Stamp Requests

Since the idea was proposed in 2000 by the Iranian artist and puppeteer Javad Zolfaghari, the International Puppetry Association (UNIMA) celebrates worldwide it at the start of spring, March 21st. On this special and symbolic day, puppet artists worldwide gather to celebrate both its ancient and widespread roots (4000 years old!) and the new innovative forms of puppet theatre, combining emerging technologies with the ancient and still alive mystery of puppetry, a mystery able to create a great variety of images and to convey a wide array of stories and meanings, political and light-hearted alike, something that is fundamental for human society since its beginnings.

I didn't see or receive a stamp for it, and the day has passed. Anyway here I am making another stamp request. Hopefully this would come next year? February 9 is World Pizza Day, and so posting this. Since 2000 Feb. 9 has been World Pizza Day. Screenshots included.

In keeping with the spirit of National Learn About Butterflies Day, celebrate by learning a little more about the wide range of butterflies. With over 20,000 types of butterflies worldwide today is the perfect day to learn about butterflies. This would make a great sets. The celebration is held on March 14th.

National Native American Heritage Day is observed on November 24, a day after Thanksgiving. American Indians are accorded special honor on this day, and their rich cultures, accomplishments, contributions, and heritage are celebrated. The history of America begins with Native Americans, and the bald eagle on the U.S. shield is an Iroquois symbol. On this day, we can enjoy displays of their cultural fashion and unique recipes and speak out against the grave injustices they have experienced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_Heritage_Day

In the United States, National Ice Cream Month is celebrated each year in July, and National Ice Cream Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in July ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ice_Cream_Month ), ( https://www.idfa.org/news-views/media-kits/ice-cream/july-is-national-ice-cream-month ). Ice cream lovers unite! I think we should commemorate this sweet event with a Slowly stamp. I think it would be "dairy" worth it!

Each year South Africans commemorate Women's day on 9 August. The day was chosen in memory of those who took part in the Women's march on 9 August 1956 in Pretoria, South Africa. The march was organised to protest against the introduction of Apartheid pass laws for black women in 1952.

Youth Day, as it is popularly known, is a day in which South Africans honor the youth that was ambushed by the apartheid regime police in Soweto on 16 June 1976. On the day, over 500 young people, including school students, were killed. On the morning of 16 June 1976, thousands of black students from Soweto in the then Transvaal, now Gauteng, went on a protest rally from their schools to Orlando Stadium. While black students were already getting conscientized by student organisations and the Black Consciousness Movement when the Bantu Education Act (1953) was instituted, they mobilized for a protest against an official order that made Afrikaans - alongside English only - as the medium of instruction compulsory in black township schools throughout the country. The use of African languages was prohibited in these schools and the Constitution supported Afrikaans and English to be made the official languages of the country. The rally was a peaceful protest intended to urge the government not to make Afrikaans compulsory in schools. But when armed police were called in to disperse the crowds with dogs, teargas and bullets, they opened fire on the students. The protest turned into an uprising by students against the apartheid government, but hundreds of students were killed by police. And so, the 1976 student uprising, as it was called, was born. The events of the day highlight a few individuals who took part in the protest. Among the first children killed was 15-year-old Hastings Ndlovu, and 12-year-old Hector Pieterson. We also remember Tsietsi Mashinini, who lead the students in protest. Hector Pieterson Hector was one of the first casualties of the 1976 uprising. He was killed by a shot fired directly at him, contrary to police claims that he was killed by a bullet "ricocheting off the ground". Pieterson was rushed to a nearby clinic where he was pronounced dead. He was 12 at the time of his death. The Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum was later opened in Soweto near the place where he was shot in Orlando West, on 16 June 2002. This was done in the honor of Hector and those who died around the country in the 1976 uprising. Hastings Ndlovu Although the media reports named Hector as the first child to die on 16 June 1976, Hastings Ndlovu was in fact the first child to be shot according to police records. Ndlovu's death did not become as iconic as Hector's because no photographer was present to record it and his name was not immediately known. Tebogo 'Tsietsi' Mashinini Tsietsi Mashinini was born on 27 January 1957 in Central Western Jabavu, Soweto. Mashinini became a historic icon for his contribution to student politics that led to the protests of 16 June 1976. On 13th June 1976, about 500 Soweto students met at the Orlando Donaldson Community Hall to discuss ways and means of confronting and challenging the Department of Bantu Education. At the time that the peaceful march was agreed upon, Mashinini was the president of Soweto Students Representative Council (SSRC). The horrific events of 16 June resulted in Mashinini becoming the most wanted man in the country. The police offered a R500 reward for anyone with information that would lead to his arrest. In August 1976, Mashinini left South Africa for Botswana and later proceeded to the West Coast of Africa. He finally settled in Liberia, where he passed away in 1990. Although the protests of 16 June 1976 resulted in a number of casualties, the youth of 1976 played a role in fighting and overcoming the inequality and oppression caused by apartheid. Following the 1976 uprisings, many young people left South Africa, crossing the border into the frontline states to join the liberation movement in exile. Today, 16 June is a South African public holiday. There are Youth Day celebrations that are held country-wide in order to empower all South Africans and to remember those who lost their lives https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_Day#South_Africa

