#meritxell

September 8th is Andorra’s national day 🇦🇩

The date was made official in the year 1873, fixed on the day of Andorra’s patron saint the Mare de Déu de Meritxell (Virgin Mary of Meritxell), which also matches the anniversary of the founding of Andorra on September 8th 1278, when a document was signed in Lleida (Catalonia) declaring which lands belonged to each lord.

The day is mostly a religious celebration, with especial masses dedicated to the Virgin and songs in Her honour. There is also an official celebration in the Government, a concert, and dancing of sardanes (traditional Catalan dance).

Andorra!  Here’s an interesting place.  Thought to have been founded by Charlemagne, Andorra is nestled in the Pyrenees, its official language is Catalan, and it is jointly ruled as a diarchy by the Bishop of Urgell in Spain and the President of France.  Which complicates things, philatelically speaking at least, as there is both a French Administration postal service and a Spanish Administration postal service.  Both issue stamps.  Often times of the same subjects [see above: bridges in Engordany].  For the sixth-smallest state in Europe, Andorra has managed to flummox the Universal Postal Union!

Stamp details: Stamp on top: Issued on: June 16, 1932 From: Andorra la Vella, Andorra MC #24

Second row: Issued on: May 5, 2018 From: Andorra la Vella, Andorra MC #834

Third row: Issued in: 1875 From: Andorra la Vella, Andorra MC #1

Stamp on bottom: Issued on: April 23, 2018 From: Andorra la Vella, Andorra WNS #005.18