recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Sprangpressioun

**Sprangprëssioun** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Luxembourg during this special day.

## Information

Each year, on the Tuesday of Pentecost (a Christian religious festival), **the hopping procession of Echternach** *(Iechternacher Sprangprëssioun)* takes place in the medieval town centre of Echternach, the oldest city in Luxembourg. Documented since the year 1100, the procession is founded on the cult of Saint Willibrord, a monk and founder of the Abbey of Echternach, revered for his missionary activities, his kindness and gift of curing certain illnesses. Despite the opposition of the Church due to the pagan elements of the procession, its successive bans did nothing to stop it spreading to the rest of the region and permeating every social class. The procession begins early in the morning in the courtyard of the ancient abbey, in the presence of the highest ecclesiastical authorities in the country and of many other countries. Singers recite litanies and then some 8,000 dancers take over, split into 45 groups according to a ritual transmitted from generation to generation. It ends with a service in the basilica. The current procession is a religious event deeply rooted in the tradition expressed through prayer, songs and dance – the historical form of worship. Nowadays, the procession, supported by the civil and religious authorities is increasingly popular despite secularization, with an average each year of 13,000 participants coming from Luxembourg and the neighbouring regions.

Text and image from UNESCO.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Sir Seretse Khama Day

**Sir Seretse Khama Day** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Botswana during this special day.

## Information

**Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama**, (1 July 1921 – 13 July 1980) was a Botswanan politician who served as the first President of Botswana, a post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980.

Born into an influential royal family of what was then the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, he was educated abroad in the neighbouring country of South Africa and then in the United Kingdom. While in Britain, he married an Englishwoman named Ruth Williams, a decision opposed by the white-minority government of South Africa and which led to a controversy resulting in the British government making him stay in England in exile so as to not sour U.K.-South African relations.

After the end of his exile, Khama led his country's independence movement and transition from British rule into an independent nation. He founded the Botswana Democratic Party in 1962 and became Prime Minister in 1965. In 1966, Botswana gained independence and Khama was elected as its first president. During his presidency, the country underwent rapid economic and social progress. Khama served as President until his death in 1980, and was succeeded in office by Quett Masire. His son, Ian Khama, served as Botswana's fourth president from 2008 to 2018.

Text and image from wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Saint Basil's Cathedral

**Saint Basil's Cathedral** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Russia**.

## Information

"***The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed*** (Russian: собо́р Васи́лия Блаже́нного, Sobor Vasiliya Blazhennogo), commonly known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, is a Christian church in Red Square in Moscow, Russia and is regarded as a cultural symbol of the country.

The building, now a museum, is officially known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat (Собо́р Покрова́ Пресвято́й Богоро́дицы, что на Рву, Sobor Pokrova Presvyatoy Bogoroditsy, chto na Rvu) or Pokrovsky Cathedral (Покро́вский собо́р).

It was built from 1555 to 1561 on orders from Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. It was the city's tallest building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600."

.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Putandu

**Putandu** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and some other countries during this special day.

## Information

**Puthandu** (Tamil: தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு, romanized: *Puttāṇṭu*, lit. 'new year'), also known as **Tamil New Year**, is the first day of year on the Tamil calendar and traditionally celebrated as a festival by Tamil Hindus. The festival date is set with the solar cycle of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, as the first day of the Tamil month *Chithirai*. It falls on or about 14 April every year on the Gregorian calendar. The same day is observed elsewhere in South and South East Asia as the traditional new year, but is known by other names such as Vishu in Kerala, and Vaisakhi or Baisakhi in central and northern India.

On this day, Tamil people greet each other by saying "Puttāṇṭu vāḻttukaḷ!" (புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துகள்) or "Iṉiya puttāṇṭu nalvāḻttukaḷ!" (இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துகள்), which is equivalent to "Happy new year". The day is observed as a family time. Households clean up the house, prepare a tray with fruits, flowers and auspicious items, light up the family puja altar and visit their local temples. People wear new clothes and children go to elders to pay their respects and seek their blessings, then the family sits down to a vegetarian feast.