"World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day annually on April 2, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about autistic individuals throughout the world." Wikipedia

It is one of the many philanthropic observances conceived by Colleen Paige, a well-known animal behaviorist and pet & family lifestyle expert. National Black Dog Day stands out among the holidays created by Paige because it is probably the most personal one since it is based on an important episode from Paige’s life. Many years ago two young girls coming home from a party found a badly injured, exhausted black dog in the middle of a highway. The girls took the dog with them, kept her overnight and drop her off at a shelter in the morning. Several hours later, Paige arrived at the shelter looking for a dog for her five-year-old son. The dogs began to bark and jump up on their kennel doors, hoping to be adopted, but the black dog was too exhausted to even react. As soon as Paige saw her, she realized that she had to save that dog. The shelter employees were glad to give her the dog because “no one wants a black dog anyway”; had Paige not adopted her, the dog would have been euthanized. On the very first day the dog, now named Sailor, spent in Paige’s home, it became crystal clear that she had been horribly abused and traumatized. It took a whole year before Sailor overcame her emotional trauma and turned out to be a friendly dog who loved kids. She spent 14 happy years in Paige’s family and passed away from cancer in October 2014. Paige created National Black Dog Day as a tribute to Sailor, as well as to combat the stigma about black dogs and raise awareness about their plight in shelters. Although the reputation of black dogs isn’t quite as bad as that of black cats, their chances of getting adopted are still low compared to other dogs. So one of the main goals of National Black Dog Day is to encourage people to adopt black dogs from shelters to give them a loving family. If you can’t adopt a black dog for one reason or another, you can still contribute by supporting your local animal shelter. http://nationalblackdogday.com/

National Gymnastics Day was created in honor of one world’s oldest sports: the roots of modern gymnastics can be traced back to ancient Greece. It is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of September. The term gymnastics derives from the word gymnasium, which means an ancient Greek training facility for athletes. Gymnasiums were public institutions were young men were trained in physical exercise, which was considered an important part of education in ancient Greece. In addition, gymnasiums held lectures and debates on philosophy, literature, and music. The development of modern gymnastics began in the early 19th century. Among the people who contributed to it were Francisco Amorós y Ondeano, a Spanish colonel who opened the first gymnasium in Paris in 1817, and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, a German educator whose gymnastics movement led to the invention of the high bar, parallel bars, the pommel horse, rings, and the vault. In the 1820s, gymnastics was introduced to the United States by Charles Beck, Charles Follen, and John Neal. Gymnastics became a truly international sport in 1881, when the European Federation of Gymnastics was founded in the Belgian city of Liège. By the time the Olympic Games were revived in 1896, men’s gymnastics was popular enough to be included in the competition program. In 1921, the European Federation of Gymnastics was renamed the International Gymnastics Federation (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, FIG) after admitting the first non-European countries. The FID governs eight gymnastics disciplines: acrobatic gymnastics, aerobic gymnastics, men’s artistic gymnastics (includes floor exercise, horizontal bar, parallel bars, pommel horse, still rings, vault), women’s artistic gymnastics (includes balance beam, floor exercise, uneven bars, vault), gymnastics for all, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics (includes individual trampoline, synchronized trampoline, double mini trampoline, tumbling), and parkour. Gymnastics is a demanding sport that requires agility, balance, coordination, dedication, endurance, flexibility, and strength. It contributes to the development of all muscle groups in the body. Participants in gymnastics and gymnastics-related sports include competitive and recreational athletes at all skill levels. National Gymnastics Day has been observed every third Saturday of September since 1999. It is endorsed by USA Gymnastics (USAG), the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The USAG governs women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics, acrobatic gymnastics, aerobic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline & tumbling, and group gymnastics. On National Gymnastics Day, professional and amateur gymnasts, coaches and gymnastics fans celebrate one of the most amazing and spectacular sports. https://gymnasticsday.com/