April release batch incoming – 16 new stamps
A new month brings new stamp releases...
We were waiting, the collectors community looks forward to the usual release batch arriving near the end of a month, with stamps which will be unlocked soon, in the next month.
That happened, and it is a large batch – ** 16 new stamps in total**, and here they are. 😎👍
So, listing them by Category so it's easier to grasp...
New Premium Sports themed stamps
These are premium and sell for 25 coins each - like we experienced with the recent Rugby, Polo, etc stamps from February 2022.
Marathon stamp, just released, with April 3 deadline. Appeared in UK, France, Germany and Czech stamp stores.
Surfing stamp, also just released, appeared first in Barbados, with April 3 deadline.
These stamps will first appear on a country that has a Tournament in the month. Later it could appear in some other country, where there's a similar event. The stamps should be added to Time Machine soon after their initial releases close, as happened with the Rugby, Polo, American Football stamps.
New Global, Free commemoratives
These should be free and available everywhere, to much joy from our Slowly users in general.
World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization, as well as other related organizations. In 1948, the WHO held the First World Health Assembly. The Assembly decided to celebrate 7 April of each year, with effect from 1950, as the World Health Day.
source : Wikipedia
World Art Day, a celebration to promote the development, diffusion and enjoyment of art, was proclaimed at the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 2019.
Art nurtures creativity, innovation and cultural diversity for all peoples across the globe and plays an important role in sharing knowledge and encouraging curiosity and dialogue.
These are qualities that art has always had, and will always have if we continue to support environments where artists and artistic freedom are promoted and protected. In this way, furthering the development of art also furthers our means to achieve a free and peaceful world.
source : Unesco
Some are Regional Releases
Either free or sometimes premium. In some cases, some stamps appear in multiple countries.
The month of April commemorates the Panagyaman Rice Festival, the national celebration of successful rice harvest. Panagyaman is an Ilocano term that means thanksgiving, commonly referring to a good harvest that deserves to be celebrated. The harvesting activity every month of April thus historically begins a slew of festivities and fiestas across the country during the months of May and June.
source : Philstar.com
Kartini Day : Raden Adjeng Kartini*[1](21 April 1879 – 17 September 1904), also known as Raden Ayu Kartini, was a prominent Indonesian activist who advocated for women's rights and female education.
Her birthday is now celebrated in Indonesia as Kartini Day in her honor, as well as multiple schools being named after her and a fund being established in her name to finance the education of girls in Indonesia.
source : Wikipedia
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.
source : Wikipedia
Chakri Day : The day is officially called Chakri Memorial Day or The King Yodfa Chulaloke the great day, it observes the founding and establishment of the great Chakri Dynasty in 1782 by Phra Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke. He was also known as King Rama I and has declared Bangok, then called Krung Thep, capital of Siam (now Thailand).
source : Thai Consulate
Black Day (Korean: 블랙데이) is an unofficial holiday observed on April 14 each year. It is mostly observed in South Korea by singles.
The day is associated with Valentine's Day and White Day as a holiday on the 14th day of the month. On this day, people who did not receive gifts on the previous two days gather and eat jajangmyeon, noodles with black sauce. This day is specifically for single people.
source: Wikipedia
School Entrance Ceremony (or 入学式) new stamp.
In early April, all the students in a school gather for a formal ceremony welcoming the new students. At this ceremony, new students are introduced to the other students and teachers and the teachers and principal have a chance to talk to the new students. Many of the parents of the new students attend this ceremony, often dressed formally, as a way to show support for their children and to meet some of the other parents and teachers. The ceremony marks a new period of the students’ lives, as they are now in a new school and at a new stage of life.
source : Uni of Hawaii
Many grandparents give a present to their grandchild when a grandchild get into an elementary school. A present is often the Japanese satchel called Randoseru. Randoseru is a backpack made of stiched firm leather. An elementary school student carries their textbooks, notebooks and other school supplies by Randoseru for six years.
source : Piece-of-Japan.com
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”.
source : Wikipedia
And there are some Western issues as well
Asian and Oceania countries got the bulk of this month's new commemoratives, all of the above. But there are some Western country releases as well:
Semana Santa new stamp. The costume shown is used in Holy Week religious street processions in many Catholic countries. An example here, in La Palma, Spain.
More references :
Semana Santa is the annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by Catholic religious brotherhoods (Spanish: cofradía) and fraternities that perform penance processions on the streets of almost every Spanish city and town during the last week of Lent, the week immediately before Easter.
The processions are set up and maintained by hermandades and cofradías, religious brotherhoods that are common to a specific area of the city, whose precede the paso dressed in Roman military costumes or penitential robes.
Those members who wish to do so wear these penitential robes with conical hats, or capirotes, used to conceal the face of the wearer. These “Nazarenos” or “Papones” (this word is typical from Leon) carry processional candles, may walk the city streets barefoot, and may carry shackles and chains in their feet as penance.
source : Wikipedia
Tartan Day is a North American celebration of Scottish heritage on 6 April, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. It originated in Canada in the mid-1980s. It spread to other communities of the Scottish diaspora in the 1990s. In Australia the similar International Tartan Day is held on 1 July, the anniversary of the repeal of the 1747 Act of Proscription that banned the wearing of tartan.
Tartan Days typically have parades of pipe bands, Highland dancing and other Scottish-themed events.
source : Wikipedia
Indigenous Peoples new stamp. I had to edit and move this stamp here. From the looks and theme, I was sure it was one of the regional premium, 25 coins stamps – but the Slowly API shows it as a FREE issue.
This stamp is likely to debut in Brazil, which has their Dia do Indio (Indigenous People's Day) on April 19.
We should also see it later in North America, USA and Canada have Fall dates for this commemoration.
And a new National Flag !
England's National Day is St George's Day, April 23. (according to Wikipedia's National Days page)
Saint George's Day, also called the Feast of Saint George, is the feast day of Saint George as celebrated by various Christian Churches and by the several nations, old kingdoms, regions, states, countries and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint – including Bulgaria, England, Georgia”), Portugal, Romania as well as the Spanish communities of Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon and Catalonia. The saint also has his state holiday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Also new, a pretty Global Premium Single :
Ice Age, a very pretty design, 50 Coins Premium Single, available Globally.
A Tentative Calendar for April new releases ?
Courtesy of a fellow stamp collector and WIKI editor. Thanks, F.
(Please note this list also includes expected national flag re-issues for April as well)
Dates are tentative in some cases, subject to review and change if new info becomes available.
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