recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Pierogi

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

## Information

**Pierogi** are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savoury or sweet filling and cooking in boiling water. They are often pan-fried before serving.

Pierogi are most often associated with the cuisine of Central and Eastern European nations. Pierogi are also popular in modern-day American and Canadian cuisine, where they are sometimes known under different local names.

Typical fillings include potato, cheese, quark, sauerkraut, ground meat, mushrooms, or fruits. Savoury pierogi are often served with a topping of sour cream, fried onions, or both.

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.
Nón lá và Áo dài

**Nón lá và Áo dài** is a region exclusive stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit Vietnam.

## Information

The **Nón là*, commonly known as an*** *Asian rice hat'*, is a simple style of conical hat originating in East, South and Southeast Asia specifically from Hue, Vietnam given they are depicted on terracotta pots dating back over 2,000 years, they have likely been worn in some form for several millennia; and notable in modern-day nations and regions of Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, parts of Outer Manchuria, Taiwan, Nepal, Tibet, Thailand, and Vietnam.
It is kept on the head by a cloth (often silk) or fiber chin strap.

The ***áo dài*** is a Vietnamese national garment worn by both sexes but most commonly by women. Besides suits and dresses nowadays, men and women can also wear áo dài on formal occasions. It is a long, split tunic dress worn over trousers. *Áo* translates as shirt. *Dài* means "long". The term can be used to describe any clothing attire that consists of a long tunic, such as "nhật bình".

The word *ao dai* was originally applied to the outfit worn at the court of the Nguyễn Lords at Huế in the 18th century. This outfit evolved into the *áo ngũ thân*, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris fashions, Nguyễn Cát Tường and other Hanoi artists redesigned the *ngũ thân* as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s. The updated look was promoted by the artists and magazines of Tự Lực văn đoàn (Self-Reliant Literary Group) as a national costume for the modern era. In the 1950s, Saigon designers tightened the fit to produce the version worn by Vietnamese women today. The dress was extremely popular in South Vietnam in the 1960s and early 1970s. On Tết and other occasions, Vietnamese men may wear an *áo gấm* (brocade robe), a version of the ao dai made of thicker fabric.

The áo dai has traditionally been marketed with a feminine appeal, with "Miss Ao Dai" pageants being very popular in Vietnam and with overseas Vietnamese. However, men also wear ao dai or modified ao dai during weddings or formal occasions. The ao dai is one of the few Vietnamese words that appear in English-language dictionaries. The ao dai can be paired with the *nón lá*.

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Text and image from Wikipedia.
Text 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.
Long Tai Tou

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

## Information

The **Longtaitou Festival** , also known as the Eryue'er Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival held on the second day of the second month of the Chinese calendar. Its name means "Dragon raising its head" because the dragon was regarded as the deity in charge of rain, an important factor in ancient agriculture. The festival is sometimes simply called "2 Month 2" for short.

The festival is celebrated around the time of Jingzhe, one of the 24 solar terms. The phrase Jing Zhe has the meaning of awakening of the hibernated (implying insects). Jing is startling, and Zhe is hibernated (insects). This is the time during which the hibernating insects begun to wake up at the beginning of early spring, which is often accompanied by the arrival of the first rains, meaning the weather is getting warm. Longtaitou Festival is an important worship ritual of wishing for good harvest in the coming months. In addition to paying homage to the Dragon King, Tu Di Gong is also worshipped. Another ancient practice to celebrate Longtaitou Festival was to get rid of insect pests in homes via fumigation by burning various herbs with recognized insect repellent effects.

Today, Longtaitou Festival is celebrated in various ways, most of which are still identical to those practiced in the ancient times, including eating Chinese pancakes and dragon beard noodles. It is an auspicious day for people to get a haircut, after month-long time without cutting hair in January for Lunar New Year. Women and children carry Perfume bags filled with the powder of ground fragrant herbs for good fortune, though they are no longer used as insect repellent as in ancient times.

Another ancient celebration still practiced today is that Longtaitou Festival is the first day of the Taihao temple fair that lasts until the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar. The fair is a celebration of ancestral deities Fuxi and Nüwa, and the Longtaitou Festival marks the beginning of this celebration.

