Note: All the stamps shown in this article (except the supplementary ones) will be released on 10 November 2022 but you can already pre-order at this link.
Christmas stamps
Every year, Swiss Post’s Christmas special stamps prove highly popular and Swiss Post's 2022 whimsical series with woodland animals will not disappoint.
An incredible number of rituals and traditions surround Christmas. The new stamps showcase the various preparations for this great celebration while surprising in a humorous way. In the snow-capped forest there is a lot of excitement: the hare has bought a beautiful Christmas tree and is racing out of the forest on his sled, the deer are tangled up in the Christmas lights and the little mouse hurrying to bring you your Christmas letter.
The subjects were the result of a design contest and Post Office staff members were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite designs worth 90, 110 and 180 centimes.
Stained glass stamps - Nativity and Angel
Two magnificent stamps pay tribute to the cultural and historical richness of sacred art in Switzerland. They represent fragments of stained glass windows from the collegiate church in Bern and the convent in Königsfelden. The subject of the 110 centime stamp is a nativity scene from the "Youth of Christ" stained glass window in the monastery church of Königsfelden. This church near Windisch was built for the Habsburg family as a place of remembrance following the assassination of King Albert I. The stained glass windows in the chevet, depicting the birth of Christ, were created just before the building was inaugurated in 1330 and are an expression of the skills of the time.
Balexert takes its old advertising materials (banners, parking barriers, tarpaulins ...) and recycles into quality, original and unique bags and key rings. The project started during the height of Covid and is still going on now. All proceeds from sales are sent to the Non-Violence Project Foundation, a Geneva-based organization whose mission is to fight against various forms of violence by developing training and prevention programs.
Each of the proposed models is handmade by professional seamstresses from Pro, a Geneva-based foundation whose goal is to offer a responsible work environment to disabled people and young people in reintegration.
The bags were made from old banners and posters and to apply the true sense of recycling... this project was not a commercial nor profitable one.
The models are on sale at the Info Stand of Balexert, located on the first floor of the center.
Shopping bag: CHF 7.00
Shopping bag: CHF 25.00
Shoulder bag: CHF 34.00
Key ring: CHF 3.50
Next time you visit Balexert, please go to the client service stand to see which ones they have left!
The “Art in the periphery” special stamp is the ambassador for Swiss Post’s current commitment to art. The artist Monica Ursina Jäger chose “Meadow” as the theme, as that is where you can find the art that is at the heart of this new commitment.
The stamp print’s special feature is the colour used: it’s the first stamp ever printed with chlorophyll pigments – in other words, the substance responsible for the green colour of plants. This means the stamp is completely natural and “living”.
As part of Swiss Post’s commitment to art, partnerships with “Art in the periphery” events will come under the spotlight in 2022.
But for this special stamp, the artist Monica Ursina Jäger didn’t choose a specific place but instead focused on the theme of meadows. “The design perfectly illustrates the overlap between the natural habitat and cultural achievement,” explains the artist. Meadows are usually created thanks to people and only continue to exist with their help. Art projects have also often been created on meadows in peripheral regions, continuing the dialogue between natural processes and cultural achievement.
Swiss Post is looking for four animals to feature in their new stamp set in 2023.
Would you like to immortalize your cheeky tomcat, a frolicking kid goat or a cackling duckling on an official stamp? Then take advantage of the opportunity and enter their national photo competition “Cute animals”. With a little luck, the whole of Switzerland could soon be admiring your sweet little animal – and you could win a Postshop voucher too.
Swiss Post states, "If you can immortalize your pet or wild animal at an opportune moment, then send us your photo. Preferably with a high cuteness factor, as this stamp set is all about cute, sweet – and native – animals. So please don’t send us photos of elephants at the zoo! The perfect photo would be a full body shot of the animal – without your grandma or godson standing in the shot."
Design requirements
- Unedited photo of a cute, native animal (single animal)
- Full body photo
- High photo quality/resolution (no compressed images e.g. photos received via WhatsApp)
- Neutral, plain background
- Keep the original image
- No images of people
- No illustrations
Only competition entries that meet the listed design requirements will be considered.
Vachement Suisse is a boutique that features a variety of Swiss goods ranging from home design, bath and body and semi-precious jewelry to hand made wooden toys and unique shirts celebrating Swiss culture and the Tour du Mont Blanc. The word "vachement" is a familiar word in French meaning "very". It comes from the word "vache" which means cow. So the name "Vachement Suisse" means very Swiss. That's why the majority of Vachement Suisse's products are made or designed in Switzerland. The word vachement also obviously evokes the ever popular image associated with Switzerland... the cow.
We caught up with Sarah de Rivaz to find out more. Read down to enter our competition to win a voucher and tote bag!
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
I grew up in the American midwest and had always dreamt of living in the Swiss Alps one day. Later, I attended Emory University, choosing to study French language and culture, not really knowing where it would take me. By complete chance, I met my French-speaking Swiss husband in my hometown of Kansas City and returned with him to Switzerland to get married and start a family. Over 20 years later, we are raising our 4 children in his hometown of Champex, a small resort on a glacial lake tucked up in the Swiss Alps. As my passion for my adopted country grew even stronger, I felt this desire to share the beautiful qualities of the Alpine lifestyle with people all over the world as well as here in my community.
I began discovering products and creations by Swiss artists, designers and artisans and decided to open an online boutique as well as a cosy storefront in the center of Champex. I feature small family businesses, women-owned businesses, artisans, ethically conscious businesses as well as some of my own creations. I feel so blessed to be living out my childhood dream and enjoying the incredible quality of life here in the Swiss Alps, and it excites me to share it with you!
