Vietnam - Year of the Cat 2023 issue

Today I went to the philately bureau as my personal tradition .  It is the first day issue of Year of the Cat 2023 stamps . It is always a very happy day to me because I can meet many other collectors and stamp designer there. 

About the issue of this year, it includes a set of 2 pieces and a souvenir sheet. I don't know how in your country call the souvenir sheet. In Vietnam, it is called "Bloc". And the minisheet, we call "Bloc" as well. 

This serie designed by Mr. Q. Vinh begins from year of the Rat. This year they issue a SS instead of a minisheet printed 2 set of stamps as precedent year.

Stampset - bloc of 4 with designer signature

Perforation stampset

Full stampset : the bottom of sheet, I drop all 4 first day postmark. They are pictorial postmark for 4 cities : Hanoi, Saigon, Hue and Khanh hoa. But on the first day issue, only in Hanoi, we have all of them for about one week. Then, they are transported to the cities they belong. 

Souvenir sheet shows a happy cat family. 

Perforation souvenir sheet

Here is couple of official cards issued by the post. I use the Hue postmark for the card as I quite like the "nón lá" (cone hat) . 

The back side of card, I drop all the postmark and daily cancellation. 

Another self-printed set cards I use for this issue. What do you think about the model? So hot.

This card I bought about 10 years ago. At that time, I still lived in France and bought some Nouvelle Image card for sending to my friends. The kitten looks so cool.

This set of card is self-printed too. They are a gift of stamp designer. He is so gentil.

The official FDC

Sending cards and make some souvenir with the lunar new year stamps is the first thing I prepare for lunar new year that is arriving in more than 1 months.  And I keep this routine for almost 10 years. Keep going!

 

Germany - Tom of Finland cards,

Another Tom of Finland card arrived today. So sexy. It is not only so hot but also I can feel the talent of artist.

 

Thank you so much Xiaoi!

Vietnam - Year of the Cat 2023 cards,

I got some gifts from designer of Year of the Cat 2023 stamps today. The stamps will be issued in next some days, on first day of December and he gave me some private cards as a gift. Many of my friends are quite surprised when I announced them about year of the Cat. It is because only in Vietnam, there is Year of the Cat instead of Year of the Rabbit.

The back side of the card, he decorate with the image of stampset and 4 first day postmark printed. 

These two cards will be the gift for the Vietnam Philately magazine Number of New Year. The size is bigger than normal card. 

All the cards are signed by hand by designer on the front side.

Thank you so much Mr Vinh !

Germany - Tom of Finland card

Today I have received this wonderful card from Germany. It shows one of many great work-art of Laaksonen in the art seri named Tom of Finland.

 Thank you so much Xiaoi!

Switzerland - Marriage for all!

I bought this one recently! A beautiful design.

About Marriage for All!

On 26 September, Swiss Voters said "YES" to the "Marriage for all" initiative. Swiss Post is commemorating this decision with a special stamp. It was issued on 1 July 2022, the day on which the new law came into force.

 According to the website of the "Marriage for all" committee, the LGBTIQ+community* in our country numbers some half a million people. The fact that everyone will be allowed to marry from this summer onwards constitutes another milestone on the road to equality. Altjhough homosexual acts were decriminalized as early as 1942, it was not until 1 January 2000 that discrimination on the basis of secual orientation was prohibited under constitutional law. The Same Sex Partnership Act was introduced in 2007, allowing the registration of same sex partnerships. And from 1 July 2022, marriage is now also possible.

 The design of the traditional or digital stamps shows balloons in the colours of the familiar rainbow flag rising into the sky. Releasing balloons is a typical custom at many weddings, with the cards they carry generally sending congratulations to the new couple far and wide. Fittingly, the cards for the design say "YES: in all four national languages. 

Source : Swiss Post

 

Japan - Year of the Rabbit 2023,

My first YoR/YoC card is from Japan. It arrived so fast. Sent on 1 Nov and I got it in my hand on 8 Nov. Took only a week to arrive. 

Japan is the first country issued Lunar new year stamp each year.

In Vietnam, instead of the Rabbit, the Cat is in this zodiac cirle. And only in Vietnam, we have Year of the Cat. I don't explain or discuss about this difference : Rabbit or Cat, just accept and like it.

 Thank you so much Fumie for sending me a wonderful card. Unfortunatly, Vietnam don't have snow in winter, eventhough the weather is very cold in that season I am sure.

Canada - LGBT flag,

 

Vietnam - Vietnamese food, seri No.3

So yummy. Today I want to show some vietnamese foods. This issue is the number 3 of the serie and I think it is the last one. The first one was issued in 2020 and shows Northen food such as Phở, Bún chả, Bún thang. The number 2 was issued in 2021 and show the foods of central Vietnam such as Bún Bò Huế, .... And now the south food: Bánh xèo, Bánh khọt, Cơm tấm, Bánh Mỳ.

I tried Bánh xèo and Bánh khọt in Cần thơ. My last summer trip was there with my love (my ex lol) . Very deliccious.

Bánh mỳ is very popular in Vietnam. You can buy it in any city, on the street with the price  very reasonable. I often eat Bánh mỳ only for my breakfast, rarely as a lunch or diner. But I know many people, especialy student, they eat Banh my not only for breakfast.

It is easy to find Bánh xèo in Hanoi with the same value in the southen . But I think the difference is mixed vegetable served with Bánh xèo. Normaly in the north, we have only some types of aromatic vegetarial such as basil, mint leaves, cilantro, sawleaf and lettuce. But in the sounth, they serve fruit leaf as well : toad tree leaves, ...

Here is stamp booklet. They released 3 booklet for the issue.

These maxicards are not officials. The card is from a set of Vietnamese cuisine cards I bough in store quite longtime but I think the drawings are interesting. Thesse aquarelles are colorful.

I drop all the pictorial tampon (first day postmark) on the back side of each card. We have 5 different postmark. Each corresponds to the province where well-known by that food. Cần thơ with Bánh xèo, Sài gòn with Cơm tấm.... 

 The first day of issue was the first day of Hanoi philately annual exhibition 10.10 so you can see the commemorative postmark I dropped on back side as well with the year number 2022.

In this exhibition, I have one philately frame with my new cultural topic. And I took some photos with my collector friends.

My exhibition frame