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.
Purim

**Purim** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Israel and some other countries during this special day .

## Information

**Purim** is a Jewish holiday which commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, an Achaemenid Persian Empire official who was planning to kill all the Jews in the empire, as recounted in the Book of Esther (usually dated to the 5th century BCE).

Haman was the royal vizier to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I or Artaxerxes I of Persia, "Khshayarsha" and "Artakhsher" in Old Persian, respectively). His plans were foiled by Mordecai and Esther, his cousin and adopted daughter who had become Queen of Persia. The day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing.

According to the Scroll of Esther, "they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor."

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.
Njegos Mausoleum

**Njegos Mausoleum** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Montenegro**.

## Information

"***The Njegos Mausoleum*** is a mausoleum interring Petar II Petrović-Njegoš located on the top of Mount Lovćen.

The mausoleum is located twenty-one kilometres via asphalt road from near-by Cetinje and it was built on the idea of Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. It was built on the same location of the Njegoš Testament Church which Njegoš had built in 1845 with the intention of being buried there and which he dedicated to his predecessor Petar I Petrović-Njegoš (who is canonized as Saint Peter of Cetinje in the Serbian Orthodox Church).

The church suffered damage from bombardment in both World Wars. In 1974, despite protest from the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and local Orthodox Christians, the old church was ordered demolished by a commission of the League of Communists of Montenegro led by Veljko Milatović and today's mausoleum was built. "

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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.
Indigenous Peoples

**Indigenous Peoples** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit United Kingdom during this special day .

## Information

**Indigenous Peoples**, also referred to as *First peoples*, *First nations*, *Aboriginal peoples*, *Native peoples*, *Indigenous natives*, or *Autochthonous peoples* (these terms are often capitalized when referring to specific indigenous peoples as ethnic groups, nations, and the members of these groups), are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original peoples.

The term *Indigenous* was first, in its modern context, used by Europeans, who used it to differentiate the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the European settlers of the Americas and from the African Americans who were brought to the Americas due to enslavement or who emigrated as free people.

Peoples are usually described as "Indigenous" when they maintain traditions or other aspects of an early culture that is associated with the first inhabitants of a given region. Not all indigenous peoples share this characteristic, as many have adopted substantial elements of a colonizing culture, such as dress, religion or language.

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.
Liwa Date Festival

**Liwa Date Festival** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit United Arab Emirates during this special day .

## Information

The **Liwa Date Festival** celebrates an integral symbol of Emirati heritage.

The versatile date palm and its fruit have fulfilled the dietary and other needs of generations of desert communities, such as those in the United Arab Emirates. The date fruit is highly nutritious, while the trunk, fronds and other parts of the tree were traditionally used in buildings, in handicrafts and tools.

The Liwa Date Festival highlights these important attributes of the date palm. It also features the latest in agricultural practices and facilitates exchange of expertise on the best ways to produce the highest quality dates.

The festival is one of Abu Dhabi’s most significant heritage events and tourist attractions and highlights the many ways in which dates have impacted the cultural, heritage and economic life of the country. It provides a great place for visitors to learn about dates and to sample the most popular date varieties grown in the United Arab Emirates.

The festival’s main event is the competition for the ‘Best Date Fruit’. Emirati farms vie for the title of ‘Best Date Grower’. There also are date auctions, where dates can sell for more than AED 6,000 (USD 1,650) per kilo; lectures on date farming; poetry evenings; and an exhibition space for farming equipment and date products.

Text and image from abudhabiculture.ae.

## 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.
National Hugging Day

**National Hugging Day** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit United States, United Kingdom or Canada during this special day .

## Information

**National Hugging Day** is an annual event dedicated to hugging. It was created by Kevin Zaborney and occurs annually on January 21st. The day was first celebrated on January 21, 1986 in Clio, Michigan, USA. The holiday is also observed in many other countries. The idea of National Hug Day is to encourage everyone to hug family and friends more often. Zaborney cautions to ask first if one is unsure of the response as respecting the personal space of others is always important and some people are not huggers.

Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the countries 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.
Jollof Rice

**Jollof Rice** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Senegal, Gambia, Nigeria, and possibly some other countries during this special day.

## Information

**Jollof**, or **jollof** **rice**, is a rice dish from West Africa. The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, chilies, onions, spices, and sometimes other vegetables and/or meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across different regions. The dish's origins trace to the Senegambian region.

