Finnish stamps to be published during the remainder of the year will also feature art, education, and culture
Itella Posti Oy will release ten new stamp publications during the remainder of the year, with a total of 28 themes. Angry Birds characters will receive their first official stamps in September.
Other Finnish stamp themes during the remainder of the year will include the global post card hobby "postcrossing", the best-known paintings of Eero Järnefelt, and atmospheric images of the fall. The official side of Finland will be represented by the 150th anniversary stamp of the Government Office and a stamp presenting the school system. This year, the theme of the Christmas stamp arises from the nostalgic world of scrap pictures.
Itella Posti Oy will release the Orchid stamp, originally released January this year, with a new value of EUR 1.20 on August 23. This value is the new tariff for first-class letters with a weight of under 100 g. The stamp, designed by Susanna Rumpu and Ari Lakaniemi, is suitable for congratulations and printed condolences, for example. The foldable, self-adhesive sheet of ten stamps fits neatly into the wallet.
The world's first Angry Birds stamps, featuring six of the popular game characters - five birds and one pig - will be available from September 9. The designer of the stamps is Toni Kysenius, Art Director at Rovio Entertainment, who also designed the HockeyBird character and related stamp issue for last year's Ice Hockey World Championships.
In order to ensure authenticity, the Angry Birds stamps feature a pattern visible under UV light. In addition, the irregular perforation following the shape of the characters prevents the counterfeiting of the stamps. The six-stamp sheet also includes Priority labels fitting the appearance of the stamps.
Postcrossing gains popularity around the worldThe internationally popular hobby of postcrossing, in which people from around the world send each other postcards, will receive a stamp of its own in September. The oblong Postcrossing sheet, which can be folded in two in the middle, contains four stamps. The layout of the stamp sheet was made by the design agency Kokoro & Moi.
The postcrossing website www.postcrossing.com currently has more than 406,000 registered users from 216 countries. The basic idea of postcrossing is that each sender of a card receives one card back from a random sender somewhere in the world. Globally, postcrossers send approximately 600 postcards every single hour. There are some 15,000 postcrossers in Finland, and they have sent almost 1.7 million cards.
The stamps to be released in September celebrate the painter Eero Järnefelt, whose 150th anniversary is marked this year. The 1st class stamps of the miniature sheet designed by Teresa Moorhouse depict two of Järnefelt's well-known paintings from the art collections of the Ateneum Art Museum. Raatajat rahanalaiset (Under the Yoke (Burning the Brushwood)) from 1893 is a realistic depiction of slash-and-burn agriculture and the living conditions of peasants. The painting Metsämaisema (Forest Scene) depicts a view from Räsävaara, Koli, with rugged pines.
Itella Posti Oy's stamp release schedule traditionally includes fall-themed stamps, and a related five-stamp miniature sheet Signs of Fall will be published on September 9. The oblong 1st class stamps designed by Emil Bertell feature beautiful and atmospheric pictures, of which Sauna on the Shore, Rowboat and Apple Harvest are set in a rural landscape. Boy with Umbrella and Park Bench, on the other hand, feature a more urban setting.
The Diet, which has assembled regularly since 1863 and is thus celebrating its 150th anniversary, has played a key role in the development of the Finnish national state, the launch of political activity, and the strengthening of the position of the Finnish language. To mark the anniversary, Itella Posti will release the 1st class Diet 150th Anniversary stamp designed by Timo Berry as a ten-stamp sheet on September 17.
The plain and dignified stamp features the words "Lakia, työtä, rauhaa, valoa" ("Law, work, peace, light"), with light representing education, similarly to the Diet journals. An outline of Finland is in the background of the texts, with a silvery light shining from behind.
School as the cornerstone of Finland's successIn November, Itella Posti Oy will start a five-publication series of stamps celebrating the 100th anniversary of Finland's independence in 2017. The first publication in the series is the From Grammar School to Pisa, presenting the Finnish school system, which will be published on November 4. The six 1st class stamps designed by Ville Tietäväinen depict the cornerstones of the internationally renowned Finnish school system.
The themes of the 1st class stamps feature Uno Cygnaeus, the founder of the school system, school healthcare, school lunches, school tuition, physical education, and language instruction in school.
This year, the traditional Finnish Christmas stamps published in November have been inspired from the nostalgic world of scrap pictures. The nostalgic nature of the stamps, designed by Susanna Rumpu and Ari Lakaniemi, is emphasized by the gloss lacquering of the themes. In addition, the gold printing gives the stamps, which will be released in early November, a sparkling Christmas spirit.
The EUR 0.65 stamp for Christmas greetings is the atmospheric Christmas Hug. The 1st class Christmas stamp is Christmas Tree Boy. As a 2nd class stamp, the traditional Glossy Angel can be used for various other greetings in addition to Christmas greetings.
Release schedule for Finnish stamps, August–December 2013 (PDF)
Itella Posti Oy
Itella Communications
All stamps available for sale are featured in Posti's online shop:
www.posti.fi/goshopping
