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

[muuranker.livejournal.com]

I think calendars-at-Christmas are just because
a) it's the time of year you need a new calendar, and
b) it is fairly easy/cheap to post, and
c) they are clearly related to the place they are sent from

So only a 'tradition' in the meaning that 'people do it year after year' rather than in the meaning that there is a current, or lost, symbolic content. I would love to be corrected on this - also on hankies, bath salts, garden centre vouchers and things in wicker baskets.

PS - Santa, yes, I would like some hankies and bath salts in a wicker basket, or a garden centre voucher to buy the same. I already have a calendar; from the Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group - http://www.acert.org.uk/2012/10/derbyshire-gypsy-liaison-group-silver-jubilee-calendar/ - it's wonderful.

[sally_maria]

Yes, I think you're right about the reasons - we sell a lot of Cotswolds calendars to be dispatched all around the world.

Well, those wicker baskets, they're obviously ritual, aren't they. ;-)

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I was given a calendar by the removals firm with children's pictures of removal vans on it, but I didn't want/need it (too much clutter already!) so I left it in its envelope by the coffee machine near our little storage room so hopefully they will recycle it by giving it to someone else if someone else hasn't nabbed it already! ;)