Stamp Requests

Dawa is a popular cocktail from Kenya and is widely regarded as one of the country's signature drinks. The word “Dawa” means “medicine” or “magic potion” in Swahili, and the cocktail is named as such because it's believed to have healing properties, especially for lifting spirits and revitalizing the body. It includes vodka as the base spirit, fresh lime wedges for a tangy kick, and honey to add a smooth sweetness. The drink is served over ice and stirred with a “Dawa stick” (traditionally a honey-dipped wooden stick) to combine the flavors. Optional sugar can be added for extra sweetness, making it the perfect balance of sweet and sour. It's an easy-to-make cocktail that’s ideal for warm weather! The Dawa is more than just a cocktail in Kenya; it’s often considered a social drink enjoyed during gatherings, celebrations, and relaxing evenings. The drink has become a must-try for tourists visiting Kenya, especially at local bars and restaurants with outdoor seating or safari lodges.

Mazagran (also called café mazagran, formerly spelt masagran) is a cold, sweetened coffee drink that originated in Algeria. It has been stated that the drink's name probably originated from a fortress named Mazagran in a coastal town called Mostaganem in the northwest of Algeria which in 1837 through the Treaty of Tafna was granted to France. Mazagran is prepared with strong, hot coffee that is poured over ice, and it is typically served in a narrow, tall glass. It has also been described as "coffee taken with water instead of milk", in which coffee is served in a tall glass along with a separate container of water to mix in with the coffee

Benin location stamp proposal - The Chameleon Temple, Obamey, Benin The biggest religion of Benin, Voodoo has over 50 million believers in West Africa and further huge followings in parts of the Caribbean, South America and even some regions of the southern United States. An animistic religion whose roots stretch back thousands of years, its name means ‘god’, ‘spirit’ or ‘power’ in the Fon language; and its followers believe not in the clichés of the living dead, but instead in the power of nature and the natural forces that course through everything. Abomey Although known as a royal city, Abomey is a pleasant place to enjoy a day peering into the recesses of the market and discovering small Voodoo shrines squirreled away up dusty side streets. Those interested in Voodoo culture shouldn’t miss the fetish market, just a short way outside of the town centre – it’s one of the biggest and goriest in the country. Source : Brandt Guide to Benin "Today we paid a visit to one of the more touristic centers of Benin – Abomey. Before reaching the city with its lines of palaces and commonly-visited sites, though, we got to a chance to tour something much less well-known. Due to some awesome connections that one of our fellow volunteers has, we got to visit a voodoo temple shaped like a chameleon. It’s huge! It's been under construction for the past 6 years, and although there is still much to be completed within it, it looks pretty remarkable. I mean, who doesn’t think walking into the mouth of a chameleon to get into a temple is cool?! The temple is a private project being financed by a voodoo priest who resides on the outskirts of Bohicon. Its purpose is not to serve as a tourist attraction, but as a place for followers of the Tohouiyo divinity to worship. I'm not too well versed in the theology of all the different deities and spirits within Voodoo, but I can tell you that there are many. Voodoo is a polytheistic religion, and one may find a spirit involved in just about anything. We had the chance to talk with the voodoo priest who was financing the temple, and he told us that many people claim that different religions – Christianity, Islam, etc. – are all different things. He said that when one understands Voodoo, however, they understand that they are all the same. Everything is a part of Voodoo. For example, he said that the God that one worships in Christianity is also one of the Gods worshipped in Voodoo. This statement matches up almost to a tee with what I’ve heard when discussing voodoo with other Beninese people as well." "A voodoo temple shaped like a chameleon. Chameleons are said to be symbolic of god on earth to most divinities of voodoo." Source : BikeBenin blog Rationale for this proposal Benin is the birthplace of the Vodun religion, and this temple is an outstanding architectural object. I think it would create a very nice stamp design if adopted. The Brandt Guide to Benin has an excellent introduction to this ancient religion, and is recommended reading. Thank you for your comments and support. Attachments : * façade * partial façade and left side view * the rear and side of the building * front temple entrance with people for scale reference

Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest, featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October, with more than six million international and national visitors attending the event. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest

The beautiful medieval city of Hamelin (Germany) is visited by around 4 million tourists each year, many of whom go there to visit the place they heard about as little children: the city of the Pied Piper . The legend of the Pied Pier dates back to the Middle Ages. The earliest references describes a piper, dressed in multicolored ("pied") clothing, who was a rat catcher hired by the town to lure rats away with his magic pipe. When the citizens refused to pay for this service as promised, he retaliated by using his instrument's magical power on their children, leading them away as he had the rats. This version of the story spread as folklore and has appeared in the writings of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the Brothers Grimm, and Robert Browning , among others. Source: Wikipedia Magic pipe aside, the meaning of the events in this story remains unclear to this day and there are many different theories about it. Some suggest the Pied Piper was a symbol of hope to the people of Hamelin, which had been attacked by plague; he drove the rats from Hamelin, saving the people from the epidemic. Here is an interesting BBC article about it, which also suggests the story is based on an actual historic incident. The Pied Piper is known to everyone in Germany as "der Rattenfänger von Hameln" and also to millions of people around the world. I believe this character would make a perfect premium stamp and a very much needed alternative to the ones with traditional food.

A stamp to honor those that were denied their freedom as late as possible.

