Editing Christmas seal (section)

===Semi-postals===
Various governments from around the world have also issued [[semi-postal|semi-postal postage stamps]] to help raise funds for the [[Red Cross]] and for the fight against tuberculosis, with countries like France, Spain and Belgium having produced hundreds. Beginning in the [[First World War]] France issued semi-postal stamps to raise funds for Red Cross who were overwhelmed by the many thousands of people who were wounded during the war. Eventually the French colonies were also producing semi-postals. The idea of semi-postals helping fund the Red Cross soon spread among the countries that were affected by the war, with more than 230 different semi-postals issued by 47 countries.  Spain and its colonies rivaled those of France with approximately 150 semi-postals issued.<ref>[[#cabeen1979|Cabeen, 1979]], pp. 126-128</ref>

France began issuing semi-postals to raise funds for the Red Cross in 1918, all of which bear the red cross symbol.<ref>[[#scott'france|Scott Stamp Catalogue of Stamps of the world], 2017]], v. 2, p.1535</ref>
{| style="margin:auto"
| [[File:France semi-postal Red Criss issues.jpg|thumb|upright=3|{{center|Selection of French semi-postal Red Cross semi-postal stamps<br>From left to right: Issues of 1918, 1939, 1953, 1955}}]]
|}
Belgium issued charity stamps in the form of [[semi-postal]]s, with the denomination on the right going to a charitable cause. The first such issues were released in 1914.<ref>[[#scott'2017'v1|Scott Catalogue of Stamps of the World: Belgium, 2017]], v. 1, p. 1088</ref>

{| style="margin:auto"
| [[File:Belgium Christmas seal, semi-postals (3).jpg|thumb|upright=2.4|{{center|Selection of Belgian [[semi-postal]] stamps. 1931-1950 issues.}} ]]
|}
The other European countries that have issued semi-postal stamps for the Red Cross and various tuberculosis foundations include Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, among others.
{|style="margin:auto"
| [[File:European Red Cross semi-postals.jpg|thumb|upright=4|{{center|Selection of European Red Cross semi-postal issues<br>From left to right:&nbsp; Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands}}]]
|}
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