Danish Christmas Seals Help Children in Need

In October, when most of us were thinking about Halloween candy, the 2012 Danish Christmas Seals were unveiled with help from a member of the royal Danish family and the stamps’ artist. Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and the stamps’ artist, Carl Quist Møller, appeared at the unveiling of the 2012 stamps on October 29 at Copenhagen’s Rådhus (city hall). An enlarged ‘sheet’ of 50 stamps with 50 different images of children with the stamp’s Royal Copenhagen blue-and-white like coloring was the backdrop behind Princess Mary and Quist Møller. Princess Mary has a special place in her heart for the Christmas Seals. She is patron to Julemaerkefondens (Christmas Seal Foundation), sponsor of the world’s oldest annual Christmas Seals, which began in Denmark in 1904. Money from the sale of Christmas Seal goes towards four children’s homes and boarding schools in Denmark –Skaelskør, Olsted, Hobro and Kollund – temporary homes for around 700 Danish youth (with a waiting list of over 600) to help each deal with obesity and/or bullying. In 1904, the first stamp cost 2 Danish øre or two cents. In 2012, a stamp booklet of 10 Christmas Seals cost 15 DKK or $2.58 US / $2.57 Canadian. Learn more about the Danish Christmas Seals at www.julemaerket.dk.