recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Mehregan

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

## Information

**Mehregan** (Persian: مهرگان) or **Jashn-e Mehr** (جشن مهر lit. *Mithra Festival*) is a Zoroastrian and Iranian festival celebrated to honor the yazata Mithra (Persian: Mehr), which is responsible for friendship, affection and love.

For this celebration, the participants wear new clothes and set a decorative, colorful table. The sides of the tablecloth are decorated with dry marjoram. A copy of the Khordeh Avesta ("little Avesta"), a mirror and a *sormeh-dan* (a traditional eyeliner or kohl) are placed on the table together with rosewater, sweets, flowers, vegetables and fruits, especially pomegranates and apples, and nuts such as almonds or pistachios. A few silver coins and lotus seeds are placed in a dish of water scented with marjoram extract.

A burner is also part of the table setting for *kondor*/*loban* (frankincense) and *espand* (seeds of *Peganum harmala*, Syrian rue) to be thrown on the flames.

At lunch time when the ceremony begins, everyone in the family stands in front of the mirror to pray. Sharbat is drunk and then—as a good omen—*sormeh* is applied around the eyes. Handfuls of wild marjoram, lotus and sugar plum seeds are thrown over one another's heads while they embrace one another.

In 1960s the Postal Service in Tehran issued a series of stamps to commemorate Mehrgan Festival.

On October 2, 2022, which was coincided with Mehregan, there were series of ceremonies conducted across Iran. These ceremonies were involved in the provinces of Tehran, Yazd, Kordestan, West Azerbaijan, Zanjan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Isfahan, Bushehr, North Khorasan, and Golestan.

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.
Jeongwol Daeboreum

**Jeongwol Daeboreum** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit South Korea during this special day .

## Information

**Daeboreum** (대보름; literally "Great Full Moon") is a Korean holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the new year of the lunar Korean calendar which is the Korean version of the First Full Moon Festival. This holiday is accompanied by many traditions.

The record about the origin of Daeboreum is recorded in the book Samguk-yusa (in Korean: 삼국유사), where it says that a crow led the 21st King of Silla, Soji to shoot the geomungo (a Korean instrument) case, which was actually where a monk and the royal concubine were committing adultery.
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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.
Larger Stamp Images - How to obtain larger, 320 pixels images of Slowly Stamps

### How to get larger images from Slowly servers :

Previously, the images in the Wiki were a low **100 x 100 pixels**, which is what the typical **Stamp Collection** pages displays to everyone.

But there are **320 pixel** versions for each one at the Slowly site -- which we can dig manually, and enrich the Wiki.

For example, the **Golden Pencil** stamp collection image is :

`https://cdn.getslowly.com/assets/images/stamp-sm/golden-pencil.png`

While a larger **320 pixe**l file is at :

`https://cdn.getslowly.com/assets/images/stamp/golden-pencil.png`

The difference is the little '**-sm**' part to request the '-small' version of the file.

### Obtaining the larger size image :

* Find the desired stamp in the Stamp Collection list. We could use this link, ***a very complete collection***, for reference.
* Right click on the image, and select '**View Image**' from the menu.
* The image will open in the tab you are currently in.
* Click on the Location bar, and edit the URL for the image -- removing the '**-sm**' text from the address.
* Hit enter, and the larger image will load.
* Right Click again, and select '**Save Image**', save to local storage for use anywhere desired.

####

### Resizing Any Image without losing Transparency :

Some of the newer, Special Edition stamps might surprise you as they still are on the huge **1000 x 1000 pixels** size used by the stamp designers for development.

Example -- this stamp, the **Konigsday** from the Netherlands. The small version is the regular **100 x 100** pixels, but on the larger size folder, it links to this **1000 pixels** version.

Resizing the images is simple, but maintaining the ***Background Transparency*** of the images is less so. I have found this Website does a perfect job of resizing, and used it for many of the newer images now uploaded to the Wiki.

Here's a snapshot of the *Settings* I used to produce the 320 pixels version I needed :

This site is Fast and reliable, a joy since I had struggled to find a way to ***keep the Transparency*** in the Background, same as the original.

