On January 15, Posti will issue stamps celebrating Valentine’s Day, admiring meadow flowers and showing the Finlandia Hall which is reopening after its renovation.
The Valentine’s Day stamps will celebrate friendship and feature happy friends doing fun things together. The colorful stamps, designed by Minna Lehväslaiho, feature riding in a wheelbarrow, playing lawn games, knitting, reading and cooking together.
"Since Valentine’s Day is the day of friendship in Finland, the stamps depict friendship, not romantic love. It’s much more fun to do things with your friends than on your own. For example, cooking together can be quality time with friends or family," says Lehväslaiho.
According to Lehväslaiho, designing the stamps was a fun process that took about six months. "I sketched the stamps with a pencil and also partly digitally. Posti helped me to simplify the illustrations so that they work on stamps," says Lehväslaiho.
More Fun Together is a 10-stamp sheet containing five different domestic no-value indicator stamps.
Meadow flowers signal the coming of spring
Artist Minna Immonen, known for her postcards, has designed the stamps featuring meadow flowers. The watercolor technique used by Immonen highlights the brightness and delicate nature of the flowers. The original paintings are A3 size.
"When making the paintings, we made sure that all the details, colors and tones were reproduced exactly as desired on the printed stamps."
Minna Immonen’s illustrations often feature flowers and floral arrangements. There is a clear reason for this.
"I find it fascinating to paint flowers because they are wonderful! Flowers celebrate, comfort, delight, amaze, enchant and congratulate. The best thing about flower paintings made with watercolors is the interplay of light and shadow," says Immonen.
In addition to postcards and stamps, Minna Immonen’s illustrations are familiar from paintings, posters, calendars, books, jewelry, napkins and tableware, among other things.
Meadow Flowers is a 10-stamp sheet containing five different domestic no-value indicator stamps.
The renovated Finlandia Hall shines in new stamps
The renovation of Finlandia Hall has been completed and the doors will be reopened to the public on January 4, 2025 with a celebratory Strauss concert. To celebrate the opening, Posti will issue stamps designed by Ilkka Kärkkäinen that feature photographs of parts of the interior and exterior of the Finlandia Hall which the general public will recognize.
"Designing the stamps was a great honor, as the Finlandia Hall is a nationally and internationally significant architectural site and one of the best-known landmarks in Helsinki. I greatly appreciate the care and precision with which the building has been designed and built, down to the smallest detail," says Kärkkäinen.
Minna Sauramaa, Marketing and Communications Director at Finlandia Hall, is also satisfied with the stamps.
"The stamps are simply great. They capture Finlandia Hall and are clear and timeless, just like the building itself. We will also sell the stamps in the Finlandia Hall’s new shop."
"It’s great that we were able to open the iconic Finlandia Hall in its new glory. Every building needs basic maintenance, and now it has been carried out. Following the renovation, the building has new services, functions and spaces. The Finlandia Hall is now an experience-oriented event center open to everyone in the heart of the city. The program calendar is already filling up," says Sauramaa.
Finlandia Hall is a 10-stamp sheet containing five different domestic no-value indicator stamps.
First-day event at Helsinki Main Post Office on January 15, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The first-day event for the January stamps will be organized on Wednesday, 15 January from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Helsinki Main Post Office (Elielinaukio 2 F, 00100 Helsinki).
New stamps, first day covers and other stamp products will be sold at the event, and visitors can get first day postmarks on their items. Minna Lehväslaiho, Minna Immonen and Ilkka Kärkkäinen will be present to sign their works from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Welcome!