Wallis & Futuna 2023 - Traditional Dance, Bamboo Dance

Technical Details:
Date of Issued: 29 April 2023
Designer: J.-J. MAHUTEAU
Printing: Offset
Stamp Size: 52 x 40 mm
Presentation: 10 Stamps per-Sheet
Face Value: 175 FCFP (1,47 €)
Circulation: 20 000 copies

DDR, Germany 1986 - Postal Uniforms

Date of Issued: 04 February 1986
Design: Gottschall
Perforation: 14

Denmark 1976 - Danish Glass Production

Technical Details:
Date of Issued: 18 November 1976
Sheetsize: 50
Design: Helle Jessen
Engraving: Czeslaw Slania
Perforation: 12¾

Ghana 1988 - The 10th Anniversary of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Date of Issued: 14 April 1988
Perforation: 13

Thailand 2019 - Thai Traditional Festival, Lotus Receiving

Issue Name : Thai Traditional Festival Postage Stamps - Lotus Receiving
Issue Date: 07 October 2019
Denomination: 3 Baht (4 Designs)
Size: 48 x 30 mm. (Horizontal-measured from perforation to perforation)
Printer: TBSP Public Company Limited

Finland 1976 - The Prevention of Tuberculosis, Wedding Traditions

Date of Issued: 15 September 1976
Design: Paavo Huovinen
Perforation: 12¾ x 13

To the late 1800s continued wedding traditions; Wedding Traditions:
0.50 + 0.10mk: Wedding Procession
0.60 + 0.15mk: Wedding Dance
0.80 + 0.20mk: Wedding Dinner

Czechoslovakia 1975 - Czechoslovak Folk Costumes

Date of Issued: 26 March 1975
Design: K. Svolinský
Engraving: J. Schmidt
Perforation: 11¾

Ascension 1991 - Royal Marines Equipment, 1821-1844

Date of Issued: 01 August 1991
Perforation: 14¼

Royal Marines Equipment 1821-1844:
Officer: Shako, Epaulettes, Belt Plate, & Button
Officer: Cap, Sword, Epaulettes, Belt Plate
Drum Major: Shako with Cords, & Staff
Sergeant: SHako, Chevrons, Belt Plate, & Water Bottle
Drummer: Drum, Sticks, Shako

Taiwan 2012 - Traditional Festivals

Technical Details:
Date of Issued: 20 June 2012
Dimension of Stamp: 40mm × 32mm
Printer: China Color Printing Co., Ltd
Designer: Huang Li-jun
Sheet Composition: 20 (5×4）
Print Color: Colorful
Process: Offset
Paper: Phosphorescent Stamp Paper
Perforation 121/2

So as to introduce traditional Chinese festivals, Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of four stamps featuring the Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival. The designs of the stamps follow:

1. The Chinese New Year (NT$5): Chinese New Year is characterized by auspicious celebrations that symbolize the idea of the old giving way to the new. The stamp features fireworks to convey a sense of joy and fruitfulness. It also shows traditional New Year’s calligraphic couplets, with chun (the character for spring) on one side of the door, and fu (the character for good fortune) on the other. These convey the idea that “with spring comes good fortune.”

2. The Lantern Festival (NT$5): The Lantern Festival is like a mini Chinese New Year. Every household celebrates and hangs decorative lanterns. The stamp features a traditionally styled lantern, glutinous rice balls, and wooden red flip-flops representing that everything comes in pairs. The design is meant to convey the idea of blessings coming as families gather to celebrate the holiday.

3. The Dragon Boat Festival (NT$10): Dragon boat races and eating zongzi are the two activities most representative of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is a folk tradition to hang sweet sedge and Asian mugwort over the door to one’s house so as to ward off insect infestations. It is also customary to wear sachets of fragrant herbs dangling from one’s waist and to drink realgar wine as a way of praying for peace and safety.

4. The Mid-Autumn Festival (NT$25): “The moon is full and the people united.” The Mid-Autumn Festival is a holiday that celebrates reunions. The stamp features a shiny, bright moon and the Jade Hare and Lady Chang’e accompanying each other in the Palace of the Moon. The moon cakes symbolize the beauty of the clan being whole and united.

Macau 2002 - Tou Tei Festival (God of Earth Festival)

Date of Issued: 15 March 2002
Perforation: 14½ x 14

Belief and Customs of Tou Tei:

Tou Tei, a folk deity, is thought to protect the life and health of residents. In Macao, Tou Tei is honoured with altars, temples and a festival on the second day of the second lunar month, roughly February or March each year.

