“Suomi Finland”
I once asked a German penpal if they called their country Deutschland or Germany in conversation. He laughed at me. This is probably the reaction I’d get if I asked a Finnish person about the name Suomi; I never knew this was what they called their country. All these years of admiring Kimi Räikkönen, I didn’t even know what he called his homeland — and now he’s retired.
Anyway. I don’t have many Finnish stamps in my collection, but thanks to the windfall from K., I have these two lovely pieces.
The first is a snow lantern — another new thing I learnt today. This seems to be a Christmas tradition where snowballs are heaped around a lantern. Imagine the ethereal effect on a cold winter’s night, the light outside all blue and velvety, made softly golden by a lamp burning in the heart of a glistening white heap of snow. Lapland Tourism offers a beguiling description, in case you fancy making your own snow lantern. As for me, I’ll watch the coconut palms dance in the warm coastal breeze.
This is one of the most fun stamps in my collection. Banish thoughts of Iceman-like behaviour, and revel instead in the warmth of the neighbourhood. This stamp is from the 2020 Christmas release, Welcome to the Village!. These Christmas stamps were picked through a design competition between the main Finnish postal service, Posti, and the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland. This particular stamp features houses built in the 1920s and was designed by Matti Pikkujämsä. My photo obviously doesn’t do justice to the stamp, and the best way to enjoy the vivid colours and the friendly atmosphere of this Finnish village would be to visit it, of course. Some day.
These stamps are such a refreshing change from the ones the post office clerk here gives me when I send someone a letter. She looks at me balefully when I ask for stamps, disappears into an inner chamber, and returns several minutes later with sepia-coloured stamps featuring one of the usual suspects. Where are all the colourful stamps we produce?
I’m grateful to K. for sending me hard-earned stamps from her family’s collection. Truly spoilt for choice, I don’t know which ones are coming up next —magnificent wonders from China, wildlife from Japan, or landscapes from Russia. I hope to find out soon.
