In 1999, Slovak Post launched the exceptional Christmas Mail project, which, over the years, has become an inseparable part of the Christmas period. Again in 2022 (for the twenty-fourth time) children can send letters or postcards to the Baby Jesus at the address “Ježiško 999 99”. Exactly ten years ago the management of Slovak Post decided to not only promote this unique project among children, but also among the general public through the issue of a postage stamp based on designs submitted by children. Since 2013, when the first postage stamp based on a child’s design was issued, tens of primary schools across Slovakia have participated in the Christmas Stamp competition and submissions from  foreign children, for instance from Taiwan, that had been delivered by mail to the Baby Jesus were also accepted.

     Children from Komárno are the most frequent participants in the competition in the art designs for this stamp issue. The greatest success has been achieved by the young artists who attend an art class at the Rozmarínová Primary School in Komárno, led by Ing. Renáta Kubalová. Owing to her creativity and personal commitment the works of art created by children from her art class have become the Christmas postage stamp motif almost every year. Works are selected by a jury made up of members of the Postage Stamp Design Commission. They make their selection exclusively on the basis of artistic quality, not on the affiliation of children to any particular school. This is the main reason why the entire stamp issue for this year is made up of works by children from the Rozmarínová Primary School.

     The postage stamp is devoted to a drawing by Viktória Bubeníková that portrays Christmas carol singers, the motif of the FDC surcharge is a drawing of a Christmas town by Kristína Gubienová, and the motif of the FDC postmark is an angel by Nikolett Andrea Samai. The graphic designs of the winning designs were created by a graphic artist at Slovak Post, Adrian Ferda.

                                                                                                                                          Department of Communication, SP, a.s.