150 Years of Government Post Cards

The whole world is celebrating 150 Years of birth of Post cards.  The first Government Postcard was born on October 1st 1869 in Austria.  Cheap and effective way to express messages and advertise.

Photo taken from Wikepedia

Postcrossers, members of  Postcrossing community, the largest forum for exchanging Post cards is also celebrating around the world with special postcards designed for the event.  Below you can see the Indian postcrosser's version of the card.

Shantipex 2019

India and various countries are celebrating 150th Anniversary of Birth of Mahatma Gandhi, from 2018 October 2nd to 2019 October 2nd.  India Post has issued a Miniature sheets and stamps to commemorate the event and conducting various philatelic exhibitions and issuing philatelic materials to honour Father of our Nation "Gandhiji".  One such celebrations happened at Coimbatore, the Manchester of Southern India.  During the Shantipex Philatelic exhibition, India post Coimbatore PB had issued Postcrossing Meetup cards in 4 designs.A Postcrossing meetup was also held at the Exhibition venue.

India China Meetup Card

World Coconut Day - 2nd September

The APCC is the Asian Pacific Coconut Community, having headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.  It was founded on 2nd September 1969 and on 6th, September Indonesia, India, and the Philippines signed up. They designated September 2, the formation day as World Coconut Day to create awareness about farming coconut trees, its benefits and the latest technology related to it, and export opportunities.  Now there are about eighteen coconut-producing member countries from the Asia and Pacific region including two associate Members of Kenya and Jamaica in APCC.

The coconut tree's various parts are useful in many ways.  The veins of the leaves are used to produce brooms, the branches are used to make hut tops, and fans, coconut fibers are used to make ropes and mats, and oil is used in cooking,  cosmetics, and medicines.  Its fibrous husk, when burned, repels mosquitoes.

Marco Polo encountered the coconut on his travels to Sumatra and refers to it in his writing as "nux indica," or "Indian nut". In 2000 Coconut Water has become a popular drink in the west.

Below MS was issued by India Post on 8th January 2018

30th July - World Embroidery Day

Embroidery is an art with needle and thread on fabric.  In Sweden, a group of local Embroidery grid from Broderiakademin came with an idea of keeping a special day for Embroidery.  On 2011, July 30th in Vismarlov - Swedish Embroidery guild people celebrated their first World Embroidery Day.  Since then it is celebrated every year on 30th July.  Though the machine Embroidery is spoiling the art, the hand Embroidery has its own unique place all around the world. 

 The art of Embroidery in Sweden dates back to roughly 300 to 700 AD.  In India, Kashmir is famous for its rich and vibrant Embroidery work.

Though Switzerland issued the world's first Embroidery stamp, Austria has issued more of these  than any other country.

4th July - USA's Independence Day

America celebrates its Independence Day on the Fourth of July every year.  In 1776, the USA got its Independence from the British.  Though the Continental Congress voted to declare Independence on the 2nd of July,  they approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July Fourth, 1776. They'd been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2nd.  So, July fourth, 1776, is a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation. 

Initial years Americans were busy with other things and celebrations didn't take place.  But celebrations of the 4th of July became more common as the years went on and in 1870, almost a hundred years after the Declaration was written, Congress first declared July 4 to be a national holiday as part of a bill to officially recognize several holidays,  including Christmas.   

This important day for the Americans is marked with grand celebrations - bursting of fireworks, parties, basketball games, family reunions, etc. The Bristol, July Fourth Parade in Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the US.

The below Forever USA definitive stamp issued in the year 2016 depicts the beautiful American flag.             

30th June - International Asteroid Day

Today, the 30th of June is observed as the International Asteroid Day by the United Nations since the year 2016. The annual event marks the anniversary of the Tunguska event that happened on the same day in 1908 in Siberia, Russia.  It is observed to raise awareness about asteroids and what can be done to protect the Earth from a catastrophic event.

The below stamp was issued by Austria Post in the year 2006 depicting a meteor. The stamp has a meteor dust hand affixed to it with a special adhesive. Meteors are smaller pieces or smaller versions of asteroids.

July 1st - Canada Day

The 1st of July this year 2019, the beautiful country nicknamed " The great white North" due to its geographic location and cold, harsh winters, the country with abundant maple trees and known for it's maple syrup is turning 152!!!

Yes, the 1st of July is observed as Canada day (Fete du Canada in French) or Canada's birthday as on this day in the year 1867, the British North America Act or the Constitution Act of 1867 was passed.This Act helped in the forming of the nation (joining of the provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick which then split into Ontario and Quebec), one of the important milestones to Canada's complete Independence from England which it  got in the year 1982. 

The National Day of Canada is celebrated with a lots of activities and events.  To mark the memorable occasion, fireworks, bonfires, parades, concerts, parties and picnics are held nation wide with great joy, happiness and pride. Not only Canadians living in Canada, Canadians around the globe too get to enjoy the important day. Canada Day celebrations are  held for Canadians in Bund Beach, Shanghai, at the  Royal Canadian Legion  and in Canadian clubs in Mexico etc.

Canada Day is observed on the 1st of July every year except when it falls on a Sunday. If it falls on a Sunday, July 2nd is taken to be a statutory holiday as per the federal holidays act.

Advance Happy Birthday Canada :) and advance Happy Canada Day to all the Canadians around the world :)!!!

The above stamp on the cover, made of cloth material depicting the beautiful Canadian Flag was issued in the year 2015 by Canada Post to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Flag!!