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

[morelindo.livejournal.com]

Yes, there are special Christmas stamps where I'm from (Germany).

People give each other calendars, my parents posted me one once when I was in Ireland. It's not generally a thing unless German customs around this have changed since I left five years ago.

Here, in England, people post calendars and there are special stamps. They also post silly numbers of Christmas cards so the Post Office always hires lots of temps to help them cope with mail over Christmas.

[sally_maria]

I think the calendar thing has a lot to do with the number of people that have relatives who've emigrated to Australia, New Zealand and other far-flung places.

They also post silly numbers of Christmas cards so the Post Office always hires lots of temps to help them cope with mail over Christmas.

That's a very long-standing tradition, my Dad was a temporary postman when he was a student over 50 years ago. :-)

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

Define "a silly number of..." :/