Canada: "Christmas Animals" Souvenir Sheet Official First Day Cover

This nice FDC arrived some days ago. On the Sheet you can see three classic Canadian animals dress up with droll holiday cheer. A majestic bull moose wearing a red scarf and striped toque graces the permanent domestic stamp. On the U.S.-rate stamp, a grinning beaver in a flannel shirt and flat cap playfully sports a sprig of holly in his mouth. On the international-rate stamp, a polar bear braces for the cold with a stylish cap, scarf and sweater. A clothing detail extends beyond the frame of each stamp, adding a three-dimensional touch.

It arrived safely in a cover with nice stamps:

Stamps:

2x Beneficial Insects (from a set of 5) - Issued: 12-10-2007

2x Baby Wildlife (from a set of 5) - Issued: 31-03-2014

Many thanks again to Tristan for this nice FDC!

Norway: Longyearbyen

Today I received another cover I sent to myself. Its from Longyearbyen. Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative center of Svalbard, Norway. As of 2008, the town had a population of 2,040. Longyearbyen is located in the valley of Longyeardalen and on the shore of Adventfjorden, a bay of Isfjorden located on the west coast of Spitsbergen. It is the world's northernmost settlement of any kind with greater than 1,000 permanent residents.

Stamp:
Tourism - Oslo Viking Ship Museum (from a set of 3) - Issued: 28-04-2014


♁ 78° 12′ N, 15° 38′ O

Åland: EUROPA Cover w/ Christmas Postmark

Today I also received a cover from Åland. I set up this cover myself. Buyed it at the Åland Post Webshop, added a stamp, sent it to Åland Post and asked for the special christmas postmark and to send it back to me. After a few weeks I got my cover back cancelled. And of course, I would like to show it here.

Stamp:
EUROPA "Old Toys" - Issued: 08-05-2015 with special christmas postmark


If you also like to send a cover to yourself from Åland, here is the address to send it to:

Posten Åland Frimärken
PB 1100
AX-22111 Mariehamn
Åland

Good Luck!

Taiwan: National Tsing Hua University

This card shows parts of the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU; Chinese: 國立清華大學). It was founded in Beijing, China. After the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan following defeat by the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War, NTHU was re-established in Hsinchu City in 1956. Today, there are 7 colleges, 17 departments and 22 independent graduate institutes in the university. 

Stamp:

Flowers "Tabebuia chrysantha" - Issued: 12-03-2009

The Netherlands: Emmen

Emmen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands not far away from the german border. The municipality of Emmen has about 104,000 inhabitants, with 56,000 living in the town Emmen. Prime economic booster since the 1980s is the zoo, the Dierenpark Emmen. Begun in the 1930s, it was almost completely redesigned in the 1970s, and is now co-owned by the municipality of Emmen. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year.

The card arrived in an envelope with some nice stamps:

Stamps:
from the left:
Beautiful Netherlands - Issued: 24-05-2006
Beautiful Netherlands (from a set of two) - Issued: 09-08-2005

Switzerland: Christmas Stamps 2015

These two stamps are from a set of four different stamps of the swiss 2015 christmas series. The stamps are designed by Bea Würgler and each of it shows a snow globe with different content. By the way, at the end of the 19th century Erwin Perzy, a producer of surgical instruments, invented the so-called "Schneekugel" (snow globe) and got the first patent for it.

Stamps:
Christmas ("Gifts" & "Christmas Tree") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015


UPDATE: 09-12-2015

Stamp:
Christmas ("Baubles") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015


UPDATE: 27-12-2015

Stamp:
Christmas ("Candles") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015

Thanks to Hansjürg for the nice Covers!

Austria: The 200th Anniversary of the Vienna University of Technology

This is the second FDC I received yesterday. The Vienna University of Technology (German: Technische Universität Wien) is one of the major universities in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1815 as the "Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute". In 1872 its name changed to Technische Hochschule (College of Technology). The institution has borne its current name Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien) since 1975. Today the university finds high international and domestic recognition in teaching as well as in research and is a highly esteemed partner of innovation oriented enterprises. It currently has about 26,200 students (19% foreign students/30% women), eight facilities and about 4,000 staff members (1,800 academics). The university's teaching and research is focused on engineering and natural sciences.

