Postcards for the weekend 16: December holidays

As a Christian, one of the most awaited holiday for me during the year is Christmas. It's when the weather is cooler and the environment is merry almost everywhere.

For these two weekends with the December holidays theme, I will split my postcards between real-life photos postcards and illustrated postcards. For the first set:

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Dr. Arnold
Sent: 5 June 2016 from Greenland, Traveled 11,538 km

This postcard makes me miss hearing children's choir during the mass. The youngest choir I had the pleasure to listen to recently are teenagers. There's just that mesmerizing sweetness and innocence in the voice of children that I long to hear live again.

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Terry
Sent: 9 July 2015, Traveled 16,656 km

This postcard is from a set from Garvan Woodland Gardens at the University of Arkansas. Annually, around 1.7 million sparkling lights are arranged throughout the gardens for the holiday feature. By the look of the postcard, it must be enchanting when the lights shine bright against the dark.

US-4376395, Sender: Nancy
Sent: 1 Dec 2016, Traveled 15,145 km in 14 days

This card is among the most recent Christmas cards that I've received. It came this week. According to the postcard, each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the Country Club Plaza for the spectacular Christmas lights. The installations last from Thanksgiving night until the end of the holiday season. The fireworks on this postcard makes it look like even more radiant!

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Tuija
Sent: Dec 2013, Traveled 8,726 km

This last card for this weekend is half real life and half illustration postcard. The dog on this postcard is Vilma, pet and companion of my penfriend Tuija, Vilma is a litter reject Mittelspitz but my sweet friend took her and they've been with each other for many years now. I always love reading news about Vilma on each and every letter Tuija sends to me. 

Until next weekend for more Christmas postcards!

~maria

Sunday Stamps: Fireworks and night views

For fireworks and night views:

UL - Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, issued in 2004

This stamp has appeared here in my blog back to 4 years ago. It came with this postcard. That is probably my only postcard from Macau and this is my only fireworks stamp to date.

LL - A 2013 issue featuring the Fehmarn Sound Bridge. It is a 963-meter long bridge connecting the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea to mainland Germany. The bridge is considered a historic monument but I can't find any further information from wiki as to the reason for such distinction.

UR - It's from a 2-pc set joint issue in 2009 between Indonesia and Iran. This stamp is the Indonesian face featuring Masjid Al-Markaz in Makkasar. It is a center of Islamic studies in the eastern part of Indonesia. Its architecture is patterned with the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.

LR - Almost of a night view, this 2013 stamp is from the Coastlines of New Zealand set of 5 issue. This is probably my favorite among these 4 stamps shown here in my page today. I love the aptness of the name for the tiny rocky islands and the mixed hues of yellow, orange, and blue as the background.

Visit See it on a Postcard for more fireworks and night view stamps features for today.

~maria