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Monday, 23 November 2020

1567) "ORF Light of Peace from Bethlehem,": Joint issue by "Osterreichische Post AG" (Austrian Post) and "Ufficio Filetelica e Numismatico Vaticano" (Vatican City Post): Stamp issue date: 20.11.2020:

1567) "ORF Light of Peace from Bethlehem,": Joint issue by "Osterreichische Post AG" (Austrian Post) and "Ufficio Filetelica e Numismatico Vaticano" (Vatican City Post): Stamp issue date: 20.11.2020:

Symbolising the peace of Christmas, through this joint issue by "Osterreichische Post AG" (Austrian Post) and "Filatelica e Numismatica" (Vatican City Post), the light of peace from Bethlehem is being celebrated as a beautiful tradition.

This tradition was started by the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) for Upper Austria in 1986 as a thank you for those who donated to its "Licht ins Dunkel" charitable telethon.

The idea was so well received that since then every year, in the run up to Christmas, a child from Upper Austria lights the "Light of Peace" in the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem and brings it back to Austria in a special lantern

With the help of numerous organisations such as the Scouts ot the Youth Fire Brigade, this glowing symbol of peace is then distributed to people around the world and inter alia, handed over to the European Union (EU) Parliament.

The "Light of Peace" is also delivered to Pope Francis.

The Stamps:

On one of the Stamps (0.85 Euro) on the Sheet, the Pope can be seen with the "Light of Peace" lantern, with a white pen and ink drawing of St. Peter below.

The other Stamp of 1.00 Euros shows the Christ Child, wrapped in a red cloth, a depiction inspired by the work of the Italian Baroque artist Guido Reni. Below this one can see the Star beneath the altar in the Grotto of the Nativity, the very spot where Jesus is supposed to have been born.

In the background is a drawing of the Christkindl pilgrimage Church in Steyr, while the lower border of the Miniature Sheet is decorated with the Coat of Arms of the Holy See.


 Links to posts on Austrian Mint Coin issues on this blog:










For posts on COTY (Coin of the Year) winners since 2015 in a competition held by Krause Publications of Germany, please visit the following links:

Links to posts on Federal Republic of Germany issues and other posts on this blog:



For some other interesting posts from Italy/The Vatican, please visit the following links:



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