Stamp:
The 200th Anniversary of the Vienna University of Technology - Issued: 06-11-2015 with special first day of Issued postmark

Austria: The 650th Anniversary of the University of Vienna

Yesterday I got a nice First Day Cover from Austria. The University of Vienna (German: Universität Wien) is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is one of the oldest universities in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich history, the University of Vienna has developed into one of the biggest universities in Europe, and also one of the most renowned, especially in the Humanities. It is associated with 15 Nobel prize winners and has been the academic home of a large number of figures both of historical and academic importance. One of the famous alumni was for example Sigmund Freud.

Stamp:
The 650th Anniversary of the University of Vienna - Issued: 13-03-2015 with special first day of Issue postmark

Trinidad & Tobago: Archbishop's House, Port of Spain

This is my first card from Trinidad & Tobago. It arrived yesterday. Trinidad & Tobago is a twin island country situated off the northern edge of South America mainland, lying 11 Kilometres (6 mi) just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago is the third richest country by GDP (PPP) per capital in the Americas after the United States and Canada. Furthermore, it is recognised as a high income economy by the World Bank. Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean, the country's economy is primarily industrial, with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. The country's wealth attributes to its large reserves and exploitation of oil and natural gas.

On the card you can see Archbishops House in the capital city Port of Spain. The house was built in 1904 and is made of granite and marble from Ireland. It was renovated in 1968 and is presently occupied by the Catholic Archbishop of Trinidad and Tobago, Anthony Pantin.

Stamp:
The 150th Anniversary of National Library in Trinidad and Tobago - Issued: 09-08-2001


Thanks again to David for this card!

Japan: Shinjuku, Tokyo

Shinjuku is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration centre for the government of Tokyo. As of 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 337,556 and a population density of 18,517 people per km².

Stamps:
left: Japanese Traditional Cuisine (from a set of two) - Issued: 29-10-2015
right: Yuzuru Hanyu (from a set of 12) - Issued: 31-03-2015 (?)

USA: Memphis, TN

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The city is located on the fourth Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers. Memphis had a population of 653,450 in 2013, making it the largest city in the state of Tennessee, the largest city on the Mississippi River, the third largest in the greater Southeastern United States, and the 23rd largest in the United States. If you're an Elvis Presley fan, you must tour Graceland. Memphis' most popular attraction is also the world's most famous rock 'n' roll residence.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 10-10-2013

Germany: Meißen

Meißen is a town of approximately 30,000 about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of the famous Meissen porcelain. On the card you can see the Meißen Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), situated in the old market-place. This church, not to be confused with the Dresden Frauenkirche, was first mentioned in a 1205 deed issued by Bishop Dietrich II and after a blaze about 1450 rebuilt in the Late Gothic style of a hall church. Its tower hosts the world's first porcelain carillon, manufactured in 1929 on the occasion of the town's 1000-years-jubilee. Another popular tourist sight is the world-famous Meissen porcelain factory.

Stamp:
The 100th Anniversary of the Minden Lock - Issued: 02-10-2014


Thanks to Hanko for this card!

Russia: St. Petersburg

I got some cards from St. Petersburg, but this is one I like very much. Not so much because of what is printed on the card, but because of the nice stamps. Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг) is the second largest city in Russia. It is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. In 1914 the name of the city was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd (Russian: Петрогра́д),  in 1924 to Leningrad (Russian: Ленингра́д) and in 1991, back to Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Westernized city of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. It is the northernmost city in the world with a population of over one million. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Saint Petersburg is also home to The Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world.

On the card you can see the Cruiser "Aurora". As a museum ship, the cruiser Aurora became one of the many tourist attractions of the city, and continued to be a symbol of the October Socialist Revolution and a prominent attribute of Russian history.

