Christmas - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1973 - 2 Shilling

When the branches of the trees freeze in the hoarfrost, the frost conjures up thousands of snow crystals on the window panes, and the great silence lingers over the woods, then it's Christmas. On this year's special postage stamp "Christmas 1973", the child can be seen in the manger with Mary and Joseph. It is a representation on a glass window from St. Erhard near Breitenau in Styria. Here, too, ochs and donkeys guardfully keep watch over the crib. They were thus animals of the Christmas season, which was entrusted with a special office. In the peasant barn not only ox and donkey warm up in the winter time, but also horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, pigeons, dogs and cats. For them all, the stable is a refuge when it storms outside and the snow builds up. All the animals, it says in the saga, can talk at Christmas time, and they then tell strange stories about the people to whom they have served faithfully throughout the year. The source of this legend is an ancient Christian tradition that states that Jesus, who was on his way to Egypt with his parents, commanded the dragon in a cave, that they should not harm anyone. Then all the beasts came out of the forest, fell on their knees before Jesus and received his blessing. From this developed since the 18th century, the popular belief that the animals can speak on Christmas night in the period of twelve to one o'clock.