Christmas stamps review

Here's my first review of new issues and could there be a better time to start than Christmas? I don't think so.

I've had a look at some of the new Christmas stamp issues around the world and I've decided to offer a few thoughts about them. Great Britain

I'll start off with Royal Mail's new Christmas issue. I think it is a good, strong design. I really like the colours. The stamps tell a story even if it is a very familiar one. They feel a bit nostalgic. I think they're quite similar to other Christmas stamps from years gone by, but are also sufficiently different. I like them, but they're not exciting.

Score: 6/10

Isle of Man

Next, I've taken a look at the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The Isle of Man's Christmas stamps show local animals, which I think are great. The animals are all very clearly at different places on the Isle of Man, which we can tell from the backgrounds. I love the Manx cat. These stamps are more wintery than Christmasssy, which I really like. I think they are very creative and imaginative.

Score: 8/10

Jersey

I'm not a fan of these stamps from Jersey. Eight local artists were asked what Christmas means to them and this is the end result. There is no overall theme and they don't work well as a set. I like the two stamps in the middle of the bottom row, which remind us of animal welfare and the warmth we associate with Christmas but I'm not keen on the others. I suppose they show that people have different ideas of what Christmas means.

Score: 4/10

Guernsey

This issue tells the Christmas story better than the GB issue does. Vibrant colours and simple artwork are very effective. The design is striking and nicely structured.

Score: 10/10

Alderney

Alderney's Christmas stamps tell the story but this time with more traditional art. A bit bland for me and not very exciting or ambitious.

Score: 3/10

Belgium

What is going on here? Belgium's stamps use special characters to make baubles and a Santa face. But why?

I don't know, but I like that they feel so different. They are very innovative. These really stand out and are totally unique.

Score: 8/10

Switzerland

Switzerland's Christmas stamps are full of snowflakes. And smiley clouds and cute animals. But mainly lots of snow. They are bright and cheerful and a nice celebration of winter.

Score: 9/10

Finland

Finland's stamps show cartoon animals doing wintry activities - decorating a wreath hanging around on branches and skiing (rather badly). A lot of fun, but a bit odd. The QR codes don't help.

Score: 2/10

Malta

I think these are quite pretty but the design is basic and reminds me of the kinds of stamps issued in the 1970s. Very simple but not inspiring.

Score: 7/10

New Zealand

These are very clever stamps. So we have four nicely wrapped gifts, but what else is going on? The metallic ribbons represent the gold, frankincense and myrrh the wise men gave to Jesus and, as a nice touch, the presents are decorated with native New Zealand flowers. If you look closely you'll also see that each gift has a little tag that tells us something about the meaning of Christmas - a tree, and angel, a dove and a star. The mixture of tradition with a modern creative twist really works, but maybe it's all a bit too clever? I like these but there's a lot going on and it's quite easy to miss some of the detail. Score: 6/10

Australia

Some lovely designs from Australia. They have both a religious and a secular Christmas set. The religious ones show the wise men and Mary with the baby Jesus. There is a modern feeling to these that I like. The secular set is about how people celebrate Christmas now. The designs of each set are very different and I much prefer the non-religious one. Score: 5/10 (religious); 7/10 (secular)

Estonia

Estonia's stamps have some fairytale characters in winter scenes. These are incredibly cute and there is a little bit of magic in them. The third stamp shows the importance of friendship. They really appeal to me. Score: 10/10

St Helena

Is this the strangest Christmas issue ever?

My dad is always going on about Christmas starting too early whenever people start putting up Christmas decorations before Hallowe'en. Well, St Helena decided to issue their Christmas stamps on 1st August. Stranger still, they feature pictures of extinct land birds - not really a very Christmassy theme. I like the stamps, but as a Christmas set it doesn't work at all.

Score: 1/10

Canada

Like Australia, Canada has opted to go with both religious and secular themes. The religious stamp is simple yet traditional, with plenty of lovely details. The secular set shows snowy winter scenes. They complement each other nicely. Score: 9/10 (religious); 6/10 secular

Austria

Austria also has religious and a secular Christmas stamps. in this case they've chosen to use a old religious painting. It is very traditional, but the kind of thing we've seen in so many other Christmas stamps. The secular stamp shows a winter scene in a snow globe - nice, but not especially memorable. Score: 5/10 (religious); 6/10 (secular)

Luxembourg

What do we have from Luxembourg? A melting snowman and a rather frightened gingerbread man. Maybe he's about to be eaten? I did a bit of research and found out that these stamps are supposed to make us think about the consequences of climate change. Yes, that poor little gingerbread man is sweating in the heat. I think it is an excellent idea to combine a serious message with a Christmas theme. Score: 8/10

Monaco

And finally we have one from Monaco. I usually prefer designs that are inventive and different, but if your're going to go all traditional then this is how to do it. Perfect.

Score: 10/10

So, they're my views on some of this year's Christmas stamps. I'll definitely be buying the Estonia, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Monaco ones and hopefully I will get the GB set on mail. What do you think? Which are your favourite Christmas stamps? Are there any interesting issues that I've missed out?