New Year A – Winter joy
Date of issue: 22.11.2024
Author: Luka Seme
Motive: New Year A – Winter joy
Printed by: Agencija za komercijalnu djelatnost d.o.o., Zagreb, Croatia
Printing Process and Layout: 4-colour offset in self-adhesive sheets of 50 stamps and self-adhesive booklets of 12 stamps
Paper: self-adhesive, 100 g/m2
Size: 23.76 x 30.80 mm
Perforation: Serpentine die cut
Illustration:
Photo:
New Year
Rooting ahead with its snout
The pig and the sow are traditionally linked to the festive table at the end of the year – but they also have symbolic meaning. Ancient wisdom holds that at Christmas and New Year one should eat “something from the pig”, since it roots forward with its snout, whereas Saint Martin’s goose (like other poultry) scratches backwards with its feet. Saint Martin’s Day thus represents a kind of stocktaking, the close of the year, while Christmas and New Year celebrations look ahead to life and plans for the year to come. Although the pig and the sow are often used to symbolise certain human weaknesses and vices, they are also regarded as lucky animals, frequently appearing on postcards and greetings cards or used as charms and in other depictions. A common motif shows a pig with a horseshoe around its neck and a four-leaf clover in its snout, often accompanied by a chimney sweep, a toadstool and other symbols of the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Janez Bogataj
