New Stamp booklet from Czech Republic

 Booklet on fungi from Czech Republic

On 20 June 2018,  a new stamp booklet will be available in Czech Republic.
The booklet contents 10 stamps with Denomination A (postage rate for letters in Czech Republic up to 20 gramms).

The booklet pane are featuring the blusher (Amanita rubescens) , 5 pieces , and   the red boletus (Leccinum versipelle).
Both species are featuring on the frontside of the booklet too.

-Wolfgang Beyer, BDPh (German Philatelic Federation)

Workshop by Sikkim Philatelic and Numismatic Society

Gangtok, June 11: Sikkim Philatelic and Numismatic Society conducted a one day Philatelic and Numismatic workshop at Tashi Namgyal Academy at Gangtok on June 9. Display of philatelic and numismatic materials was also kept for the students.  TNA becomes the first school in Sikkim to set up a Philatelic and Numismatic club, reads the press release.

The power-point presentation of how to start philately was explained by Vivek Yonzone while the Numismatic Workshop was carried out by Vikrant Yonzone. Ganesh Pradhan, President SPNS congratulated the school for coming up with the hobby club for students. Pradhan thanked Retd. Major VK Pillai, Director cum Principal, TNA for initiating the hobby club. Shital Pradhan, Secretary, SPNS speaking on the occasion appealed to the students to appreciate the beauty of the hobby and pursue it with sincerity and dedication. Philatelic and Numismatic hobbies if done in a proper way can give you name, fame and above all knowledge of the world around, added Pradhan.

Roshan Prasad, International Medalist on Philately shared with the students about launching a Scholarship Scheme called Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to award children in the class category of Standard VI to IX by the Department of Posts, Government of India. From the TNA school, teachers involved at the stamp club included Parbati Basnett, Kelsang Wangmoo, Nirmala Pradhan and Adwina Gurung.

: Shital Pradhan, Gangtok 

FIFA World Cup 2018

2018 FIFA World Cup  

14 June to 15 July 2018, Russia

Date of Issue : 16 April 2018

From 14 June to 15 July 2018, Russia will host the 21st Football World Cup. The opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia will take place at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Monaco Post issued a postage stamp to commemorate this great sporting event on 16th April 2018 featuring two  players fighting for the ball in the foreground and the goalkeeper trying to catch a shot in the background. The stamp shows the flags of the participating nations. The whole picture is shown on the map of Russia with the event venues marked on the map.

Date of Issue : 25 May 2018

Magyar Posta has issued  a special stamp on 25th May 2018 to mark the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 

All surveys show that football is the world’s most popular sport. Much research has been done by many to explain why this is, but no one has yet found the precise answer. However, several clear conclusions can be drawn from the results of the research. Football’s popularity is unwavering and it is far more than simply a sport because it is a hobby, profession, business and entertainment at one and the same time. Not to mention that it fuels emotions as everyone has an opinion about it, a favourite team and favourite players. Perhaps the most important thing about it is, however, that every country has its own national team, and the best of these are gathering in Russia this year to compete for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.

32 national teams will play matches in refurbished stadiums in eleven Russian cities between 14 June and 15 July 2018. The hosts automatically take part while the other teams, including the defending champions Germany, win the right to participate by playing in qualifiers. The FIFA World Cup™final is traditionally one of the most watched sports events in the world. Eight nations have lifted the trophy in the 20 finals played to date, Brazil having won the FIFA World Cup™most times, on five occasions. Hungary has reached the final twice – in 1938 and 1954 – and finished as runners-up on both occasions.

Football and philately have intertwined since the early days as Magyar Posta’s first stamps with a sporting theme issued in 1925 included a football scene and the FIFA World Cup™featured in a Hungarian stamp issue in 1962.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup™stamps are arranged in a tête-bêche format, i.e. in pairs with one stamp upside-down in relation to the other. The main motif of the stamp is a football positioned over two adjoining stamps, thus creating a whole ball, with the colours symbolising the flag of the host nation in the background. The designs of the first day cover and the postmark feature motifs related to the stamp.

New Stamp from India

 India - South Africa Joint Issue

20 Years of Strategic partnership between India South Africa

 Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay and Oliver Tambo

Date of Issue : 7 June 2018

India Post issued a set of two stamps and a Miniature sheet on 20 Years of Strategic partnership between India South Africa featuring  Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay and Oliver Tambo. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Deputy Foreign Minister of South Africa, Luwellyn Landers jointly released postal stamps .

Image Courtesy - Stamps of India

Superstition and Magic in Slovenia

Date of Issue : 25 May 2018

Slovenia Post issued a set of  five stamps on 25 May 2018 featuring popular superstitions and magic in Slovenia. The stamps feature Witches, black cats, protection of newborn babies, divination, St John's wreath.

One activity that is popular in Slovenia is weaving of St John's wreaths ,which are hung on front doors in Karst villages on Mid summer Night or St John's Eve in order to protect individual houses and the people in them from everything evil and bring good luck.This practice, which is carried out every year,is today listed in the register of intangible cultural heritage.

Many magical actions are also related to the protection of new born children. The most popular one was protection by means of a pentagram or "incubus paw" carved or painted on to the side of the child's cradle. Perhaps, the most popular are of superstition in Slovenia relates to belief in witches,i.e. fabulous or demonic beings, or to trust in people who were able to cast spells,tell fortunes ,prophesy and even heal.

Popular superstitions are associated with animals .A typical example of the latter is the black cat, which is generally held to bring bad luck. Today this phenomenon is present even in car culture ,and a black cat that crosses the street in front of a car is believed to signify something bad, in other words an accident.

Predicting good and bad news ,actions,events and destinies is the stuff of      divination and fortune-telling of many different kinds, including reading coffee rounds. In 19th century special books explaining the symbols created by coffee were written In Slovenia.

New stamp from India

To commemorate World Environment Day a Miniature sheet with 4 stamps of Rs 5 denomination was released by Prime Minister  Narendra Modi on 5th June 2018 in a special function on World Environment Day at New Delhi. India was the host country and the theme of this year was " Beat Plastic Pollution".