Regional variations are a source of competition between the countries of West Africa, and in particular Nigeria and Ghana, over whose version is the best; in the 2010s this developed into a friendly rivalry known as the "Jollof Wars".

In French-speaking West Africa, a variation of the dish is known as riz au gras.

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.
Matariki

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

## Information

In Māori culture, **Matariki** is both the name of the Pleiades star cluster and of the celebration of its first rising in late June or early July.

This marked the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar. Matariki was made an official public holiday in New Zealand in April 2022, with the first celebration on 24 June of that year.  An equivalent celebration in Taranaki and a significant amount of Wellington is **Puanga**, which originated among the Taranaki Māori who dominate the respective regions. This was because Mount Taranaki itself blocks the view of most of the stars of Matariki, and the star Puanga is the most important star that remains visible in Taranaki. These traditions were passed down by the Taranaki Māori who settled much of Wellington, who became the Taranaki Whānui as iwi such as Te Ati Awa.

Historically Matariki was usually celebrated during the last quarter of the moon of the lunar month Pipiri (around June); the ceremony involved viewing the individual stars for forecasts of the year to come, mourning the deceased of the past year, and making an offering of food to replenish the stars.

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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.
Kenya

## Information

**Kenya**, officially the **Republic of Kenya** (Swahili: *Jamhuri ya Kenya*), is a country in Eastern Africa. At 580,367 square kilometres (224,081 sq mi), Kenya is the world's 48th largest country by total area. With a population of more than 47.6 million people in the 2019 census, Kenya is the 29th most populous country.

Kenya's capital and largest city is Nairobi, while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa. Kisumu City is the third-largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria. Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Mosque of Córdoba

**Mosque of Córdoba**  is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Spain**.

## Information

"***The Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba*** (Spanish: Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba; Arabic: كاتدرائية - جامع قرطبة‎), officially known by its ecclesiastical name, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción; Arabic: كاتدرائيَّة سيدة الانتقال‎) is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and located in the Spanish region of Andalusia.

Due to its status as a former Islamic place of worship, it is also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba (Spanish: Mezquita de Córdoba), or the Mezquita. The structure is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture built by the European Moors.

According to traditional accounts, the Catholic basilica of Vincent of Lérins was built by the Visigoths during the rule of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula; they officially converted to Nicene Christianity in 586 and the kingdom fell in 711.

During the Umayyad conquest of Hispania, the basilica was originally divided in half for Christian and Muslim worship in 711. In 784, Abd al-Rahman I ordered the conversion of the church into a mosque and further construction, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers.

The Grand Mosque of Córdoba was seized in 1236 during the Reconquista and converted to a church, culminating in the insertion of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the 16th century."

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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.
Lunar New Year, VN

**Tết Nguyên Đán** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit Vietnam during this special day .

## Information

**Tết**, short for **Tết Nguyên Đán** (lit. 'Festival of the first day'), is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. Tết celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese calendar, which is mostly based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar and usually has the date in January or February in the Gregorian calendar.

Tết Nguyên Đán is not to be confused with Tết Trung Thu, which is also known as Children's Festival in Vietnam. "*Tết*" itself only means festival but is often colloquially known as "Lunar New Year" in Vietnamese, as it is often seen as the most important festival amongst the Vietnamese and the Vietnamese diaspora, with Tết Trung Thu regarded as the second-most important.

Vietnamese people celebrate Tết annually, which is based on a lunisolar calendar (calculating both the motions of Earth around the Sun and of the Moon around Earth). Tết is generally celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year (also called Spring Festival), with the one-hour time difference between Vietnam and China resulting in the new moon occurring on different days. Rarely, the dates of Vietnamese and Chinese Lunar New Year can differ as such in 1943, when Vietnam celebrated Lunar New Year, one month after China. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Vietnamese lunar calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day.

Tết is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. They set aside the trouble of the past year and hope for a better and happier upcoming year. This festival can also be referred to as *Hội xuân* in vernacular Vietnamese, (festival – lễ hội, spring – mùa xuân).

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.
Prinsjesdag

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

## Information

**Prinsjesdag** (English: Little Prince Day) is the day on which the reigning monarch of the Netherlands addresses a joint session of the States-General of the Netherlands (consisting out of the Senate and the House of Representatives) to give the speech from the throne (Dutch: *Troonrede*). This speech sets out the main features of government policy for the coming parliamentary session.

