Mail Adventures

08 November 2026

Sunday Stamps | Takayama Festival

Takayama Festival is actually two festivals that take place annually in the city of Takayama: the Sanno Festival, in the spring, and the Hachiman Festival, in the autumn.The Spring festival is held to pray for a good harvest and the Autumn Festival is for giving thanks.

The centrepiece of both events is a collection of ornate floats or yatai of which 12 feature in the spring festival and 11 in the autumn festival. This stamp from 1964 shows one of them. The floats date back to the 17th century, and are decorated with intricate carvings of gilded wood, detailed metal work and embroidered drapery. The floats are moved around the city at night, escorted by people in traditional dress. Each float represents a district of Takayama.

This week Sunday Stamps is dedicated to Festivals/Celebrations.

07 November 2026

Postbox Saturday | Emailerator

A friend sent these pictures from Cambridge. I think it was made by these people.

06 November 2026

Women on Postcards | Knitting

Is it already knitting time?

Postcards sent by Heleen (the Netherlands) and Marian (the USA).

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

05 November 2026

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Devil's Oven

Devil's Oven, an island situated in the Thousand Islands of New York. Here Bill Johnson, a pirate, guilty of burning an English ship, hid for one year from British Agents during the Patriot War of 1838.

Postcard sent by Amelia (The USA).

By the way, have you ever wondered why are there so many weird postcards that show the 'same sky' even though they should have been taken around the world?

-----------------------------------------------

Thursday Postcard Hunt
November theme: WEATHER

Week 1 - Blue Skies
Week 2 - Cloudy
Week 3 - Stormy
Week 4 - Wintery

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

04 November 2026

Autumn Letters Out

Letters sent to Laura (the UK) and Fabienne (France).

03 November 2026

Full of Details

Very interesting envelope sent by Bryon (Canada). Actually, it is a prepaid envelope: the stamp of the whale is printed on it.

The other two stamps were issued in 2024, and dedicated to MuchMusic and MusiquePlus:

Launched in August 1984 and broadcast from Toronto, MuchMusic was one of Canada’s first specialty cable channels, quickly reaching five million households only a few short years later. MusiquePlus began broadcasting out of Montréal in 1986, and quickly emerged as the top platform for homegrown Francophone artists to strut their stuff alongside other big names. [...] The lively, colourful stamp illustrations depict the iconic buildings that housed MuchMusic in Toronto and MusiquePlus in Montréal are drawn from the perspective of the cheering crowd that would regularly gather outside the stations.

02 November 2026

A Postmark Can Turn a Squirrel into a Biting Dog

01 November 2026

Sunday Stamps | Dresses

Moda española (='Spanish Fashion') is a long-running series of stamps. In 2012 it was dedicated to Spanish designer Pedro del Hierro.

These stamps belong to the 2018-2020 collection Indian Fashion, which comprises:

Through the ages - Series I [stamp above];
Sari in Myriad Forms – Series II;
Concept to Consumer – Series III; and
Designers’ Creations – Series IV [stamp below].

You can find here a detailed explanation of this design by Rahul Mishra, called Mystical Indian.

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps is Fashion. You are welcome to share your stamps!

31 October 2026

Old Tombs

Richard Fitzalan (d. 1376), Earl of Arundel and his Countess,
the inspiration for An Arundel Tomb, a poem by Philip Larkin
Chichester Cathedral (UK)