Flying witch on Easter stamp

Stamp issued for Easter greetings

The new stamp issued for Easter greetings depicts a witch riding on a broomstick. The 60 cents stamp is issued on 6 March 2002 and was designed by Ms Katriina Viljamaa-Rissanen.

First dedicated Easter stamps

The first dedicated Easter stamps were issued in Finland in the mid-1990s, when the Easter card culture began to flourish once more in Finland. About two million Easter greetings are sent every year, Only the Christmas and Valentine's Day greetings are even more popular.

Influences from Christianity

The stamps dedicated to the Easter have influences from Christianity but also from legends and folklores. The stamps depict hares and eggs, which symbolise birth and fertility. In the ecclesiastic tradition the egg refers especially to the resurrection. Flowers, such as the crocuses and coltsfoots blooming in the stamps, refer to the awakening nature and to the triumph of light, the birth of something new.
The superstitious people used to believe that witches broke loose while Jesus was buried in the rock tomb. They were driven away by Easter fires, especially in Ostrobothnia. This usage probably came to Finland from Central Europe.
Postage stamp issue: Finland 6 March 2002