The occasion is prescribed by the constitution, article 65 of which states: "A statement of the policy to be pursued by the Government shall be given by or on behalf of the King or the Queen before a joint session of the two Houses of the States-General that shall be held every year on the third Tuesday in September or on such earlier date as may be prescribed by Act of Parliament."

After the speech from the throne, the budget is later presented to the House of Representatives by the Minister of Finances.

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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.
Pchum Ben

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

## Information

**Pchum Bun** (Khmer: ភ្ជុំបិណ្ឌ, *Phchŭm Bĕnd* [pʰcom bən], lit. "balled rice gathering") is a Cambodian 15-day religious festival, culminating in celebrations on the 15th day of the tenth month in the Khmer calendar, at the end of the Buddhist Lent, Vassa. In 2023, Pchum Bun will begin on October 13 and end on October 16.

The day is a time when many Cambodians pay their respects to deceased relatives of up to 7 generations. Buddhist monks chant the suttas in Pali language overnight (continuously, without sleeping) in prelude to the gates of hell opening, an event that is presumed to occur once a year, and is linked to the cosmology of King Yama. During this period, the gates of hell are opened and spirits of the ancestors are presumed to be especially active. In order to liberate them, food-offerings are made to benefit them, some of them having the opportunity to end their period of purgation, whereas others are imagined to leave hell temporarily, to then return to endure more suffering; without much explanation, relatives who are not in hell (who are in heaven or other realms of existence) are also generally expected to benefit from the ceremonies.

In temples adhering to canonical protocol, the offering of food itself is made from the laypeople to the (living) Buddhist monks, thus generating "merit" that indirectly benefits the dead. However, in many temples, this is either accompanied by or superseded by food offerings that are imagined to directly transfer from the living to the dead, such as rice-balls thrown through the air, or rice thrown into an empty field. Anthropologist Satoru Kobayashi observed that these two models of merit-offering to the dead are in competition in rural Cambodia, with some temples preferring the greater canonicity of the former model, and others embracing the popular (if unorthodox) assumption that mortals can "feed" ghosts with physical food.

Pchum Bun is considered unique to Cambodia. However, there are merit-transference ceremonies that can be closely compared to it in Sri Lanka, such as offering food to the ghosts of the dead. In its broad outlines, it also resembles the Taiwanese Ghost Festival in its links to the notion of a calendrical opening of the gates of hell, King Yama, and so on.

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.
Heuvelse kerk

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

## Information

"***The Heuvelse kerk*** (Heuvel church; also Sint-Jozefkerk) is a neo-Gothic Catholic church in the center of the Dutch city Tilburg. Dedicated to Saint Joseph, it is one of two major Catholic churches in the city center together with the Heikese kerk. It is located along the square Heuvel, after which it is named. A 1921 statue of the Sacred Heart is located in front of the building.

Construction of the church was divided into two phases due to financial constraints. The first part of the Heuvelse kerk was built in the period 1871–73, while the second phase took place between 1887 and 1889 and included the current front facade with its two towers. The church was consecrated in 1889 by the bishop of the Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch."

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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.
Makar Sankranti

**Makar Sankranti** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit India during this festival.

## Information

**Makar Sankranti**, or **Uttarayan** or **Maghi** or simply **Sankranti**, also known in Bangladesh as **Poush Sankranti**, sam(n)kranti here means ‘transfer’, this day is considered as the transition day of Sun into the Capricorn. Now the sun moves northwards in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the deity Surya (sun), many native festivals are organised all over Bhãrat .

It is observed each year the day Sun enters the Capricorn zodiac which corresponds with the month of January as per the Gregorian calendar. It marks the first day of the sun's transit into Makara rashi (Capricorn).

Makar Sankranti is observed with social festivities such as colourful decorations, rural children going house to house, singing and asking for treats in some areas, *melas* (fairs), dances, kite flying, bonfires and feasts. The *Magha Mela*, according to Indologist Diana L. Eck, is mentioned in the Hindu epic *Mahabharata*. Many observers go to sacred rivers or lakes and bathe in a ceremony of thanks to the sun.
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Text and image from Wikipedia.

