Christmas ‘Seal’ Makes Cold Winter Warm

Christmas ‘Seal’ Makes Cold Winter Warm

Towards the end of year, love sharing activities are conducted by many organizations more than usual. Out of those activities, one is a charitable work that is easy for everyone to participate. Immediately, it is to purchase Christmas ‘seal.’ Christmas ‘seal’ has been made into stamp-shaped stickers. Christmas ‘seal’ has different and various designs and meanings. When people buy and see Christmas ‘seal,’ they may be interested in it by its designs and impressed by its meanings. Also, the cost of Christmas ‘seal’ sale is raised as a donation for tuberculosis patients. By purchasing Christmas ‘seal,’ we can have meaningful stamp-shaped stickers. At the same time, we can be charity fund-raisers for tuberculosis patients. Therefore, buying Christmas ‘seal’ makes significant effect. Now let’s take a close look at Christmas ‘seal’.

The Origin of Christmas ‘seal’

After the Industrial Revolution, Christmas ‘seal’ started in end of 19C in which tuberculosis was spread on all over the Europe. At that time, Denmark was suffering from tuberculosis as well. Einar Holbele was a post office clerk in Copenhagen, Denmark, who was unhappy with the death of children due to tuberculosis. He thought if he sent a mail attached a coin ‘seal,’ he could collect the charity fund-raising after selling it while arranging Christmas mails and packages at the end of year. Later, the Danish King, Christian IX actively supported the Christmas ‘seal.’ The world’s first Christmas ‘seal’ was issued on December 10, 1904. Christmas ‘seal’ fundraising led to sympathy and participation of the Danish people and was spread to the United States, Sweden, Germany and Norway in 1907. They began to issue Christmas ‘seal’ in the Philippines in 1910. After 1925, it was spread to European countries such as France, Belgium, Poland, Italy and Central and South American countries including Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico and the Middle East.

In Korea, the Christmas ‘seal’ campaign was started by Sherwood Hall in December 1932, who was a Canadian missionary doctor during the Japanese colonial period. He started a seal fundraising campaign to get a better understanding of tuberculosis and the participation of all nation about Christmas ‘seal.’ For the first time, Christmas ‘seal’ was issued nine times from 1932 to 1940. However, the issue was suspended for a while due to the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War. On August 15, after liberation, Dr. Moon Chang-Mo, who issued the Christmas ‘seal’ with Dr. Hall, raised fundraising activity once again. Christmas ‘seal’ was become a national fundraising campaign as establishing the Korean National Tuberculosis Association. Christmas ‘seal’ has steadily been issued every year for the last 60 years since the foundation of the Korean Tuberculosis Association in 1953. It is representative of Korean fundraising project and symbol of Tuberculosis’s eradication. Since 1988, Korean has been ranked number 1 in the IUATLD Global Christmas Seal Contest for seven times and has often been awarded the second and third many times. Other member countries have asked Korea not to participate in the Christmas ‘seal’ contest. Korea has proven to be excellent in its ‘seal’ designs and printing technology.

Following is the list of seals that Korea took first place at the IUATLD Global Christmas Seal Contest

▲ Nongak in 1988

▲Our Friendly Custom in 1989

▲Wedding Day in 1990

▲Butterflies in Korea in 1992

▲Korean wild flowers in 1993

▲The Mystique of the South Sea in 1995

▲Korean Traditional Beauty in 1996

2016 Christmas ‘Seal’:

Aspiration for Independence—Korean Independent Activist 10

The Korea Tuberculosis Association produced the Christmas ‘Seal’ in October to commemorate the 71stanniversary of liberation. The theme of the Christmas ‘Seal’ is determine dafter the Korea Tuberculosis Association’s annually internal meeting through public contest. Independent activists were overwhelmingly accepted as the theme of the design in 2016 after the 70th anniversary ofl iberation. The Christmas ‘Seal’ of 2016 includes Kim Gu, the annotated President of the Provisional Government of Shanghai, Ahn Jung Geun, who shot Ito Hirobumi in Harbin, and Yu Gwan Soon, who led the Independence Movement in 1st March. There are 10proud independence activists who have made the present Korea possible.

In 2016, it was a confusing year due to the controversy of the administration government’s monopoly. I look forward to seeing the 2016 Christmas ‘Seal’ of an independent activist who has been sacrificed for his country. I hope to be able to reflect on 2016 and the upcoming years will be more meaningful.

조하정 수습기자/jk5164@hwaryong.com

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