Greetings on Teacher’s Day

Happy Teacher’s Day !

5th September is celebrated as Teacher’s Day in India. Since 1962, India has been celebrating Teachers' Day on 5th September as a symbol of tribute and honor to the contribution made by teachers to the society.

The day marks as a day of gratitude and respect to the selfless efforts of teachers. This day is also celebrated to honor Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the great teacher, academic philosopher and India's Second President as he was born on the same day in 1888. Dr. Radhakrishnan was a strong supporter of education. Instead of celebrating his birthday separately he requested to observe the day as Teachers' Day to give honor to all the teachers in India. This appeal demonstrated his love for the teaching profession and since then 5th September is celebrated as Teachers' Day in India.

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Postcard on International Yoga Day From Portugal

 

 

A commemorative Post card was issued on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga in Portugal on 21st June. The post card was signed by the Ambassador of India to Portugal, Dr. Jitendra Nath Misra, President of the Portuguese Yoga Confederation, Jagat Guru Amrta Suryananda Maha Raja and Director Sales, CTT Correios de Portugal, Dr. Jose Laia Henriques.

 

Courtesy : Ministry of External Affairs Govt.of India

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21 June - International Day of Yoga

 

21 June - International  Day of Yoga

India Post will issue a  commemorative stamp and a Miniature sheet on International  Day of Yoga on 21st June 2015 . The stamp will  be released by  Prim Minister Shri Narendra Modi at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.Design of the stamp features the logo of the International Day of Yoga.

June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014.Yoga, a physical, mental and spiritual practice having its origin over 6000 years ago in India and Nepal, aims to integrate the body and the mind.The declaration of this day came after the call for the adoption of 21 June as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014 wherein he stated:

"Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness within yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day."

India Post earlier issued a postage stamp on Maharshi Patanjali, famous Yoga Guru on 10th August 2009 and a set of four stamps on 21st December 1991 featuring four important Asans of Yoga .

Yog Asans

Date of Issue : 21 December 1991

 

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Stamps on World Teacher’s Day by San Marino Post

 

 

Date of Issue : 16 June 2015

San Marino Post released a set of two stamps  on 16th June 2015, celebrating the World Teacher’s Day which is held annually on 5th October.

The first stamp of the set  shows some stylized pupils listening to a teacher holding a book in his hand . They are standing on a pile of books, which means that roots and knowledge come from the same fertile soil. On the second stamp, the teacher is showing light of knowledge to the students. The same design appears on the first day cancellation of the stamp.   A grateful homage to the teachers who help the intellectual and social development of the new generations.

 

World Teachers' Day, held annually on October 5th since 1994, commemorates teachers’ organizations worldwide. Its aim is to mobilize support for teachers and to ensure that the needs of future generations will continue to be met by teachers.

According to UNESCO, World Teachers' Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development.

Education International (EI) (the global union federation that represents education professionals worldwide) strongly believes that World Teachers' Day should be internationally recognized and celebrated around the world. EI also believes that the principles of the 1966 and 1997 Recommendations should be considered for implementation in all nations.

Over 100 countries observe World Teachers' Day. The efforts of Education International and its 401 member organizations have contributed to this widely spread recognition. Every year, EI launches a public awareness campaign to highlight the contributions of the teaching profession.

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175 years of Penny Black..

 

6 May 1840 :  The Penny Black stamp was officially launched

Happy Birthday Penny Black !!

 

The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was issued in Britain on 1 May 1840, for official use from 6 May of that year and features a profile of Queen Victoria.

All London post offices received official issues of the new stamps but other offices throughout the United Kingdom did not, continuing to accept postage payments in cash only for a period. Post offices such as those in Bath began offering the stamp unofficially after 2 May 1840.

The idea of an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage was part of Sir Rowland Hill's 1837 proposals to reform the British postal system; it was normal then for the recipient to pay postage on delivery. A companion idea, which Hill disclosed on 13 February 1837 at a government enquiry, was that of a separate sheet that folded to form an enclosure or envelope for carrying letters. At that time postage was charged by the sheet and on the distance travelled.

On 1 May 1840, post offices were issued with stocks of black one-penny stamps bearing a profile of a young Queen Victoria. And on 6 May, their use became official.

The franking mark – to prevent re-use of the stamps – was a red Maltese cross. Unfortunately, that could be rubbed off. So the colour of the ink was changed to black – which spelled the end of the Penny Black, and the birth of the Penny Red, which was introduced in 1841 and would last until 1879.

The original die of penny black was engraved by the Heath brothers from a medal design showing the head of Queen Victoria by William Wyon. The stamps were printed by Perkins Bacon security printers in sheets of 240 examples without perforations with letters in each corner the deter forgery and each sheet had to be cut up by scissors at the post office. Due to the long life of the design 11 separate plates were used, each with its own distinguishing characteristics and in all over 68 Million Penny Blacks were printed.

Penny Blacks - what makes them valuable?

So what makes Penny Blacks valuable? The major factor is condition. Those postal clerks and their scissors didn’t often cut carefully along the narrow margins and the majority had the design cut into. Also because they became an overnight collecting sensation households and businesses would save them by passing a needle and thread through the middle making1d Black Strings which were then sold by the foot to budding stamp dealers!

On 17th February 2015,Isle of Man Post Office issued in collaboration with Stanley Gibbons marking the 175th Anniversary of the Penny Black, the world's first adhesive posting stamp used in the public postal system, and the birth of Edward Stanley Gibbons.