The output file will be the same name as the original, plus a '**\_320x320.png**' ending. (Useful, as I always label my image files with a size too)

And here's the finished **320 pixels** version of the image, produced by the site:
Dog Day

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

## Information

*November 1st is **Dog's Day*** in Japan. In 1987, Japanese pet food associations instituted the “dog’s day” as the day to cherish dogs and expand knowledge of dogs.

Why does it have to be November 1st?Because it is punned “one one one (11/1)” on the dog’s bark “wan wan wan (pronounced “one”)” in Japanese. It’s not a big event and not so many people know about the dog’s day, but some dogs might get special treats today.

The **Shiba Inu** (柴犬, Japanese: [ɕiba inɯ]) is a breed of hunting dog from Japan. A small-to-medium breed, it is the smallest of the six original and distinct spitz breeds of dog native to Japan."Inu" (犬 or いぬ) is Japanese and means "dog".

A small, alert, and agile dog that copes very well with mountainous terrain and hiking trails, the Shiba Inu was originally bred for hunting. It looks similar to and is often mistaken for other Japanese dog breeds such as the Akita Inu or Hokkaido, but the Shiba Inu is a different breed with a distinct blood line, temperament, and smaller size than other Japanese dog breeds."

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.
Jeûne fédéral

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

## Information

The **Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer** (German: *Eidgenössischer Dank-, Buss- und Bettag*, French: *Jeûne fédéral*, Italian: *Digiuno federale*) is a public holiday in Switzerland. It is an interfaith feast observed by Roman Catholic dioceses, the Old Catholic Church, the Jewish and Muslim congregations and the Reformed church bodies as well as other Christian denominations.

It is celebrated on the third Sunday in September. In the Canton of Geneva another comparable fast, the Jeûne genevois, is celebrated.

The subsequent Monday (Lundi du Jeûne) is a public holiday in the canton of Vaud and unofficial holiday in the canton of Neuchâtel.

*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.
Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

**Basilica of Our Lady of Peace** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Ivory Coast**.

## Information

***Basilica of Our Lady of Peace*** (French: *Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix*) is a Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Guinness World Records lists it as the largest church in the world, having surpassed the previous record holder, Saint Peter's Basilica, upon completion. It has an area of 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft) and is 158 metres (518 ft) tall. However, it also includes a rectory and a villa (counted in the overall area), which are not strictly part of the church. It can accommodate 18,000 worshippers, compared to 60,000 for St. Peter's. Ordinary liturgies conducted at the basilica are usually attended by only a few hundred people. The basilica is administered by Polish Pallottines at a cost of US$1.5 million annually.

The basilica was constructed between 1985 and 1989 with different cost estimates given by various groups. Some stated that it cost US$175 million, US$300 million, or as high as US$600 million. The designs of the dome and encircled plaza are clearly inspired by the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City, although it is not an outright replica. The cornerstone was laid on 10 August 1985, and it was consecrated on 10 September 1990 by Pope John Paul II, who had just formally accepted the basilica as a gift from Félix Houphouët-Boigny on behalf of the Catholic Church.

The basilica is not to be confused with a cathedral. Our Lady of Peace is located in the Diocese of Yamoussoukro; the Cathedral of Saint Augustine – less than 3 km (2 mi) away — is smaller in size than the basilica but the principal place of worship and seat of the bishop of the diocese.

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.
Ireland

## Information

**Ireland**, also known as the **Republic of Ireland** ('**Poblacht na hÉireann'**), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. Around 40% of the country's population of 5 million people resides in the Greater Dublin Area.

The sovereign state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the south-east, and the Irish Sea to the east. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Koningin Emmabrug

**Koningin Emmabrug** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Curaçao**.

## Information

The ***Queen Emma Bridge*** (Dutch: *Koningin Emmabrug*; Papiamento: *Brùg di Ponton, Brùg di Punda*) is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in Curaçao. It connects the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of the capital city, Willemstad. It was named after Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was queen consort of the Netherlands during its construction. The bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of oceangoing vessels. On the opposite end from the hinge is a small shelter where an operator controls two diesel engines turning propellers. The propellers are mounted perpendicular to the length of the bridge and allow it to swing parallel to the shore. The process only takes a few minutes to complete.