Puthandu is also celebrated by Tamilans outside Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, not only by significant minorities in the four other South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands but also in other countries such as in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Reunion, Mauritius and other countries with Tamil diaspora found in many countries, including Myanmar, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and Mauritius.

Text and image from wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
United States Capitol

**United States Capitol** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit the **United States**.

## Information

"***The United States Capitol***, often called the Capitol Building, is the meeting place of the United States Congress and the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. Though no longer at the geographic center of the federal district, the Capitol forms the origin point for the district's street-numbering system and the district's four quadrants.

The original building was completed in 1800. Although the Capitol was temporarily rendered unusable as a consequence of the 1814 burning of Washington, the building was fully restored within five years. The building was later enlarged, with the addition of a massive dome, and extended wings with expanded chambers for the bicameral legislature, the House of Representatives in the south wing and the Senate in the north wing. Like the principal buildings of the executive and judicial branches, the Capitol is built in a distinctive neoclassical style and has a white exterior. Both its east and west elevations are formally referred to as fronts, though only the east front was intended for the reception of visitors and dignitaries. "

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Socotra Dragon Tree

**Socotra Dragon Tree** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Yemen**.

## Information

"***The Socotra Dragon Tree*** or **dragon blood tree**, (Dracaena cinnabari) is a dragon tree native to the Socotra archipelago, part of Yemen, located in the Arabian Sea. It is so called due to the red sap that the trees produce.

The dragon blood tree has a unique and strange appearance, with an "upturned, densely packed crown having the shape of an uprightly held umbrella". This evergreen species is named after its dark red resin, which is known as "dragon's blood"."

.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Yomari Punhi

**Yomari Punhi** is an exclusive single stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit Nepal.

## Information

**Yomari Punhi** is a Newari festival marking the end of the rice harvest. It takes place in November/December during the full moon day of Thinlā (थिंला), the second month in the lunar Nepal Era calendar.

Yomari Punhi, meaning the full moon of yomari, is one of the most popular Newar festivals and is observed every year during the full moon of December. A yomari is a confection of rice flour (from the new harvest) dough shaped like fish and filled with brown cane sugar and sesame seeds, which is then steamed. This delicacy is the chief item on the menu during the post-harvest celebration of Yomari Punhi.

On this full moon day, people of the Kathmandu Valley offer worship to Annapurna, the goddess of grains, for the rice harvest. Groups of kids go around neighborhood to ask yomari, a newari dish, from housewives in the evening. Sacred masked dances are performed in the villages of Hari Siddhi and Thecho at the southern end of the Valley to mark the festival. In a yomari people keep chaku a chocolate-like food or khuwa a ricotta-cheese-like dairy product. It is very tasty. This is also one of the main festival celebrated only in newar community.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp could be purchased on the shop when you log into your account while inside the country.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Singlish

**Singish** is a serie of stamps in SLOWLY. This can be purchased on the Stamp Store while you visit Singapore.

## Information

**Singlish** is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore. Singlish arose out of a situation of prolonged language contact between speakers of many different languages in Singapore, including Hokkien, Malay, Teochew, Cantonese and Tamil. *Text and from Wikipedia.*

Singlish Serie

Idioms text source : Singish

## Method

This stamps serie could be purchased on the Stamp Store when you log into your SLOWLY account while inside the country.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Setsubun

**Setsubun** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Japan during this special day .

## Information

***Setsubun*** (節分) is the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar in Japan. The name literally means 'seasonal division', referring to the day just before the first day of spring in the traditional calendar, known as *Setsubun*; though previously referring to a wider range of possible dates, *Setsubun* is now typically held on February 3 (in 2021 it was on 2nd February), with the day after – the first day of spring in the old calendar – known as *Risshun* (立春).