Press Clipping

 

Ludhiana philatelists wish for million-dollar stamp

Aditi Gyanesh,TNN | May 6, 2015, 06.52 AM IST

LUDHIANA: World's first adhesive postage stamp, 'Penny Black', completes 175 years, and so does the culture of stamps. City philatelists on Tuesday shared their experiences of collecting stamps and still craving for the prized 'Penny Black'. Some of them are even keeping dummy, stickers, or photocopies of this stamp, to memorize and tell people about how and when stamps around the world took birth.
The reason behind collectors pursuing this rare stamp is not just philately. "It is extremely high in crores," Yashpal Bangia, president of Philatelic Congress of Punjab, said. "None of the philatelist in North India have the Penny Black. One has to shell out in crores for the stamp. The pricing, however, depends on the stamp's condition," Bangia added.
"Every philatelist the Penny Black," Bangia said. However, to articulate his love for the world's first stamp on its 175th anniversary, Bangia proudly mentioned about his collection of stamps on "Rowland Hill", inventor of "Penny Black" and first Indian stamp.
Bangia has worked for India Post and has written more than 40 books on philately till date. Another philatelist, IP Mehta (67), "This stamp gave birth to our work and hobbies. With the 175 years of this stamp, it is also 175 years of culture of sending letters by using stamps. We have many Victorian stamps with us but not the most important one, sadly."
However, philatelist also discussed the loosing importance stamps in next generation. Emails have replaced stamps now, they said, people do not need snail mail it anymore.

- Times of India

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World Book Day

 

 

World Book Day or World Book and Copyright Day is a yearly event on April 23, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to promote reading, publishing and copyright.

 

The connection between 23 April and books was first made in 1923 by booksellers in Catalonia as a way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes, who died on this date.

 

In 1995 UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors.

Best of Shakespeare

View : Literary stamps

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Earth Day

 

 

22 April – Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.

Go Green..

In celebration of Earth Day 2011, the United States Postal Service, in partnership with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, issued 16 different "Go Green" commemorative stamps. Each of the "Forever" stamps features an eco-tip with an illustration showing simple things any of us can do each day to reduce our environmental footprint.

 

Earth Day 2015: It’s our turn to lead

2015 - Earth Day’s 45th anniversary - could be the most exciting year in environmental history.
The year in which economic growth and sustainability join hands. The year in which world leaders finally pass a binding climate change treaty. The year in which citizens and organizations divest from fossil fuels and put their money into renewable energy solutions. These are tough issues but we know what’s at stake is the future of our planet and the survival of life on earth.

On Earth Day we need you to take a stand so that together, we can show the world a new direction. It’s our turn to lead. So our world leaders can follow by example. For many, climate change seems like a remote problem, but the reality is that it’s already affecting people, animals and places around the world. A change needs to be made. On April 22 we are harnessing the power of Earth Day to show our communities and our leadership that we want action on climate. It’s our turn to lead.

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World Health Day..

 

 

World Health Day 2015 : Food safety

 

 

Today is World Health Day. It is celebrated on 7th April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected that highlights a priority area of public health. The Day provides an opportunity for individuals in every community to get involved in activities that can lead to better health.This year’s theme is Food Safety.

Over 200 diseases are caused by unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses, chemical substances. It is estimated that two million deaths occur every year from contaminated food or drinking water.

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International Day of Happiness

 

Date of Issue :10 March 2015

 

The International Day of Happiness, established by the United Nations General Assembly on the 12th of July 2012, is celebrated on the 20th of March. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that the world needs a new economic paradigm that recognizes the parity between the three pillars of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental well-being are indivisible, together they define gross global happiness

Republic of San Marino celebrates the International Day of Happiness with a philatelic set designed by Mirella Musri, an illustrator, an artist and a teacher from Argentina. The issue has been already designed and is to be put into circulation on the 10^th of March.

The two stamps show four children from different ethnic groups playing together: they run on the earth (€ 0.95 value) and they ride a stylized swallow with Mount Titano in the background (€ 2.30 value).

Europa 2015 Stamps from San Marino

San Marino Post is ready to release a special stamp issue for Post Europ stamp competition. The philatelic release consists of two items that will be put into circulation on the 10^th of March.

PostEurop, organization who meets every two years to decide the themes of the philatelic issues of its member States dedicated to Europa, chose “old toys” for the year 2015. The 0.80€ value depicts a rocking horse, a toy that ties the present of the children with the past of the adults. The first rocking horse dates back to 1610 and it is kept by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

The 0.95€ value shows a toy car, a typical game that connects present and past generations. The designer Gabriella Giandelli is also a comic-strip artist, a scriptwriter, a director and a children’s book illustrator. She created the character “little rabbit Milo” for the Mondadori’s children collections which also became a cartoon for the Rai network.

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National Youth Day

 

Today is National Youth Day. It is celebrated in India on 12 January on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.

In 1984, the Government of India declared and decided to observe the birthday of Swami Vivekananda (12 January, according to the English calendar) as a National Youth Day every year from 1985 onwards. To quote from the Government of India's communication, 'it was felt that the philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth.

     

Swami Vivekananda, known in his pre-monastic life as Narendranath Datta, was born in an affluent family in Kolkata on 12 January 1863. He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India, and contributed to the concept of nationalism in colonial India. Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. He is perhaps best known for his inspiring speech which began, "Sisters and brothers of America ...," in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.

 

SriLanka Post issued  some magnificent stamps to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda . Here are some stamps issued by India Post and Sri Lanka Post.

 

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