The Lighthouse of Alexandroupolis A central attraction and symbol of the city is the Lighthouse (recognized as a cultural heritage monument in 2013) located on the city's promenade (Megalou Alexandrou Street). It was built in 1850 and started operating in 1880, built on the western side of the city's harbor to facilitate the coasting of local sailors who traveled to the area of Hellespont. It is on a cylindrical pedestal and is 27 meters from the average sea level and 18 meters from the ground, making it one of the tallest lighthouses in Greece. It operates with electricity and its distinctive feature is its light beam reaching 24 nautical miles (approximately 44 km) and three white blinks every 15 seconds.

There are many stamp requests about European castles already, but I think it would be nice to make a set with some of the oldest or most famous and beautiful castles of Europe. It could include for example the Romanian Bran castle, the Czech Karlštejn castle, the Buda castle of Hungary, the Neuschwanstein castle from Germany, a French castle from the famous Loire region, and there are also requests for castles from Belarus. Any other recommendations would be welcome, as I am not familiar with some of the countries' castles. Bran Castle, Romania: https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2019-06/shutterstock_114267793.jpg?auto=format&q=40&ar=16%3A9&fit=crop&crop=center&fm=auto&w=1075 Karlštejn Castle, Czech Republic: https://st3.depositphotos.com/7402484/13056/i/450/depositphotos_130565930-stock-photo-gothic-royal-castle-karlstejn.jpg Buda Castle, Hungary: http://cdn3.livelongandtravel.com:8080/Budapest-Royal-Palace-1024x662.jpg Neuschwanstein, Germany: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Schloss_Neuschwanstein_2013.jpg/800px-Schloss_Neuschwanstein_2013.jpg Azay le rideau castle France, Loire region: https://images.musement.com/cover/0002/69/fotolia-167623247-subscription-xxl-jpg_header-168544.jpeg https://miro.medium.com/max/1024/0*bbcuub7y4OAjMkBH.jpg

Perhaps the first thing that draws a visitor to Yemen is the large dagger worn by most Yemeni men. It is the "Janbiya" also spelled "Jambiya" (Arabic: الجنبية Al-janbiyyah) as the people of Yemen call it, and despite the fear and tension that this piece of white weapon arouses among many tourists and other visitors to Yemen, The Janbiya is mostly peaceful. Yemenis consider it more of a part of the traditional men's costume than a weapon. Rather, for them, it is one of the most important requirements for a man’s adornment and clothing, and one of the most valuable things they own and cherish as a symbol, culture, and heritage. It generally consists of three pieces 1- The first piece of the jambiya consists of three parts. The first part is topped with a handle its called "head". It is made from the horns of certain types of animals, and two pieces of gold are added to the head. The handle is decorated with shiny engravings distributed regularly on both sides by implanting special, precise nails made of silver. As for the second part, it comes at the bottom of the head of The Janbiya with a metal frame, called “Mabsam”. It is usually made of local silver or dyed with gold water, and it could be made of gold in precious Janbiyas. As for the third part, it is a large blade of iron or steel, and its edges are sharp, and it has a curved shape until it ends with a pointed head, and this part is connected directly with the first parts. 2- The second piece is a sheath that is made of wood and is covered from the outside with a plate of gold or silver often, and some inscriptions or Arabic words are added to this sheath, or a type of leather or a type of green colored thread is used. 3- The third piece is the Janbiya belt, which is a belt that surrounds the middle of the body in the abdomen and lower back, and it is the piece responsible for tying the sheath (the second piece). It is generally made of pure leather, and the leather is often covered with a lining of cloth from the behind. As or the front, the cloth is full of motifs or Arabic lines embroidered with gold threads and other colored threads, so it looks like an exquisite painting of Arabic inscription art. Note :# the piece number 1 is the Janbiya, and the pieces number 2 and 3 its called "Al-Asib" , but people call all pieces Janbiya. And this is how it's looks like: Other than wearing the Janbiya as an adornment, it forms an essential part of the famous "Al-Bara' " dance among many Yemeni tribes. And other Yemeni folk dances, where this dagger is taken it out and moved in the hand in a signed manner with the beats of the drums. The jambiya also plays an important role in tribal arbitration in disputes that occur between individuals or tribes. The aggrieved party also resorts to breaking the sheath of his Janbiya or handing it over to the arbitrator or judge as confirmation of his request for redress, or expression of commitment to the arbitrator or judge ruling, whoever it may be. Janabi is worn by adult men. However, many parents are keen to have Janbiya for their children on special occasions. The children's Janbiya is small, and some parents are keen to have its blade attached in the sheath, to prevent children from taking it out and playing with it. where it is customary to see children adorned with the jambiya as a sign of their tribal affiliation and as a symbol of their expected manhood. The Janbiya is the most expensive piece of the traditional Yemeni folk dress in its many forms and styles, and it is said that the value of some of the Janbiyas reaches millions of dollars. Indeed, due to the greatness of the value of some Janbiyas, they are not sold at all and are priceless. The old, inherited Janbiya is kept by the person most conservatively and is not sold at any price, as that is a shame and a defect according to tribal traditions. And the most valuable of the Janbiya has an ancient genealogy, which is the chain of previous people who possessed it. For more information : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambiya https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janbiya https://youtu.be/1J9Kncx5cLk https://youtu.be/Xby0j1RObuE https://youtube.com/watch?v=c8AsONB6F4s&feature=share8

May 25. is the International Towel Day, a fictive celebration day to honor Douglas Adams and his remakable books "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day