Taiwan 2004 - Yijhen: Taiwanese Folk Art Performance

Technical Details:
Date of Issued: 11 May 2004
Dimension of Stamps: 40mm x 30mm
Printer: China Color Printing Co., Ltd., R. O. C.
Drawer: Hung-tu Ko
Sheet Composition: 20 ( 5 x 4 )
Print Color: Colorful
Process: Deep etch offset
Paper: Phosphorescent Stamp Paper
Perforation: 11 1/2 x 11

Yijhen: Taiwanese Folk Art Performance:

A staple of temple fairs and religious festivals, yijhen, a general category of various traditional Taiwanese folk art performances, is gradually fading from view due to the industrialization and modernization of society. Yet the sight of yijhen never fails to evoke warm memories of childhood. In order to give ROC nationals a deeper understanding about the island of Taiwan, Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of four stamps entitled “Yijhen: Taiwanese Folk Art Performance.”

In traditional Taiwanese society yijhen folk art performance played an important role in the cultural life of the common people. In the agricultural society of yesteryear, it was used in rituals to express people’s gratitude to the gods during temple fairs and religious processions and was also used as entertainment for the common folk. During the Ming and the Ching Dynasties, the early Han Chinese settlers brought yijhen with them

when they made the journey from mainland China across the strait to Taiwan. In the 400 years since, yijhen has developed into something that has both preserved its traditional Chinese spirit and yet also taken on the flavor of its locale. During the period of early settlement, Taiwan was a dangerous place, and some yijhen troupes had become self-defense organizations for their locales. The prevalence of religious activities fueled the development of folk dramas and yijhen. Apart from being entertaining, yijhen also functioned as a tool of education and as a defense mechanism that fostered solidarity among the people. Traditionally, a procession is held symbolizing a god or gods making an inspection tour of his or her territory on the eve of the god’s birthday or an important temple ceremony. During this kind of procession, local temples and businesses invite yijhen folk art performance troupes to join the parade. Most of these yijhen performers are amateurs and composed of people from the local communities.

The designs of the stamps follow:

(1) The Eight Generals: the “Eight Generals” can actually be performed by four, six, eight or more than ten persons. An eight-person troupe is the most common—hence the name. The “Eight Generals” is a solemn and mysterious troupe, employing the Four Gate, Seven Star or Eight Trigram battle arrays to capture goblins and monsters, so as to protect the people and keep the area safe.

(2) The Song Jiang Battle Array: the “Song Jiang Battle Array” is the largest and most impressive religious martial art troupe in Taiwan and it is very popular in Southern Taiwan. It is typically composed of 36 members, but some have 42, 56 or 72 members. In recent years, the Tourism Bureau has especially designated the “Song Jiang Battle Array” performed by troupes from Neimen Rural Township, Kaohsiung County as a unique local travel attraction. And troupes from Neimen have represented Taiwan several times in performance art exchanges in mainland China.

(3) The Drum Dance: the “Drum Dance” is the most energetic and rhythmic of all Taiwanese folk art performances. All about drumming and jumping, it is also called the Drum Flower Dance, Big Drum Flower or Playing the Big Drum. A troupe is normally composed of eight people, although there are also larger troupes of several dozen people. The performance is divided into the flags, the drums, the parasols and the gongs. It is mostly performed in a square-like formation, with the drums in the middle, the parasols in the front and back, and the gongs at the four corners. Movements are rhythmic and exacting. These are popular performances during temple fairs.

(4) Stilt Walking: also called stilt stepping, stilt walking takes real skill and a lot of practice. It is generally divided into the categories of theatrical stilt walking, which emphasizes singing and facial expressions, and martial arts stilt walking, which features all sorts of stunts and martial art movements. Most of these stilts are under three feet high, and these are called short stilts. Stilts over three feet high are called tall stilts.

French Polynesia 1989 - Polynesian Folklore, July Festivals

Date of Issued: 28 June 1989
Perforation: 12½

French Polynesia 1987 - Polynesian Faces

Date of Issued: 21 January 1987

Perforation: 13¼

Macau 2011 - Cantonese Naamyam

Issue Name: Cantonese Naamyam
Issue Date: 30 May 2011
Designer: Chan Chi Vai

Cantonese Naamyam (narrative songs)