The bridge was built in 1888 and was completely renovated in 1939, 1961, 1983-1986, and 2005-2006. The lighting arches were installed in 1955, to celebrate the royal visit of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard.

Originally a toll bridge from 1901-1934, individuals without shoes were permitted to cross the bridge without paying the toll. When the bridge swings open, two ferries spring into action to bring pedestrians across the water. The ferries are also free of charge. Motorized traffic ceased in 1974. Locally, the bridge is known as "Swinging Old Lady" as it will swing to the Otrabanda side of Willemstad.

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.
Persepolis

**Persepolis** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Iran**.

## Information

"***Persepolis*** ( Old Persian: 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿, Pārsa) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC). It is situated 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province, Iran.

The earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. It exemplifies the Achaemenid style of architecture. UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979. "

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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.
Lotus Temple

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

## Information

"***The Lotus Temple***, located in Delhi, India, is a Baháʼí House of Worship that was dedicated in December 1986. Notable for its flower-like shape, it has become a prominent attraction in the city. Like all Baháʼí Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification.

The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine doors opening onto a central hall with a height of slightly over 34.27 metres and a capacity of 2,500 people.

The Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards and has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles. A 2001 CNN report referred to it as the most visited building in the world. "

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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.
Jamaica

## Information

**Jamaica** is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning 10,990 square kilometres (4,240 sq mi) in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Cuba, and 191 kilometres (119 mi) west of Hispaniola (the island containing the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic); the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands lies some 215 kilometres (134 mi) to the north-west. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

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

**Parthenon** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Greece**.

## Information

"***The Parthenon*** is a former temple[4][5] on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the peak of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decoration of the building continued until 432 BC.

It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered the zenith of the Doric order[by whom?]. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy and Western civilization, and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments.

To the Athenians who built it, the Parthenon and other Periclean monuments of the Acropolis were seen fundamentally as a celebration of Hellenic victory over the Persian invaders and as a thanksgiving to the gods for that victory. The Parthenon itself replaced an older temple of Athena, which historians call the Pre-Parthenon or Older Parthenon, that was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 BC. "

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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.
Maasai Tribe

**Maasai Tribe** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Kenya**.

## Information

"***The Maasai Tribe*** are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting northern, central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best known local populations internationally due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs and dress.

The Maasai speak the Maa language (ɔl Maa), a member of the Nilotic language family that is related to the Dinka, Kalenjin and Nuer languages.

Except for some elders living in rural areas, most Maasai people speak the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania, Swahili and English. The Maasai population has been reported as numbering 1,189,522 in Kenya in the 2019 census, compared to 377,089 in the 1989 census. "

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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.
Lesotho

## Information

**Lesotho**, officially the **Kingdom of Lesotho** (Sotho: *Naha ea Lesotho*), is an enclaved country surrounded entirely by South Africa. Lesotho is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) and has a population of about 2 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. The official languages are Sesotho and English.

Lesotho was previously the British Crown Colony of Basutoland, but it declared independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966. It is now a fully sovereign state and is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The name *Lesotho* roughly translates to "land of the Sotho"*Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Hungarian Embroidery

**Hungarian Embroidery** (***Magyar Hímzés***) is a serie of stamps in SLOWLY. This can be purchased on the Stamp Store while you visit Hungary.

## Information

**Hungarian embroidery** took shape in the beginning of the 18th century, incorporating both Renaissance and Baroque elements, depending on the area, as well as Persian Sassanide influences. Flowers and leaves, sometimes a bird or a spiral ornament, are the principal decorative themes.

The finest achievements in their textile arts, the embroideries vary from region to region. Those of Kalotaszeg in Transylvania are charming products of Oriental design, sewn chiefly in a single color - red, blue, or black. Soft in line, the embroideries are applied on altar cloths, pillow cases and sheets.

*Text from Wikipedia.*

Hungarian Embroidery Serie

Text from Daily News Hungary, links provided above.

## 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.
Lantern Festival

**Lantern Festival** (元宵節) is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit China, Macao, Taiwan or Hong Kong during this special day .