Both *Setsubun* and *Risshun* are celebrated yearly as part of the Spring Festival (*Haru matsuri* (春祭)) in Japan.
The main ritual associated with the observance of *Setsubun* is *mamemaki* (豆撒き, "bean scattering"); this ritual sees roasted soybeans (known as *fukumame* (福豆, "fortune beans")) either thrown out of the front door, or at a member of the family wearing an *oni* (demon or ogre) mask while shouting "Devils out! Fortune in!" (鬼は外! 福は内!, *Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!*), before slamming the door.

The beans are thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them. Then, as part of bringing luck in, it is customary to eat roasted soybeans, one for each year of one's life (*kazoedoshi*), plus one more for bringing good luck for the year
.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Wattle Day

**Wattle Day** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Australia during this special day.

## Information

**Wattle Day** is a day of celebration in Australia on the first day of September each year, which is the official start of the Australian spring. This is the time when many *Acacia* species (commonly called wattles in Australia), are in flower. So, people wear a sprig of the flowers and leaves to celebrate the day.

Although the national floral emblem of Australia is a particular species, named the golden wattle (*Acacia pycnantha*), any acacia can be worn to celebrate the day.

The day was originally intended to promote patriotism for the new nation of Australia:

> "Wattle Days emerged to prominence in Australia in the early years of the federated nation. They took on some of the national and civic responsibilities for children that [the more formal] Australia Day could not." - Libby Robin
>
>

Text and image from wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Thingyan

**Thingyan** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Myanmar during this special day .

## Information

'**Thingyan** from Sanskrit *saṁkrānti,* which means "transit [of the Sun from Pisces to Aries]" is the Burmese New Year Festival that usually occurs in middle of April. It is a Buddhist festival celebrated over a period of four to five days, culminating in the New Year. The dates of the Thingyan Festival are calculated according to the Burmese calendar. The dates of the festival are observed as public holidays throughout Myanmar, and are part of the summer holidays at the end of the school year. Water-throwing or dousing one another from any shape or form of vessel or device that delivers water is the distinguishing feature of this festival and may be done on the first four days of the festival. The New Year takes place at virtually the same time as the new year celebrations of many countries in South Asia like China (Dai People of Yunnan Province), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka.

Burmese Padauks (*Pterocarpus macrocarpus*) are typical season flowers, flowering during Thingyan.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Togo

## Information

**Togo** , officially the **Togolese Republic**, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. The country extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its capital and largest city Lomé is located. Togo covers 57,000 square kilometres (22,008 square miles), making it one of the smallest countries in Africa, with a population of approximately 8 million, as well as one of the narrowest countries in the world with a width of less than 115 km (71 mi) between Ghana and its slightly larger eastern neighbor, Benin.

*Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Tió de Nadal

**Tió de Nadal** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Spain during this special day .

## Information

The ***Tió de Nadal*** ( meaning in English "Christmas Log"), also known simply as ***Tió*** ("Trunk" or "Log", a big piece of cut wood) or ***Tronca*** ("Log"), is a character in Catalan mythology relating to a Christmas tradition widespread in Catalonia.
The form of the *Tió de Nadal* found in many Catalan homes during the holiday season is a hollow log about 30 cm (12 in) long. Recently, the *Tió* has come to stand up on two or four stick legs with a broad smiling face painted on its higher end, enhanced by a littler red sock hat (a miniature of the traditional barretina) and often a three-dimensional nose. Those accessories have been added only in recent times, altering the more traditional and rough natural appearance of a dead piece of wood.

Beginning with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), one gives the *tió* a little bit to "eat" every night and usually covers him with a blanket so that he will not be cold. The story goes that in the days preceding Christmas, children must take good care of the log, keeping it warm and feeding it, so that it will defecate presents on Christmas Day or Eve.
On Christmas Day or, in some households, on Christmas Eve, one puts the *tió* partly into the fireplace and orders it to defecate. The fire part of this tradition is no longer as widespread as it once was, since many modern homes do not have a fireplace. To make it defecate, one beats the *tió* with sticks, while singing various songs of *Tió de Nadal*.

