Kazakhstan 2021

Kazakhstan

Date of Issue: 29th November 2021

one souvenir-sheet of 2 stamp (2x 800.- KZT)

Italy 2021

Italy

Date of Issue: 15th November 2021

two stamps (B & B50g values = 1.10 & 2.60 €) - NOTE both stamps are self-adhesive

 

 

Åland - Sepac 2022

Åland - Sepac

Date of Issue: 6th September 2022

one stamp (1.90 €)

Åland 2022

Åland

Date of Issue: 9th May 2022

one stamp (2.30 €)

The sjörå (in Swedish), (lake Rå) or the Sjöfru (Mistress of the Lake) was a mythical creature of the lake, or Rå, in Swedish folklore. She is a female, humanoid water spirit. She is a seductive creature, often featured sitting and combing her long, sweeping hair with delight, and often lures and drowns men who are unkind, unfaithful or otherwise disrespectful to her or the lake. Like all other rå (keepers) she protects her domain and awards those kind to her with good fishing luck and saves them from drowning. In wintertime she would sometimes stick her hand up from the waters. If the visitor then gave her a mitten she would thank him for his kindness with gifts or protect him in his time of need. source : Wikipedia

Finland 2022

Finland

Date of Issue: 27th April 2022

two stamps (2x international value = 2x 2.05 €) - NOTE those stamps are self-adhesive

 

 

those stamps are issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamps (2 stamps of each)

 

Päivätär and Kuutar are luonnotars (feminine personifications of nature) or goddesses of the Sun and the Moon in Finnish mythology. They own the gold of the Moon and the silver of the Sun, spin golden and silver yarns, and weave clothes out of them. In Kalevala, young maidens ask Päivätär and Kuutar to give them some of their golden and silver jewellery and clothes.

Both luonnotars are mentioned in Finnish folk poetry, but there is little information of them. Päivätär and Kuutar are emuus (origin mothers) of bees, wasps and hornets and appear in spells that were sung in order to prevent these insects from stinging. There is also one spell from Finnish Karelia that states that the world tree grew from the golden and silver tears of Kuutar and Päivätär. source : Finnish Folklore Wiki

 

Best Europa stamp 2021

Poland

The 2021 Best Europa stamp has been announced by PostEurop in this press release.

Poland is the winner of the 2021 Best Europa stamp contest organized by PostEurop. Åland finished second and Ukraine (2nd stamp) is third.

1. POLAND
2. ALAND
3. UKRAINE

As written earlier on this blog, PostEurop changed the rules for this contest. 3 voting panels (public, jury and  operators) are selecting the best Europa stamp. The results of these three panels are compiled and gives an overall winner.

Poland wins the overall contest in a deserved way by finishing in the top 3 of the three voting panels :

Public voting :

1. Turkey
2. Armenia
3. Poland 

Jury voting :

1. Germany
2. Poland
= Norway

Postal operators voting :

1. Poland
2. Åland
3. Hungary

Consolidated result of all three panels - top 10 :

1. Poland
2. Åland
3. Ukraine
4. Armenia
= Hungary
= Norway
7. Germany
= Netherlands
= Spain
= Turkey

Best Europa stamp - new rules and new system !

Europe

New rules from this year for electing the Best Europa stamp ! Coming into force in 2021 !

A single winner will be chosen resulting from a combination of 3 different voting panels, each having the same weight !

1. General public votes on digital images of the stamps via a dedicated PostEurop website, 9 May - 9 September

2. Postal operators votes on digital images of the stamps via a dedicated PostEurop intern website. Each company votes for 3 preferred stamps, except its own stamp.

3. Jury voting on physical stamps. Each jury member votes for his/her 3 preferred stamps.

The 10 best placed stamps in each of the 3 voting panels are allocated the following number of points (Eurovision Song Contest system) :

1st = 12 points ; 2nd = 10 points ; 3rd = 8 points ; 4th = 7 points ; 5th = 6 points ; 6th = 5 points ; 7th = 4th points ; 8th = 3 points ; 9th = 2 points and 10th = 1 point.

The points from the 3 voting panels are added up to obtain the overall winner and the two runners-up.

Note : only the country having send his digital and physical stamp to PostEurop can win the contest !

The Best Europa stamp 2021 will be announced during PostEurop's plenary assembly on the 6th of October 2021.