## Information

***Lantern Festival*** (元宵節) also called **Shangyuan Festival**, is a Chinese traditional festival celebrated on the full moon, the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar. Usually falling in February or early March on the Gregorian calendar, it marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE–25 CE), it had become a festival with great significance.

During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns. In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, and only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones. In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs.

For example, lanterns are now often made in the shape of animals. The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones, which they will let go of the next year. The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune.
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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.
Lithuania

## Information

**Lithuania**, officially the **Republic of Lithuania** (Lithuanian: *Lietuvos Respublika*), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania shares land borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) to the southwest.

Lithuania covers an area of 65,300 km2 (25,200 sq mi), with a population of 2.8 million. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius; other major cities are Kaunas and Klaipėda. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Ivory Coast

## Information

**Ivory Coast**, also known as **Côte d'Ivoire**, officially the **Republic of Côte d'Ivoire**, is a country located on the south coast of West Africa. Côte d'Ivoire's political capital is Yamoussoukro in the centre of the country, while its economic capital and largest city is the port city of Abidjan. It borders Guinea to the northwest, Liberia to the west, Mali to the northwest, Burkina Faso to the northeast, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) to the south. The official language of the republic is French, with local indigenous languages also being widely used. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Lao New Year

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

## Information

***Lao New Year*** is a popular English name for a traditional celebration known in Laos as "Pi Mai" or "Songkran" (in Lao language). Lao New Year is widely celebrated festival in Laos. Lao New Year takes place in April, the hottest time of the year in Laos, which is also the start of the monsoon season.

Lao New Year takes place at virtually the same time as the new year celebrations of many countries in South Asia such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (Dai People of Yunnan Province), India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

It is celebrated every year from *13/14 April to 15/16 April*.
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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.
Lotería

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

## Information

**Lotería** is a traditional mexican game of chance, similar to bingo, and is played on a deck of cards instead of numbered ping pong balls. Every image has a name and an assigned number, but the number is usually ignored. Each player has at least one *tabla*, a board with a randomly created 4 x 4 grid of pictures with their corresponding name and number.

Players choose a *tabla* (Spanish word for "board") to play with, from a variety of previously created *tablas*, each with a different selection of images.

*Text from Wikipedia.*

Lotería
*Con los cantos de sirena, no te vayas a marear.*
*La muerte tilica y flaca.*
*Por qué le corres cobarde, trayendo tan buen puñal.*
*Este mundo es una bola, y nosotros un bolón.*
*Rema que rema Lupita, sentada en su chalupita.*
*Pórtate bien cuatito, si no te lleva el coloradito.*

Cards description source : Wikipedia

## 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.
Paskó

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

## Information

**Christmas** (Filipino: *Pasko*) is one of the biggest holidays in the Philippines. As one of the two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia, the Philippines celebrates the world's longest Christmas season (Filipino: *Kapaskuhan*); Christmas music is played as early as August. The holiday season gradually begins by September, reaching its peak in December during Christmastide, and concludes within the week after New Year's Day; however, festivities could last until the third Sunday of January, the feast day of the Santo Niño de Cebú. Liturgically, the Christmas season is observed by the Catholic Church from the first day of Advent (the fourth Sunday before Christmas) to Epiphany (Three Kings' Day), which falls between January 2 and 8.

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.
Korean New Year

**Korean New Year** is a Limited edition stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit South Korea during this special day .

## Information

**Seollal** or **Korean New Year** is a traditional festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for ethnic Koreans, being celebrated in both North Korea and South Korea as well as Korean diaspora all around the world.

It originates in native folk festivals as well as seasonal customs of Koreanic speakers and contrary to common belief, refers to the period of time between the calendrical new years holiday itself and the rise of the first full moon.

During this time, many Koreans visit their family, perform ancestral rites, wear the *hanbok* (한복, 韓服) / *Chosŏn-ot* (조선옷, 朝鮮옷), eat traditional food and play traditional folk games. One of the most well known practices in the current day is receiving money from their elders after performing a formal bow, a tradition likely adopted from Confucian customs.