The tradition says that before beating the *tió* all the kids have to leave the room and go to another place of the house to pray, asking for the *tió* to deliver a lot of presents. Nowadays, the praying tradition has been left behind. Still, children go to a different room, usually the kitchen, to warm their stick next to a fire. This makes the perfect excuse for the relatives to do the trick and put the presents under the blanket while the kids are praying or warming their sticks.

.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Snacking in Hong Kong

**Snacking in Hong Kong** is a serie of stamps in SLOWLY. This can be purchased on the Stamp Store while you visit Hong Kong.

## Information

**Hong Kong street food** is characterised as the ready-to-eat snacks and drinks sold by hawkers or vendors at food stalls, including egg tarts, fish balls, egg waffles and stinky tofu. They can be found throughout the city, especially in the areas of Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, Yuen Long, Tsuen Wan, and Kwun Tong.

Street food is ready to be taken away and eaten elsewhere instantly. Generally, the customers are served snacks, which are contained in polystyrene boxes, with disposable bamboo sticks or plastic utensils. Street food needs to be sold along the street, even though nowadays street stalls have transformed into shops without providing seats. Food can easily be taken away via small plastic bags, paper bags or bowls. The food is prepared quite quickly.

Street snacks have epitomised Hong Kong's core values of cultural diversity. An example can be the emergence of street stalls selling foreign treats like Takoyaki and Indonesia skewers. This showed the diversity of choices of street snacks and matches Hong Kong's title of Gourmet Paradise. The alterable essence of local street food has demonstrated Hong Kong's cultural acceptance and serves as a medium to display its character to the world. *Text from Wikipedia.*

Snacking in Hong Kong Serie
Fish balls are popular in East and Southeast Asia, where it is eaten as a snack or added to soups or hotpot dishes. They are usually attributed to Chinese cuisine and the fish ball industry is largely operated by people of Chinese descent.

Text from Wikipedia, links provided above.

## Method

This stamps serie could be purchased on the Stamp Store when you logged into your SLOWLY account while inside the country.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Tutankhamun

**Tutankhamun** is an exclusive single stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit Egypt .

## Information

**Tutankhamun** , commonly referred to as **King Tut**, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the 18th Dynasty (ruled c. 1332 – 1323 BC in the conventional chronology) during the New Kingdom of Egyptian history. His father is believed to be the pharaoh Akhenaten, identified as the mummy found in the tomb KV55. His mother is his father's sister, identified through DNA testing as an unknown mummy referred to as "The Younger Lady" who was found in KV35.

Tutankhamun took the throne at eight or nine years of age under the unprecedented viziership of his eventual successor, Ay, to whom he may have been related. He married his half sister Ankhesenamun. During their marriage they lost two daughters, one at 5–6 months of pregnancy and the other shortly after birth at full-term. His names—*Tutankhaten* and *Tutankhamun*—are thought to mean "Living image of Aten" and "Living image of Amun", with Aten replaced by Amun after Akhenaten's death. A small number of Egyptologists, including Battiscombe Gunn, believe the translation may be incorrect and closer to "The-life-of-Aten-is-pleasing" or, as Professor Gerhard Fecht believes, reads as "One-perfect-of-life-is-Aten".

Tutankhamun restored the Ancient Egyptian religion after its dissolution by his father, enriched and endowed the priestly orders of two important cults and began restoring old monuments damaged during the previous Amarna period. He moved his father's remains to the Valley of the Kings as well as moving the capital from Akhetaten to Thebes. Tutankhamun was physically disabled with a deformity of his left foot along with bone necrosis that required the use of a cane, several of which were found in his tomb. He had other health issues including scoliosis and had contracted several strains of malaria.