Stamp on the front:
3x Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Astrakhan Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009

Stamp on the back:

Minisheet of The 150th Birth Anniversary of A.S. Popov - Issued: 16-03-2009

Germany: Christmas Stamp 2015

Today I received a nice cover from Germany. The stamp is the 2015 german christmas stamp. It features the popular Christmas carol "Silent Night" (german: Stille Nacht). The song was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.The song has been recorded by a large number of singers from every music genre. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all-time.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 02-11-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Russia: Astrakhan

Astrakhan (Russian: Астрахань) is a city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on two banks of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 520,339. It is the oldest economic and cultural center of the Lower Volga and often called the southernmost outpost of Russia and the "Caspian capital". 

The stamps shows the Astrakhan Kremlin - Issued: 01-10-2009


The card arrived in an nice envelope:

Stamps:
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Rostov Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Moscow Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009

Thanks to Elina for this card!

Germany: Werther

Werther is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the Teutoburg Forest, approximately 10 km north-west of Bielefeld. It is best known for the Werther's Original caramel sweets, which are, however, produced in the nearby city of Halle today.

Stamp:

Give Pleasure - Issued: 02-11-2015

Slovakia: Zvolen

Today I received a great cover from Slovakia.  Slovakia is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The capital is Bratislava. The cover arrived from the city of Zvolen. Its is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers, close to Banská Bystrica. Zvolen, has many beautiful tourist attractions, especially in the city, such as statues and colorful sprinklers that work in the summer. During the winter, there is an ice-skating rink in the city.

Stamps:
Protected Landscape Area Poľana (partly) - Issued: 09-10-2015
Cultural Heritage of Slovakia (0,02 € + 0,33 €) - Issued: 02-01-2009


Thanks to Rastislav for the nice cover and card!

Germany: The 300th Anniversary of the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin (1996)

The Academy of Arts in Berlin (German: "Akademie der Künste, Berlin") is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution in which members could meet and discuss and share ideas. As early as 1699, the Academy of Arts served as the arts council of the Prussian government, and since 1931 it has been exclusively tasked with such a function in the successor states. The academic arm ultimately developed into the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin) of today. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany.

Stamp:
The 300th Anniversary of the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin - Issued: 13-06-1996 with special first day of Issue postmark

Germany: The 450th Anniversary of the University in Marburg (1977)

This is an old FDC, but I think it fits perfect into my universities-collection. The Philipp University of Marburg (German: Philipps-Universität Marburg), was founded in 1527 by Landgrave Philip I of Hesse as one of Germany's oldest universities, dating back to a Protestant foundation. It was the main university of the principality of Hesse and remains a public university of that German state. It now has about 25,000 students and 7,500 employees, making Marburg, a town of 72,000 inhabitants, the proverbial "university town". Marburg is home to one of Germany's most traditional medical faculties.

Stamp:
The 450th Anniversary of the University in Marburg - Issued: 17-05-1977 with special first day of Issue postmark

Finland: University of Oulu

The University of Oulu (Finnish: Oulun yliopisto) is one of the largest universities in Finland, located in the city of Oulu. It was founded on July 8, 1958. The university has around 16,000 students and 3,000 staff. On the card you can see the main campus, located in Linnanmaa, about 5 kilometres (3 mi) north of Oulu city centre. One famous alumni is Martti Ahtisaari. He is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland (1994–2000), Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work.

Stamp:
Northern Lights (from a set of three) - Issued: 09-09-2009

Malaysia: 175 Years of the First Postage Stamp - One Penny Black

This great shaped card arrived some days ago. It shows some traditional malaysian clothes. Baju is the term for clothing in the Malay language. Since Malaysia comprises three major cultures: Malay, Chinese and Indian, each culture has its own traditional and religious articles of clothing all of which are gender specific and may be adapted to local influences and conditions. Traditional Malay attire for men is the baju melayu, a loose tunic which is worn over trousers and usually accompanied with a sarong called a sampin which is wrapped around the hips. It is also often accompanied with a songkok or cap. Malay women wear the baju kurung, a knee-length blouse worn over a long skirt. The blouse is long-sleeved and collarless, while the skirt, called a kain, has pleats on one side. A headscarf is sometimes worn with this. Another popular traditional costume is the kebaya, a more tight-fitting two-piece dress. This is often considered less formal.