*Seollal* generally occurs in January or February on the second new moon after the winter solstice, unless there is an intercalary eleventh or twelfth month in the lead-up to the New Year. In such a case, the New Year falls on the third new moon after the solstice.
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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.
Kosovo

## Information

**Kosovo** officially the **Republic of Kosovo** (Albanian: *Republika e Kosovës*; Serbian: Република Косово, romanized: *Republika Kosovo*), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Europe. It lies at the centre of the Balkans. Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, and has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 101 member states of the United Nations.

It is bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, Albania to the southwest, and Montenegro to the west. Most of central Kosovo is dominated by the vast plains and fields of Dukagjini and Kosovo field. The Accursed Mountains and Šar Mountains rise in the southwest and southeast, respectively. Its capital and largest city is Pristina. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
National Flowers of the UK

**National Flowers of UK** is a serie of stamps in SLOWLY. This can be purchased on the Stamp Store while you visit the United Kingdom.

## Information

In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide **floral emblem**; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to adopt these symbols – some are conferred by government bodies, whereas others are the result of informal public polls. The term floral emblem, which refers to flowers specifically, is primarily used in Australia and Canada. In the United States, the term **state flower** is more often used.*Text and from Wikipedia.*

National Flowers of UK Serie

National Flowers text sources :
English Rose;
Scottish Thistle;
Irish Shamrock;
Daffodil.

## 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.
Masskara Festival

**Masskara Festival** is an exclusive single stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit Philippines.

## Information

The **MassKara Festival** (Hiligaynon: *Pista sang MassKara*, Filipino: *Pista ng MassKara*) is an annual festival with highlights held every 4th Sunday of October in Bacolod, Philippines. The most recent festival was held last October 30, 2021 (with only virtual audience, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic). The festival sites include the Bacolod Public Plaza, the Lacson Tourism Strip and the Bacolod City Government Center.

The mask motif of the festival has changed from masks influenced by native Filipinos to those influenced by the Carnival of Venice and the Rio Carnival. Earlier masks were hand-painted and adorned with feathers, flowers and native beads, while contemporary masks feature plastic beads and sequins.

The festival features a street dance competition where people from all walks of life troop to the streets to see masked dancers gyrating to the rhythm of Latin musical beats in a display of mastery, gaiety, coordination and stamina. Major activities include the MassKara Queen beauty pageant, carnivals, drum, bugle corps competitions, food festivals, sports events, musical concerts, agriculture-trade fairs, garden shows, and other special events organized every 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.
Mujib Day

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

## Information

**Mujib Day** is a day to celebrate on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the founding leader of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. **Sheikh Mujibur Rahman** (Bengali: শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান; 17 March 1920 – 15 August 1975), often shortened as **Sheikh Mujib** or **Mujib**, also widely known as **Bangabandhu** (lit. 'Friend of Bengal'), was a Bangladeshi politician, statesman and the founding leader of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. He first served as the titular president of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh between April 1971 and January 1972. He then served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh from the Awami League between January 1972 and January 1975. He finally served as President again during BAKSAL from January 1975 till his assassination in August 1975. In 2011, the 15th constitutional amendment in Bangladesh referred to Sheikh Mujib as the Father of the Nation who declared independence; these references were enshrined in the fifth, sixth, and seventh schedules of the constitution.

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.
New Zealand

## Information

**New Zealand**, is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (*Te Ika-a-Māui*) and the South Island (*Te Waipounamu*)—and over 700 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268,021 square kilometres (103,500 sq mi). New Zealand is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga.

The country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps, owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

*Additional Reference : Country stamps listing - SlowlyStamps.blogspot*
Langjokull Glacier

**Langjokull Glacier** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Iceland**.

## Information

"***The Langjokull Glacier*** (Icelandic for "long glacier") is the second largest ice cap in Iceland (953 km2), after Vatnajökull. It is situated in the west of the Icelandic interior or Highlands of Iceland and can be seen clearly from Haukadalur.

Its volume is 195 km³ and the ice is up to 580 m (1,900 ft) thick. The highest point of the ice cap (at Baldjökull at the northern end of Langjökull) is about 1,450 m (4,760 ft) above sea level.

In the past, the largest recorded surface area was in 1840."