The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter of Tutankhamun's nearly intact tomb, in excavations funded by Lord Carnarvon, received worldwide press coverage. With over 5,000 artifacts, it sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun's mask, now in the Egyptian Museum, remains a popular symbol. The deaths of a few involved in the discovery of Tutankhamun's mummy have been popularly attributed to the curse of the pharaohs.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp could be purchased on the shop when you log into your account while inside the country.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Turkmenistan

## Information

**Turkmenistan** , also known as **Turkmenia**, is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ashgabat is the capital and largest city of the country. The population of the country is about 6 million, the lowest of the Central Asian republics. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Sydney Opera House

**Sydney Opera House** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Australia**.

## Information

"***The Sydney Opera House*** is a multi-venue performing arts centre at Sydney Harbour in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, but completed by an Australian architectural team headed up by Peter Hall, the building was formally opened on 20 October 1973."

.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country. If the country has more than one, any other location stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.
Thai Children's Day

**วันเด็กแห่งชาติ** is an exclusive single stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit Thailand.

## Information

**National children's day** of Thailand meets the second Saturday of January of every year is a public holiday, which is not offset in the next working day is to slogans, children's day every year by the Prime Minister of Thailand start children's day, the first time on 3 October. Fri 2498 has set as the first Monday of the month October is national children's day, until in the year. Fri 2507 resolved to change as national children's day is the second Saturday of the month January by start organizing children's day in the year.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp could be purchased on the shop when you log into your account while inside the country.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Uzbekistan

## Information

**Uzbekistan** , officially the **Republic of Uzbekistan** , is a double landlocked country in Central Asia. It is itself surrounded by five landlocked countries: Kazakhstan to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan to the south, Turkmenistan to the south-west. Its capital and largest city is Tashkent. Uzbekistan is part of the Turkic languages world, as well as a member of the Turkic Council. While the Uzbek language is the majority spoken language in Uzbekistan, Russian is widely used as an inter-ethnic tongue and in government. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Singles Day

**Singles Day** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit China during this special day .

## Information

The **Singles' Day** (simplified Chinese: 光棍节; traditional Chinese: 光棍節) or **Double 11** (simplified Chinese: 双11; traditional Chinese: 雙11), originally called **Bachelors' Day**, is a Chinese unofficial holiday and shopping season that celebrates people who are not in a relationship. The date, 11 November (11/11), was chosen because the numeral 1 resembles a bare stick (Chinese: 光棍; pinyin: *guānggùn*), which is Chinese Internet slang for an unmarried man who does not add 'branches' to the family tree. The four '1's also abstractly refer to the demographic group of single people. Ironically, the holiday has become a popular date on which to celebrate relationships: more than 4,000 couples got married in Beijing on this date in 2011, far greater than the daily average of 700 marriages.

Originally, the date was celebrated as a cynical response to traditional couple-centric festivals by a small group of college bachelors. However, in 2009 Alibaba's CEO Daniel Zhang began to use the day as a 24-hour shopping holiday festival that offered online shopping discounts and offline entertainment. The holiday has now become the largest physical retail and online shopping day in the world. Rivals of Alibaba, such as JD.com hosts Singles' Day festival as well, which garnered US$19.1 billion, bringing the Chinese total to US$44.5 billion total sales volume in 2017. Alibaba shoppers exceeded 213.5 billion yuan (US$30.7 billion) in total spend during 2018 Singles Day. In 2019, Alibaba said that its gross merchandise volume for the whole event came in at 268.4 billion yuan (US$38.4 billion), an increase of 26% from the previous year. In 2021, Alibaba and JD reached a new combined Singles Day sales record of US$139 billion.

In 2022, both Alibaba and JD.com for the first time did not disclose the Singles' Day sales results as China continues to face macroeconomic headwinds and zero-Covid-19 challenges. However, Alibaba said its results were "in line with [2021's] GMV performance," while JD.com said it set a record-breaking Singles' Day event.