Brief Introduction to Naamyam — sad and touching song

“Naamyam”, “Wooden Fish", “Dragon Boat” and “Cantonese Folk Songs” are all Cantonese dialect folk songs formed by narrative singing. The linguistic characters of Cantonese dialect originated from the central plains of China (especially the Henan Province, which is traditionally considered as the cradle of Chinese civilization), and has retained the original nine tones and was registered in ancient poetry and books. The structure of “Naamyam” strictly follows the seven syllable and rhyme requirements of ancient Chinese poetry. Classic pieces include Ye Tingrui's “Wayfarer’s Autumn Lament” from the Qianlong period; He Weiqun's “Nocturnal Lament”; Zhao Ziyong’s “Diao Qiu Xi” and “Quit Your Soul's Sorrow”, as well as “Nan Shao Yi", “Ji Xiao Xiang”, and “The Magic Jade Fan”, written by unknown authors during the Jiaging period. All of the authors were accomplished scholars who had taken the imperial examinations. Although most Naamyam songs were composed in brothels or night clubs, they still convey a sense of loss, melancholy and gut-wrenching emotion. The songs also have patriotic undertones, with performers singing it quietly in a romantic style. On the other hand, Dingban (a method to indicate rhythm in Naamyam) requires precision, but allows for more freedom in singing articulation. Naamyam is influenced by Tang poems, but different from the “Long-Short Sentence” style of the Song Dynasty, integrated in the singing techniques of Kunqu Opera and Beijing Opera.

‘The “wooden fish book” texts were printed at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and have since evolved into different types of singing such as “dragon boat” “Naamyam" and “Cantonese Folk Songs” during the Qing Dynasty, with hundreds of bookshops estimated to have published thousands of different printed texts. These printed texts would usually only have only recorded the lyrics, but not the tune, although some also included the narrative singing scripts. Each textual unit in a Naamyam song is a quatrain, with each line containing seven syllables. The final syllable in the first and third line of each quatrain must end with an oblique tone, the second line (known as upper line) must end with an upper even tone and the fourth line (known as lower line) must end with a lower even tone. As repeating those rhythms were like the governing linguistic tones in the Tang Dynasty, famous Naamyam accents, such as “Zheng Xian”, “Yi Fan”, “Pao Zhou”, “Li Hun” and “Liu Shui” could be perfectly presented, with “Pao Zhou”, which has a bitter tune, sung from the throat, being the most touching one.

Naamyam styles can be divided into: Dai Sui Naamyam, Xi Neng Naamyam and Hei Toi Naamyam, each with their own unique styles. It is also distinguished by the singer, the performance venues or audience and performances given by blind singers, actresses, during home celebrations, on the streets, in taverns and on song boats will all have unique features. Moreover, depending on the size of the group, the singing could be accompanied by the Yangin (hammered dulcimer), the Y ehu (coconut-shelled lute), the San-Fsuan fiddle, the Xiao (vertical end-blown flute), the Pipa (seven-stringed Chinese lute), the Qingin (three-stringed Chinese lute) or the Ban (wooden clapper percussion instrument). The instruments could be played by the singer, or by fellow musicians, not all of whom were blind. Young blind girls were trained by their masters to be musicians capable of both singing and playing instruments at the same time. With the development of society and the economy, the ways of entertainment become varied. Away from brothels or night clubs, Naamyam singers would also be invited to perform in events such as weddings, celebrations or funerals. As Naamyam singers were mostly blind, they could sing among women in rich families.

On the other hand, there was a big difference in the way the careers of the Naamyam blind musicians in Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland China developed. Singers from Mainland China would dedicate themselves to the pursuit of excellence in singing technique, opting to keep to strictly defined standards. In contrast, Hong Kong and Macao were capable of broadcasting long-term radio programs dedicated to Naamyam songs. The popularity of blind musicians in Hong Kong and Macao was consequently widespread, with some artists even releasing records of their own.

Even though the boom period of Naamyam has long gone, several celebrities and communities have been working tirelessly to save the ancient tradition of Naamyam. With the assistance of Macao SAR, Naamyam was recently inscribed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list. “Naamyam” has become a unique item in the culture of Macao.

Author: Chan Chi Vai
Translation: NextVector Consultants Ltd

Mongolia 2023 - Ice Festival Of The Mongols

 

India 2023 - Bridal Costumes of India

Technical Details:
Date of Issued: 12 February 2023

Denomination : 25.00 Indian Rupees 
Printed : 111,000 each
Process : Wet Offset
Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad
Stamp/Souvenir Sheet/FDC/Brochure: Smt Gulistaan
Cancellation Cachet: Smt Nenu Gupta
Souvenir Sheet: Designed by Smt Gulistaan based on photographs arranged by Smt. Gulistaan, Sh. Amit Pandey and Sh. Ashish Raina.
Text : Sh. Pallab Bose


Bridal Costumes of India Weddings are a great way to experience the first hand experience of the culture, rituals, food habits, clothing and lifestyles of any community. In India, wedding is a celebration, where everyone is invited to bless, bride and groom on their new journey.

Red is the predominant color of bridal custom in India. In our culture, it means new beginnings, passion, and prosperity. Red also represents the Hindu goddess Durga, who symbolizes new beginnings and feminine power. In Indian culture, the woman is the one who is leaving her house and going to the man’s house to be with his family. It’s a far bigger change for the woman than the man, so it is appropriate that she be the one commanding the most attention and wearing a bold color like red that symbolizes new life.