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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.
Kimchi Day

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

## Information

**Kimchi Day** is a national holiday in South Korea, happening on November 22 because Korean households usually make kimchi around this period. From old times, our ancestors considered the ideal kimchi-making season around November 7 at the setting-in of winter or November 22 at the first snow of the season.

November is the month after the cabbage harvest when families and friends gather to make a year’s worth of kimchi, slathering a pungent red paste into the folds of the cabbage and stuffing it in to jars to ferment.

There are hundreds of different types of kimchi made with different vegetables as the main ingredients. Traditionally, winter kimchi, called kimjang, was stored in large earthenware fermentation vessels, called *onggi*, in the ground to prevent freezing during the winter months and to keep it cool enough to slow down the fermentation process during summer months. The vessels are also kept outdoors in special terraces called jangdokdae. In contemporary times, household kimchi refrigerators are more commonly used.

The resulting dish, ubiquitous in Korean cuisine, is salty, sweet, spicy, sour and carries a punch of umami.
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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.
Krampus

**Krampus** is an exclusive single stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit some countries.

## Information

**Krampus** is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in the Central and Eastern Alpine folklore of Europe who, during the Advent season, scares children who have misbehaved. Assisting Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, the pair visit children on the night of 6 December, with Saint Nicholas rewarding the well-behaved children with gifts such as oranges, dried fruit, walnuts and chocolate, while the badly behaved ones only receive punishment from Krampus with birch rods. Krampus day itself, on the other hand, is on the 5th of December.

The origin of the figure is unclear; some folklorists and anthropologists have postulated it as having pre-Christian origins. In traditional parades and in such events as the *Krampuslauf* (English: *Krampus run*), young men dressed as Krampus attempt to scare the audience with their antics. Such events occur annually in most Alpine towns. Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called *Krampuskarten*.

The figure has been imported into American popular culture, and has appeared in movies, TV and video games.

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.
Omar Khayyam Day

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

## Information

**Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī** (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as **Omar Khayyam** (Persian: عمر خیّام), was a Persian polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and poetry. He was born in Nishapur, the initial capital of the Seljuk Empire. As a scholar, he was contemporary with the rule of the Seljuk dynasty around the time of the First Crusade.

As a mathematician, he is most notable for his work on the classification and solution of cubic equations, where he provided geometric solutions by the intersection of conics. Khayyam also contributed to the understanding of the parallel axiom. As an astronomer, he calculated the duration of the solar year with remarkable precision and accuracy, and designed the Jalali calendar, a solar calendar with a very precise 33-year intercalation cycle that provided the basis for the Persian calendar that is still in use after nearly a millennium.

There is a tradition of attributing poetry to Omar Khayyam, written in the form of quatrains (*rubāʿiyāt* رباعیات). This poetry became widely known to the English-reading world in a translation by Edward FitzGerald (*Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam*, 1859), which enjoyed great success in the Orientalism of the *fin de siècle*.

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.
Maltese cross

**Maltese cross** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Malta**.

## Information

"***The Maltese cross*** is a cross symbol, consisting of four "V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically.

It is a heraldic cross variant which developed from earlier forms of eight-pointed crosses in the 16th century. Although chiefly associated with the Knights Hospitaller (Order of St. John, now the Sovereign Military Order of Malta), and by extension with the island of Malta, it has come to be used by a wide array of entities since the early modern period, notably the Order of Saint Stephen, the city of Amalfi, the Polish Order of the White Eagle (1709) and the Prussian order Pour le Mérite (1740). "

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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.
Old Cathedral of Coimbra

**Old Cathedral of Coimbra** is a location stamp in SLOWLY. This can be unlocked when you visit **Portugal**.

## Information

"***The Old Cathedral of Coimbra*** (Portuguese: Sé Velha de Coimbra) is a Romanesque Roman Catholic building in Portugal.

Construction of the Sé Velha began some time after the Battle of Ourique (1139), when Prince Afonso Henriques declared himself King of Portugal and chose Coimbra as capital. The first Count of Coimbra, the Mozarab Sisnando Davides, is buried in the cathedral.

Coimbra Cathedral is the only one of the Portuguese Romanesque cathedrals from the Reconquista times to have survived relatively intact up to the present. "

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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.
Other stamps & unclassified stamps

<a href="Top">
Template to add new Entries on the table below -- copy and paste for use. Yann.