## Method

This stamp is unlocked by logging into your account while inside the country during this festival. 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.
Macedonia Square

**Macedonia Square** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Macedonia**.

## Information

"***Macedonia Square*** (Macedonian: Плоштад Македонија, Ploštad Makedonija) is the main square of Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. The square is the biggest in North Macedonia with total 18.500 m2. It is located in the central part of the city, and it crosses the Vardar River.

The Christmas festivals are always held there and it commonly serves as the site of cultural, political and other events. The independence from Yugoslavia was declared here by the first president of Macedonia, Kiro Gligorov. The square is part of the Skopje 2014 project. "

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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.
Maldives

## Information

**Maldives**, officially the **Republic of Maldives**, is an archipelagic country in the Indian subcontinent of Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres (470 miles; 400 nautical miles) from the Asian continent's mainland. The chain of 26 atolls stretches from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south (across the Equator).

Comprising a territory spanning roughly 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 sq mi) including the sea, land area of all the islands comprises 298 square kilometres (115 sq mi), Maldives is one of the world's most geographically dispersed sovereign states as well as the smallest Asian country by land area and, with around 557,751 inhabitants, the 2nd least populous country in Asia. Malé is the capital and the most populated city *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

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

## Information

**Moldova**, officially the **Republic of Moldova** (Romanian: *Republica Moldova*), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. Additionally, the unrecognised state of Transnistria lies across the Dniester on the country's eastern border with Ukraine. The capital and largest city is Chișinău.*Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

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

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

## Information

A **macaron** or **French macaroon** is a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond meal, and food colouring.

The macaron is traditionally held to have been introduced in France by the Italian chef of queen Catherine de Medici during the Renaissance. Since the 19th century, a typical Parisian-style macaron is presented with a ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two such cookies, akin to a sandwich cookie. The confection is characterized by a smooth squared top, a ruffled circumference—referred to as the "crown" or "foot" (or "pied")—and a flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth. Macarons can be found in a wide variety of flavours that range from traditional (raspberry, chocolate) to unusual (foie gras, matcha).
A macaron is made by combining icing sugar and ground almonds into a fine mixture. In a separate bowl, egg whites are beaten to a meringue-like consistency. The two elements are then folded together until they are the consistency of "shaving foam", and then are piped, left to form a skin, and baked. Sometimes, a filling is added.

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.
Jama Masjid

**Jama Masjid** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **India**.

## Information

"***The Masjid-i Jehan Numa*** (lit. the 'World-reflecting Mosque' or "Mosque of the Celestial Sphere"; Persian: مسجد جامع دهلی‎), commonly known as the ***Jama Masjid of Delhi***, is one of the largest mosques in India. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656 at a cost of one million rupees, and was inaugurated by Imam Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari from Bukhara, present-day Uzbekistan.

The mosque was completed in 1656 AD with three great gates and two 40 metres high minarets constructed with strips of red sandstone and white marble. The courtyard can accommodate more than 25000 people. There are three domes on the terrace which are surrounded by the two minarets. On the floor, a total of 899 black borders are marked for worshippers.

This Mosque is considered as the "National Mosque of India". "

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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.
Idol of Pomos

**Idol of Pomos** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Cyprus**.

## Information

"The **Idol of Pomos** is a stone prehistoric sculpture found near the Cypriot village of Pomos. It dates back to the Chalcolithic period, circa the 30th century BC.

The sculpture is on display in the Cyprus Museum in Lefkosia (Nicosia).

The sculpture represents a woman with her arms spread and was probably used as a fertility symbol. Many similar sculptures have been found on Cyprus. Smaller versions were worn as amulets around the neck, just as this idol wears (a small copy of) itself. "

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.

## A User proposed stamp

This stamp was suggested at the SLOWLY Feedback site, by user **Nonethewiser** 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!
Mote con huesillos

**Mote con huesillos** is an exclusive single stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit Chile.

## Information

**Mote con huesillo** is a traditional Chilean summer-time drink often sold in street stands or vendor carts. It is a non-alcoholic beverage consisting of a sweet clear nectar-like liquid made with dried peaches (huesillo) cooked in sugar, water and cinnamon, and then once cooled, mixed with fresh cooked husked wheat berries (mote). The sweet clear nectar is usually made with sugar, but can also be supplemented or replaced with molasses.

