining itself present a strange ucrony with the minstrel looking at the star of Bethelem, when Minstrels where characters of medieval age in Europe, far in time and geography from that event of Star of Bethelem in the sky. Only our imagination, perhaps the music as a link between millenium and miles far times and places, could help us in guess, in interact with another imagination, the artist one.

The painting, besides the minstrel staring at the Bethelem Star, also shows a kind of guitar, probably a mandolin, or another type of lute or light string instrument confortable to carry with while walking through the city and towns of medieval Europe.

Another intersting feature in the painting is the clothing of the minstrel, as it is the traditional one of this epoch, and the red hair and beard of the minstrel is a curious election too.

Finally, the stamp design is completed with an iconic draw of a christmas tree at top right of the stamp, and a more close look at the tree with its decoration at bottom right. All of this features over blue night sky with the crux, or southern cross in the top left corner.

Christmas (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by millions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide, which ends after the twelfth night. Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

The precise year of Jesus' birth, which some historians place between 7 and 2 BC, is unknown. His birth is mentioned in two of the four canonical gospels. By the early-to-mid 4th century, the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date later adopted in the East. The date of Christmas may have initially been chosen to correspond with the day exactly nine months after early Christians believed Jesus to have been conceived, and became generally associated with the southern solstice (i.e., the Roman winter solstice), with a sun connection being possible because Christians consider Jesus to be the "Sun of righteousness" prophesied in Malachi 4:2

The original date of the celebration in Eastern Christianity was January 6, in connection with Epiphany, and that is still the date of the celebration for the Armenian Apostolic Church and in Armenia, where it is a public holiday. As of 2013, there is a difference of 13 days between the modern Gregorian calendar and the older Julian calendar. Those who continue to use the Julian calendar or its equivalents thus celebrate December 25 and January 6, which on the Gregorian calendar translate as January 7 and January 19. For this reason, Ethiopia, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, and the Republic of Moldova celebrate Christmas on what in the Gregorian calendar is January 7.

Eastern Orthodox Churches in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Antioch, Alexandria, Albania, Finland and the Orthodox Church in America celebrate Christmas on December 25 in the revised Julian calendar, corresponding to December 25 also in the Gregorian calendar.

The popular celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, Christmas music and caroling, an exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

Ramón Cuadra Cantera was born on September 3rd, 1962, in the city of Trinidad, located in department of Flores, Uruguay, and was mainly an sculptor.

From a young age he devoted himself to sculpture. Won first prize in the 'age of 15 years. In the years between 1981 - 1984 he attended a school of art "Escuela de Artes y Oficios". He studied drawing and history of art with sculptor Federico Möller de Berg.

In the following years is bound with the maestro Giacomo Manzu and sons of the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle and Ivan Mestrovic. Author of numerous works on behalf of the Government, the Church of the 'Uruguay and other public, private foundations.

After a short time he obtained the chair of sculpture of the "Escuela de Artes y artesanías Dr. Pedro Figari" in Montevideo where he now lives, and he is the Director of the museum of the "Universidad del Trabajo del Uruguay".

A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty and high society. As the courts became more sophisticated, minstrels were eventually replaced at court by the troubadours, and many became wandering minstrels, performing in the streets and became well-liked until the middle of the Renaissance, despite a decline beginning in the late 15th century. Minstrelsy fed into later traditions of travelling entertainers, which continued to be moderately strong into the early 20th century, and which has some continuity down to today's buskers or street musicians.

Initially, minstrels were simply servants at Court, and entertained the lord and courtiers with chansons de geste or their local equivalent. The term minstrel derives from Old French ménestrel (also menesterel, menestral), which is a derivative from Italian ministrello (also menestrello), from Middle Latin ministralis "retainer," an adjective form of Latin minister, "attendant" from minus, "lesser".

In Anglo-Saxon England before the Norman Conquest, the professional poet was known as a scop ("shaper" or "maker"), who composed his own poems, and sang them to the accompaniment of a harp. In a rank much beneath the scop, were the gleemen, who had no settled abode, but roamed about from place to place, earning what they could from their performances. Late in the 13th century, the term minstrel began to be used to designate a performer who amused his lord with music and song.

In a complex way involving invasions, wars, conquests, etc., two categories of composers originated. Poets like Chaucer and John Gower appeared in one category wherein music was not a part. Minstrels, on the other hand, swarmed at feasts and festivals in great numbers with harps, fiddles, bagpipes, flutes, flageolets, citterns, and kettledrums.

As early as 1321, the minstrels of Paris were formed into a guild. A guild of royal minstrels was organized in England in 1469. Minstrels were required to either join the guild or to abstain from practising their craft. Some minstrels were retained by lords as jesters who, in some cases, also practised the art of juggling. Some were women, or women who followed minstrels in their travels. Minstrels throughout Europe also employed trained animals, such as bears. Minstrels in Europe died out slowly, having gone nearly extinct by about 1700, though isolated individuals working in the tradition existed even into the early 19th century.

FDC:

The Cancelation of the FDC it is a simple one, and besides the legend: "Navidad 2012", that means "Christmas 2012", also includes the same iconic christmas tree builded by a continious trace.

If you consider that there are another topics in this stamp, that were not spot in this review, you are encouraged to telling me about them, so please do not hesitate to post a comment. I would appreciate your help very much.