Text from Wikipedia. image from Wikipedia

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Vardavar

**Vardavar** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Armenia during this special day.

## Information

**Vardavar** or **Vartavar** (Armenian: Վարդավառ, Homshetsi: *Vartevor* or *Behur*) is an Armenian festival in Armenia where people drench each other with water.

During the day of Vardavar, people from a wide array of ages are allowed to douse strangers with water. It is common to see people pouring buckets of water from balconies on unsuspecting people walking below them. The festival is very popular among children as it is one day where they can get away with pulling pranks. It is also a means of refreshment on the usually hot and dry summer days of July or late June.

Federation of Youth Clubs of Armenia (FYCA) each year organizes the "Vardavar International Festival" which is cognitive, educational, cultural festival. Every year it takes place in medieval monastery of Geghard and old pagan temple of Garni. The festival aims to present the Armenian national and traditional culture.

In addition to the celebrations, the traditional ceremony of splashing water on each other and the blessings of the youth, the Armenian folk songs are also included and performed by the Nairyan Vocal Ensamble. The Vardavar holiday theme pavilions represent the traditions and handmade works of different regions of Armenia.

Text and image from wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Winter Festival

**Snow Festival** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Japan, or Canada and some other countries during this special day .

## Information

A ***Snow Festival***, **winter carnival**, **snow festival**, or **frost fair** is an outdoor cold weather celebration that occurs in wintertime.

Winter festivals are popular in D climates (see Köppen climate classification) where winter is particularly long or severe, such as Siberia, Scandinavia, Canada and the northern United States. Most winter carnivals involve traditional winter pursuits such as dog sledding, ice hockey, ice carving, skating, skiing, and snow carving.

In Japan, the **Sapporo Snow Festival** (さっぽろ雪まつり, *Sapporo Yuki-matsuri*) is a festival held annually over seven days in February. Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival.

In 2007 (57th festival), about two million people visited Sapporo to see the hundreds of snow statues and ice sculptures at the Odori Park and Susukino sites, in central Sapporo, and at the Satoland site. An International Snow Sculpture Contest has been held at the Odori Park site since 1974, and 14 teams from various regions of the world participated in 2008.
.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Tuna Festival

**Tuna Festival** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Philippines during this special day .

## Information

**Tuna Festival** is an event in General Santos, a city in the Philippines. The city’s other moniker is ‘Philippines’ Tuna Capital’, thanks to the abundance of tuna fish.
The yellowfin tuna fish abound in the waters surrounding the city, effectively making it one of the leading producers of tuna.

The colorful festival is traditionally held in the first week of September, and it’s the time when everything tuna is celebrated. Which makes perfect sense, for the largest producer of sashimi-grade tuna in the country.

Unlike other festivals that celebrate fruit such as the Lanzones Festival and the Mango festival, this is a celebration of everything tuna and the place to go when you want to savour tuna dishes.

Text and image from ExpertWorldTravel.com.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Romanian Athenaeum

**Romanian Athenaeum** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Romania**.

## Information

"***The Romanian Athenaeum*** (Romanian: Ateneul Român) is a concert hall in the center of Bucharest, Romania and a landmark of the Romanian capital city.

Opened in 1888, the ornate, domed, circular building is the city's main concert hall and home of the "George Enescu" Philharmonic and of the George Enescu annual international music festival. "

.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Region exclusive Premium stamps

<a href="Top">

## Total stamps in this Category: 178

These are *Premium single stamps*, costing *50 Coins each* usually, and available on **a certain geographical region or country** Stamp Store for **unlimited time**.

## New: Limited Time Issues

In February, 2022, SLOWLY introduced 7 new stamps with both *Premium and Limited edition* characteristics. Those were *discounted to 25 Coins each*, and available on **a certain geographical region or country** Stamp Store for a **limited time** only. Some of them appeared in more than one country, and they might reappear elsewhere later - all 7 stamps *do not have the usual two letter Country Code*. We added  a second table below listing those unique releases.

