Stamp Year 2019 kicks off with a booklet of six Valentine's Day stamps, which have been illustrated by Matti Pikkujämsä in his own distinctive style. In Finland, the 14th of February has very little to do with crushes, couples or people in love. It is all about friendship that has an important meaning for the Finnish people. That is the reason why the “Shared Joy” stamp booklet presented by Posti depicts friendship between people of different ages.
St. Valentine's day, traditionally romantic in the rest of the world, is quite different in Finland. Ystävänpäivä is the Finnish name for St. Valentine's Day. This Finnish word means "Friendship Day" in the Finnish Language, or "Day of the friends". The bright and lovely booklet of stamps issued by Posti to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day has a strong craftwork feel. Pikkujämsä, who is starting his career as a stamp artist, painted the original paintings on paper, wrote the texts by hand and did the perforation freehand.
"When I was creating the stamps, I thought about a dear friend of mine in the north. Doing things together with friends was the starting point for these stamps. I try to make simple paintings that touch people and warm their hearts," says Pikkujämsä.
See also other touching St. Valentine’s Day stamps.