Location Based :

Brazil

Or use Limited Edition template :

A temporary holding area for any stamps which do not meet the criteria for the other Categories.

*Wiki Editors could use this category to add a new stamp if unsure what their proper classification would be. These will be moved to other Category soon. Thank you!*
Montenegro

## Information

**Montenegro** is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic Sea and is a part of the Balkans, sharing borders with Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the north and west, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, the Adriatic Sea and Croatia to the southwest, and maritime boundary with Italy. Podgorica, the capital and largest city, covers 10.4% of Montenegro's territory of 13,812 square kilometres (5,333 sq mi), and is home to roughly 30% of its total population of 621,000. *Text and image from Wikipedia*.

## Country Stamps Gallery

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

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

## Information

**Hungarian Poetry Day** on April 11th is the event – which has been held on famous Hungarian poet Attila József’s birthday since 1964 – brings people of all ages together to admire the inspiring achievements of the country’s greatest literary geniuses.

One of the greatest Hungarian poets, Attila József, was born in 1905 in Budapest. Although his first poems were published when he was just a teenager, real fame only came after his tragic death. József spent two years of his childhood with his foster parents in Öcsöd, where he worked as a swineherd. At the tender age of nine, he attempted his first suicide. He made his literary debut with his first collection of poems, *A szépség koldusa*, in 1922. This was followed by his second collection, *Nem én kiáltok*, in 1925. József’s third collection of poems, *Nincsen apám, se anyám* (1929), reflected the influence of French surrealism and Endre Ady, Gyula Juhász and Lajos Kassák. Later in 1936, he became one of the co-founders of the review *Szép Szó*.  His most famous love poem from 1933, “Óda,” took the reader for a journey both around and inside the body of a beloved woman. The poet underwent psychoanalysis in 1931 and was hospitalized several times before committing suicide by train in Balatonszárszó on December 3, 1937.

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.
Kwanzaa

**Kwanzaa** is an exclusive single stamp in SLOWLY. This can be purchased in the shop when you visit US and South Africa.

## Information

**Kwanzaa** is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called *Karamu*, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa. Kwanzaa was first celebrated in 1966. A 2015 survey found that 1.9% of those polled planned to celebrate Kwanzaa – about six million people in the United States.

## Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles)

A display of Kwanzaa symbols with fruit and vegetables
Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or ***Nguzo Saba*** (originally ***Nguzu Saba*** – the seven principles of African Heritage). They were developed in 1965, a year before Kwanzaa itself. These seven principles are all Swahili words, and together comprise the *Kawaida* or "common" philosophy, a synthesis of nationalist, pan-Africanist, and socialist values.

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the principles, as follows:

1. ***Umoja*** (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
2. ***Kujichagulia*** (Self-determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
3. ***Ujima*** (Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
4. ***Ujamaa*** (Cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
5. ***Nia*** (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. ***Kuumba*** (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
7. ***Imani*** (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

## Symbols

Kwanzaa celebratory symbols include a mat (*Mkeka*) on which other symbols are placed:

* a *Kinara* (candle holder for seven candlesticks)
* *Mishumaa Saba* (seven candles)
* *mazao* (crops)
* *Mahindi* (corn), to represent the children celebrating (and corn may be part of the holiday meal).
* a *Kikombe cha Umoja* (unity cup) for commemorating and giving *shukrani* (thanks) to African Ancestors
* *Zawadi* (gifts).

Supplemental representations include a Nguzo Saba poster, the black, red, and green *bendera* (flag), and African books and artworks—all to represent values and concepts reflective of African culture and contribution to community building and reinforcement.

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.
Modismos Argentinos

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

## Information

**Modismos Argentinos**, or Argentinian idioms, are a quintessential element of the vibrant culture, encapsulating the wit, humor, and character of the country’s language. These idioms bring life and color to everyday conversation, telling a story of the people and their unique way of expressing ideas and feelings.

*Text from OpenAI's ChatGPT4.*

Modismos Argentinos Serie

Text from OpenAI's ChatGPT4, with thanks to my friend *Bajaja*.

## 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.