International work-related curiosity

[sally_maria]

Since this is the first year I've been closely involved in the long-standing British tradition of special Christmas stamps (this year's designs), I've been curious to know whether this is a unique thing.

Are there special Christmas stamps where you live? Do people send calendars (this seems to be a tradition among a significant number of British people, but not one I'd actually come across before I started working for a shop that sold them)?

Are there other traditions connected with posting for Christmas?

Comments

[rustica.livejournal.com]

No, the academic year is Jan to Dec (or in practice, Feb till whenever; I suppose technically until end Nov when the results come out). However, the tax year is similar to the UK. Not quite the same - the tax year is to the 31st March rather than the 5th April, but I'm probably the only one who finds that even vaguely interesting.

I'm astonished you can't get mid year diaries here. Because what happens if you - I don't know - start a new job partway through the year or something, and you suddenly need a diary? You can't buy a Jan to Dec one because the shops have stopped selling those, and anyhow half of the pages would already be wasted. But I guess there just isn't the market here.

[sally_maria]

Well, I suppose that in modern terms 5th April is fairly arbitrary, even if there are good historical reasons for it. Moving it to the nearest month end probably makes sense, even though it's a shame to lose that historical link.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Do you know why the UK tax year is to 5 April?

[rustica.livejournal.com]

Yes :).

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I thought you might, but I also thought it worth asking :-)

[sally_maria]

Yes. ;-)

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

This is an interesting topic (for a tired Tuesday afternoon).

I've been working on academic years for my whole life (seemlessly going from being in education to having children in education - sometimes both at once) and have bought a mid-year diary all of about twice. I wonder how many mid-year diaries (and other diaries, and calendars) are bought as gifts or get-organised gizmos that never really get used? Perhaps NZers weren't in this habit, and have moved over to electronic diaries more fully?

[sally_maria]

I never used one, that I remember, but there's definitely a significant market for them, all the same.

I'm sure some of them are bought, never to be used, but the number of people who'd buy them every year, and clamour for them months before they were released was a fairly clear sign that they were being used.