Those stamps are starting to appear in the Time Machine feature in SLOWLY, so soon all of them should be available there, for a 25 Coins random purchase. ***Update:*** in October, 2022, these stamps started being marketed differently. Available anytime, as a 'Series' (Sports, Culture), but the price increased to ***50 Coins*** per stamp as well.

## New: Premium Location issues

In late October, 2022, the Slowly team also introduced the new '**Castles of Europe'** series. A total of 18 stamps, in various EU countries (plus the 4 regions on the UK). These are also priced at 50 Coins each - and being offered in two ways.

* in their own countries, stamps are available as part of the Country's series. It can be purchased or Gifted to a penpal from there.
* additionally, a new ***random sale mechanism*** was added to the Stamp Stores in participating European and UK countries. ***50 Coins*** price and no gifting possible via this channel.

These stamps are a new species - as they are ***Location stamps***, but also have ***Premium pricing*** and ***Limited availability***. We are adding a new table to display them separately below. See the detailed report on the Castles of Europe in this Blog.
The First Sighting of Princess Sirindhorn bird

**The First Sighting of Princess Sirindhorn bird** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Thailand during this special day.

## Information

It has been 56 years since the rare white-eyed river Martin was first spotted in Thailand, a bird seen so infrequently it is nearly mythical.

Known locally as the **Princess Sirindhorn bird**, the white-eyed Martin is one of only two species of birds native to Thailand. This unique Thai treasure is distinguished by gleaming green-black feathers, a white midsection and a tail extending into two delicate black feathers.

Its beauty is hard to find, with only three confirmed sightings since it was first discovered at a wintering site in 1968. The Thai government has honored the mystical species with a stamp and commemorative coin, meant to pique curiosity and raise awareness of the bird.

No one has spotted the Princess Sirindhorn since 1980, stoking unconfirmed speculation that the species has gone extinct. That won’t stop residents and tourists alike this spring from perusing river banks, where the rare bird is known to roost, in the hopes that they’ll spot this rare Thai jewel!

Text from doodles.google. image from orientalbirdclub.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this special day. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Uma Lulik

**Uma Lulik** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **East Timor**.

## Information

"**Uma Lulik** are sacred totem houses connect the Fatakulu people with the spirits of their ancestors.

The Fataluku people of Timor Lest (East Timor) are an ethnic minority renowned for their elegant totem houses on stilts, sacred houses called uma lulik. These holy huts symbolize a link between the past and present, the dead and the living.

There are traditional uma lulik still in place throughout the indigenous villages of East Timor, as well as several replica houses built more recently to honor the tradition and to display the Fataluku people’s craftsmanship."

Text and image from Atlas Obscura.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.

## A User proposed stamp

This stamp was suggested at the SLOWLY Feedback site, by user **Educational\_Ad\_1575** in this topic. We pay tribute here to their valuable contribution to the community, since until then this country had *no Location stamps at all*. Thank you!
Statue of Liberty

**Statue of Liberty** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **United States**.

## Information

"***The Statue of Liberty*** (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor within New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The statue is a figure of Libertas, a robed Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as she walks forward, commemorating the recent national abolition of slavery. After its dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea. "

.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Switzerland

## Information

**Switzerland**, officially the **Swiss Confederation**, is a landlocked country at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern. Switzerland is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Alps and the Jura, spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi) and land area of 39,997 km2 (15,443 sq mi).