When the drink is served without the dried peaches, it is called a "descarozados". On occasion, it may also be served with dried prunes, however this is less common. Another modern option is to use peach preserves in place of the dried peaches. Both the mote and huesillo correspond to Mediterranean climates, like that of central Chile. This drink is very popular during summer months and is sold by street vendors on rolling carts or stands. It is also a very popular homemade recipe, for which the ingredients are readily available in supermarkets, small grocery stores and farmers' markets. Bottled, canned or store packaged versions of mote con huesillo are limited and thus, not common.

The huesillos, or dried peaches, are washed and soaked the night prior to preparation in order to rehydrate them. Once hydrated, they are cooked for thirty minutes or more in a sugar and water mixture, optionally with some natural cinnamon sticks. To give the drink its honey hue, sugar is heated in a sauce pan in order to caramelize it and bring it to a rich orange ruby color, which is added to the syrup mixture although this method is not always used. While the huesillos are cooking, the mote, or husked wheat, is cooked in water until tender. Once the mote are cooked, they are drained and added to the sweet huesillos drink, and left to cool. This combination is served chilled, in a tall glass with a tall dessert spoon for easy serving.

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.
Lángos

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

## Information

The **Lángos** is a typical Hungarian street food. Today it is a deep fried flatbread, but in the past it was made of the last bits of the bread-dough and baked at the front of the brick or clay oven, to be served hot as the breakfeast of the bread-baking day.

Up to the mid 20th century, bread was baked once a week due to the cost of heating up the large oven and the lengthy process kneading up to 80 pounds of dough. Because the bread loaf, typical to Hungary, was 6 to 10 pounds each, traditionally they used to bake smaller (1-2 pounds) "cipó" rolls for the evening and the next day. The name lángos (literally meaning "flamed") comes from baking these flat breads in the morning while the oven was still heating up. "Lángos" were also used as a side to lunch.

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.
Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary

**Hello Kitty 45th anniversary** was a set of limited edition singles stamps in SLOWLY. This could be purchased in 2019 on the Stamp Store only in some specific Asian nations.

## Information

'**Hello Kitty** is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, created by Yuko Shimizu and currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as a young female *gijinka* (anthropomorphization) of a Japanese Bobtail cat with a red bow and no mouth. According to her backstory, she is a perpetual 3rd-grade student who lives outside of London. Kitty and her twin sister, Mimmy (depicted with a yellow bow), celebrate their birthday on 1 November 1974. Since the cartoon character's creation, the Hello Kitty media franchise has grown to include clothing, accessories, toys, games, books, manga, anime series, and music albums, along with other various product lines and media productions.

Shortly after Hello Kitty's creation in 1974, the Hello Kitty vinyl coin purse was introduced by Sanrio in March 1975. Sanrio brought the character to the United States in 1976. *Hello Kitty* has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. *Text from Wikipedia.*

Hello Kitty 45th Anniversary Series

## Method

This stamps serie was available only for a limited time in 2019 to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Hello Kitty. It 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.
Katskhi Pillar

**Katskhi Pillar** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Georgia**.

## Information

The **Katskhi pillar** (Georgian: კაცხის სვეტი, *kac'xis svet'i*) is a natural limestone monolith located at the village of Katskhi in western Georgian region of Imereti, near the town of Chiatura. It is approximately 40 metres (130 ft) high, and overlooks the small river valley of Katskhura, a right affluent of the Q'virila.

The rock, with visible church ruins on a top surface measuring c. 150 m2, has been venerated by locals as the Pillar of Life and a symbol of the True Cross, and has become surrounded by legends. It remained unclimbed by researchers and unsurveyed until 1944 and was more systematically studied from 1999 to 2009. These studies determined the ruins were of an early medieval hermitage dating from the 9th or 10th century. A Georgian inscription paleographically dated to the 13th century suggests that the hermitage was still extant at that time. Religious activity associated with the pillar was revived in the 1990s and the monastery building had been restored within the framework of a state-funded program by 2009.

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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.
Hari Pancasila

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

## Information

**Hari Pancasila** or *Pancasila Day* is a National public holiday since 2017 marks the date of Sukarno's 1945 address on Pancasila upon the members of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence.