The Indian bride usually wears a wedding sari orlehenga according to the regional traditions. In Indian culture, wedding dress of a bride comes from groom's side as a Shagun. While the saree is preferred as the bridal dress in South India, West and East India, traditional wear such as the mekhela sador is preferred in North-east India and brides of the North of India prefer Lehenga, Gagra Choli and Odni as bridal dresses.

The Kashmiri bride complement her looks with weaved saress which are remarkably jazzy due its adorned work. The bride completes her wedding look with Tarang, Kalpush, Zoojhis and matching dupatta. Their jewelry consists of heavy necklaces, bangles, payals and special ornament called Dejharoo, akin to a Mangalsutra in Indian culture.

The Punjabi Brides wear a Salwar Kameez, an extremely opulent pant suit, or lengha. The bride wears white and dark red bangles made of ivory known as ‘Chooda’. They are usually in multiples of four and according to tradition the bride must wear it for at least a year after her marriage. Chooda and Kaleeras are the real essentials of a Punjabi bride’s wedding day look.

The outfit of a Manipuri bride is colorful and has a distinct style which is hard to find in any other community. A traditional Manipuri bride dons a skirt called Raslila on her wedding occasion. The Chakmas brides also wear black and red sarong which is also known as Pindhan in the local language. This entire outfit is teamed up with a blouse known as Silum. The Magh brides from the Manipuri community don the Thami sarong that covers almost the entire body and is coupled with a choli or a blouse which is full sleeved. The traditional outfit of a Manipuri bride is accessorized with the basic ornaments such as bangles, nose rings, necklaces and earrings.

The Bengali bride wears a Banarasi saree. Most Bengali brides prefer to wear a red Banarasi saree embellished with gold details or embroidery to match the gold jewellery. The traditional Bengali bridal look comprises of a beautiful red Banarasi saree, alta or red water colour on the hands and feet, mathapatti, necklaces, mukut and red and white bangles with gold.

The Marathi bride during the wedding put on a beautiful yellow or green Paithani saree with a golden border, hair tied in a neat bun, decorated with pearl ornaments and Gajra. The Paithani saree can either be woven in Kanjeevaram silk or even Banarasi silk. Most Paithani sarees have peacock and mango motifs of the Pallu and a square block design on the border. Mundavalya is the red and white beaded string like an ornament that the bride and wears across their forehead during their wedding ceremony. Two beaded string also fall from the string on either side on the forehead. Kolhapuri Saaz is the mangalsutra of Marathi brides.

The Gujarati bridal saree is called as a Panetar. Gujarati brides prefer to wear the traditional cream/ white and red saree for the wedding rituals. Many brides also choose Panetar style wedding lehenga choli that is made in white/ cream and red colors. Kundan necklace, heavy Jadau earrings or Jhumkas, also known as ‘kan ni butti’ in Gujarati, rings, Nathani or nose ring, armlets, hand ornaments, anklets, bangles, hair ornaments and Maang tikka or the forehead jewelry comprising of the entire array of jewels the bride adorns herself with.

Gujrati Brides also wear fine Bandhani sarees during their wedding ceremonies. One such glorious Bandhani saree is called as Gharchola – which is traditionally made in the colors of red/ maroon and green with Bandhani work and metallic and thread embroidery.

Tamilian brides dignify their wedding look with Kanchipuram Saree or Madurai Silk. A typical tamil bride usually wears a Kanjeevaram Saree in hues of bright colors with contrasting borders that have gold threads woven into beautiful patterns. Tamil bride is adorned with gorgeous looking heavy gold jewelry, passed on from one generation to the next. A few prominent jewelry pieces that adorn a Tamil bride are Metti (Toe Ring), Kolusu (Anklet), Oddiyanam (HipBelt), Vanki (Armlets), Maanga Malai (Mango shaped necklace), Nose Ring or Nose Stud, Earrings, Thalaisamaan (on forehead), Jadanagam (decorated braid). No tamil marriage is complete without wearing the flowers on the women’s head.

The Malayali bride wears a white saree with a golden border known as ‘kasavu saree ’. The Kerala bride has started pairing her traditional white and gold saree with a shiny red silk blouse, layered gold jewellery and lots of flowers in her hair Her minimal jewelry and makeup, matching bangles and that oh-so-pretty Kamar Bandh are enough to make her look like a perfect Kerala bride.

Department of Posts is pleased to issue two sets of Souvenir Sheet with commemorative postage stamps Bridal Costumes of India and celebrates the vibrant colors and spirit of Indian weddings.