On the back with a great stamp:

Stamp:
Minisheet The 175th Anniversary of the World's First Postage Stamp - One Penny Black - Issued: 30-04-2015


Thanks to Shaliza for this great card!

Germany: 6th International Postcrossing-Meeting in Bielefeld

This year a large international Postcrossing-Meeting took place from 22nd October 2015 to 25th October 2015 in Bielefeld, Germany. I wasn't able to join the Meeting, but I received a nice card from it. The card was exclusively made for this event.

 

Stamp:
Reintroduction of Spices "Salmo trutta trutta" - Issued: 04-12-2014


Thanks to Christine for this card!

Suriname: Paramaribo

Last week I also received my first card from Suriname. Suriname is a sovereign state on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south. At just under 165,000 km2 (64,000 sq mi), it is the smallest country in South America and has a population of approximately 566,000, most of whom live on the country's north coast, in and around the capital and largest city, Paramaribo. Originally inhabited by a number of indigenous tribes, Suriname was explored and contested by European powers before coming under Dutch rule in the late 17th century. Dutch Guiana remained a plantation colony until 1954, when it became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with equal status to the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles. On 25 November 1975, the country of Suriname left the Kingdom of the Netherlands to become an independent state, nonetheless maintaining close economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties to its former colonizer.

Stamp:
Local Dresses (from a set of six) - Issued: 17-06-2015


Thanks again to David for this great card!

Canada: Inuvik

I received this some days ago and I think this should be mentioned here. This is a cover from Inuvik. Inuvik is a town in the Northwest Territories of Canada and is the administrative centre for the Inuvik Region, located about 200 km (124 mi) north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Beaufort Delta. The population as of the 2011 Census was 3,484. The city is connected to the Dempster Highway. The highway begins about 40 km (25 mi) east of Dawson City, Yukon on the Klondike Highway and extends 736 km (457 mi) to Inuvik.

The cover was sent to me by the Town Administration of Inuvik and included some cards, a tourist guide and nice pin.

Inside the Cover I found pretty nice cards:

Thanks to Mr. Taylor Giffin for this great Cover!



♁ 68° 21′ N 133° 43′ W

USA: Colorado State University

Colorado State University (also referred to as Colorado State and CSU) is a public research university located in Fort Collins, in the U.S. state of Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. The current enrollment is approximately 32,236 students, including resident and non-resident instruction students and the University is planning on having 35,000 students by 2020. Notable alumni are Wayne Allard United States Senator from Colorado (1997–2009) or Walter Scott Jr.

The card was actually sent from Birmingham, Alabama.

Stamps:
left:  A Charlie Brown Christmas (from a set of 10) - Issued: 01-10-2015
right: Civil War: 1864 "Mobile Bay August 5, 1864" (from a set of two) - Issued: 30-07-2014


Thanks to Cara for this card!

Taiwan: Greetings Cover

A few days ago, I received a nice cover from Taiwan. Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a sovereign state in East Asia. Taiwan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a population density of 648 people per km2 in July 2015. The capital of Taiwan is Taipei.

Stamps:
Top row: 4x Greeting Stamps - Best Wishes (from a set of 10) - Issued: 12-02-2015
Greetings (from a set of 10) - Issued: 12-11-2009


Thank to George for this cover!

Japan: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go

The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The site is located in the Shogawa river valley stretching across the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in central Japan. Shirakawa-gō (白川郷, "White River Old-District") is located in the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture. These villages are well known for their houses constructed in the architectural style known as gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り). The Gasshō-zukuri, "prayer-hands construction" style is characterized by a thatched and steeply slanting roof resembling two hands joined in prayer. The design is exceptionally strong and, in combination with the unique properties of the thatching, allow the houses to withstand and shed the weight of the region's heavy snowfalls in winter.

Stamp:
Evocative Memory of Seasons (from a set of 10) - Issued: 20-11-2014 with special postmark