**Pancasila** is the official, foundational philosophical theory of Indonesia. The name is made from two words originally derived from Sanskrit: "*pañca*" ("five") and "*śīla*" ("principles").

It is composed of five principles:

1. *Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa* (Belief in One God)
2. *Kemanusiaan yang adil dan beradab* (Just and civilized humanity)
3. *Persatuan Indonesia* (The unity of Indonesia)
4. *Kerakyatan yang dipimpin oleh hikmat kebijaksanaan dalam permusyawaratan/perwakilan* (Democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations among representatives)
5. *Keadilan sosial bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia* (Social justice for all of the people of Indonesia)

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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.
Palestine Sunbird

**Palestine Sunbird** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Palestine**.

## Information

"The **Palestine Sunbird** (*Cinnyris osea*) is a small passerine bird of the sunbird family, Nectariniidae. Found in parts of the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, it is also known as the *orange-tufted sunbird*, a name also used for the similar *Cinnyris bouvieri*, found further south in Africa. In 2015, the Palestinian Authority adopted the species as a national bird. The specific name *osea* is derived from Ancient Greek ὁσια (*hosia*, "holy").

It occurs in areas with high temperatures and dry climate from sea level up to an altitude of 3200 m. It inhabits dry woodland, scrub, wadis, savannas, orchards and gardens. It is common in towns in some areas, and is a familiar sight in Tel Aviv.

The Middle Eastern subspecies *C. o. osea* breeds from Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan in the north, down through western Saudi Arabia to Yemen and Oman in the south. In recent decades it has colonized the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It has been observed breeding in Lebanon and regularly winters in both Lebanon and Syria."

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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.

## A User proposed stamp

This stamp was suggested at the SLOWLY Feedback site, by user **Yann2** 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!
Lechon Festival

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

## Information

The **Lechon Festival** *(English: Parade of Roast Pigs; Filipino: Parada ng Lechon)* is a religious and cultural festival in Balayan, Batangas, Philippines held every June 24. The festival is celebrated in honor of St. John the Baptist. Numerous activities are performed such as lechon parade, and water dousing.

Text from wikipedia, image from mindanews.

## 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.
Mali

## Information

**Mali**, officially the **Republic of Mali**, is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over 1,240,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi). The population of Mali is 19.1 million. 67% of its population was estimated to be under the age of 25 in 2017. Its capital and largest city is Bamako. The sovereign state of Mali consists of eight regions and its borders on the north reach deep into the middle of the Sahara Desert. The country's southern part is in the Sudanian savanna, where the majority of inhabitants live, and both the Niger and Senegal rivers pass through. The country's economy centres on agriculture and mining. One of Mali's most prominent natural resources is gold, and the country is the third largest producer of gold on the African continent.*Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

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

## Information

**Iceland** is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík. Reykjavík and the surrounding areas in the southwest of the country are home to over two-thirds of the population.

Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the population. Iceland is the largest part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge that rises above sea level, and its central volcanic plateau is erupting almost constantly. The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands.

Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle. Its high latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate.

*Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Monumento de Santiago

**Monumento de Santiago** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Dominican Republic**.

## Information

"***The Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración*** is a monument in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic. It was originally built during the dictatorship of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in 1944 as "Trujillo's Monument to Peace." He ordered its construction in his own honor. Yet, symbolically the monument was built for the centennial of the Dominican War of Independence, which was fought in 1844 to gain sovereignty from Haiti.

After Trujillo's assassination in 1961, the government changed the name of the monument to, "Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración" (Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration). So it is now dedicated to the heroes of the Dominican Restoration War, fought from 1863 to 1865 against Dominican Colonist and Spanish forces. The heroes include, but are not limited to; Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Gregorio Luperón.

The monument is located on a hill in the middle of Santiago, with views of the city and surrounding mountains. It also has a surrounding park. "

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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.
Keel-billed Toucan

**Keel-billed toucan** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Belize**.

## Information

"***The Keel-billed toucan*** (Ramphastos sulfuratus), also known as sulfur-breasted toucan or rainbow-billed toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize. The species is found in tropical jungles from southern Mexico to Colombia. It is an omnivorous forest bird that feeds on fruits, seeds, insects, invertebrates, lizards, snakes, and small birds and their eggs."

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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.