Although the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau, where the largest cities and economic centres are, among them Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. These cities are home to several offices of international organisations such as the WTO, the WHO, the ILO, the seat of the International Olympic Committee, the headquarters of FIFA, the UN's second-largest office, as well as the main building of the Bank for International Settlements. The main international airports of Switzerland are also located in these cities. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Spain

## Information

**Spain** , officially the **Kingdom of Spain** , is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of territory in the Mediterranean Sea, offshore in the Atlantic Ocean and across the Strait of Gibraltar. Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula, and its insular territory includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, several small islands in the Alboran Sea and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The Spanish territory also includes the African semi-exclaves of Ceuta, Melilla and Peñon de Vélez across the Strait of Gibraltar. The country's mainland is bordered to the south by Gibraltar, to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea; to the north by France, Andorra and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.

With an area of 505,990 km2 (195,360 sq mi), Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe, the second-largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the fourth-largest country by area on the European continent. With a population exceeding 47.4 million, Spain is the sixth-most populous country in Europe, and the fourth-most populous country in the European Union. Spain's capital and largest city is Madrid; other major urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Málaga, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Bilbao. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Time Machine

Stamps that are sold via the '**Time Machine'** feature, via a *random purchase*, for 25 Coins each.

This enables newer collectors to purchase older stamps, that were once *free* and available for *a limited time only*, during festive occasions or when SLOWLY launches a new feature.

Including older, early releases that had almost disappeared and were very hard to find. Very popular for obtaining *foreign Commemorative stamps*, without any hassles - many of them get added to the Time Machine soon after their release closes.
Windmills

**Windmills** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit the **Netherlands**.

## Information

"***The Windmills*** are structures that converts wind power into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines and other applications.

Windmills were used throughout the high medieval and early modern periods; the horizontal or panemone windmill first appeared in Greater Iran during the 9th century, the vertical windmill in northwestern Europe in the 12th century.

The horizontal-axis or vertical windmill (so called due to the plane of the movement of its sails) is a development of the 12th century, first used in northwestern Europe, in the triangle of northern France, eastern England and Flanders."

.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country. Any other local stamps will also be unlocked at the same time.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Turkish tea

**Türk Çayı** is an exclusive single stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit Turkey.

## Information

**Tea** (Turkish: *çay*) is a popular drink throughout Turkey and the Turkish diaspora. Turkey has the highest per capita tea consumption in the world with an annual total consumption of over 3 kilograms per person. Turkey is a large exporter of tea, ranking fifth among the top exporting countries. Tea plays a big role in social gatherings that take place in tea houses and gardens. It is also used as herbal medicine. Turkish tea culture extends to Northern Cyprus and some countries in the Balkan Peninsula. Turkish tea has a long and expansive history that shaped its harvesting even before the founding of the modern Turkish Republic. Since its introduction to Turkey, tea has become a large part of Turkish culture.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp could be purchased on the shop when you log into your account while inside the country.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.
Traditional Market food

**Traditional Market Food** is a serie of stamps in SLOWLY. This can be purchased on the Stamp Store while you visit South Korea.

## Information

**Street food in South Korea** has traditionally been seen as a part of popular culture in Korea. Historically, street food mainly included foods such as *Eomuk*, *Bungeo-ppang* and *Tteok-bokki*. Street food has been sold through many types of retail outlet, with new ones being developed over time. Recently, street food has seen a popular resurgence in South Korea, such as at the Night Market at Hangang Park, which is called "Bamdokkaebi Night Market"(밤도깨비야시장).

“Usually run by an ahjusshi (아저씨) or ahjumma (아줌마), or older men and women, these popular stalls have become an integral part of Korea’s infamous food culture…” (Deborah 2018).  *Text from Wikipedia.*

Traditional Market Food Serie
*Yukhoe* literally means 'raw (*hoe*, 膾) meat (*yuk*, 肉)'. Therefore, in the strictest context, the term designates any dish of raw meat cut up for consumption without the marinade.

Text from Wikipedia Blog excerpts

## Method

This stamps serie could be purchased on the Stamp Store when you log into your SLOWLY account while inside the country.

You will keep it and be able to send to other penpals even after you return from your trip.