Press release from Swiss Post
Foodstuffs that deviate from the norm often end up in the bin. Even though they may not live up to our ideals of beauty, they are of course equally palatable. This stamp takes a stand against food waste. Who’s to say they’re perfect? And what does normal even actually mean? For food, these questions are covered by strict standards. Anything deviating from these standards often doesn’t even make it to sale. Food waste – the squandering of foodstuffs – happens at various stages of the product chain, such as in shops, during processing and in private households.
This isn’t just a pity in terms of resources expended for no reason, it’s also painful on the wallet: according to WWF figures, the average Swiss household throws away more than 600 francs’ worth of food every year. The word “waste” is crossed out on the stamp to make a statement against this form of waste. The three subjects of the photo show that the unshapely can also be visually appealing. After all, is it not precisely their unconventional forms that make them eye-catching? The three mountain potatoes come from an organic farm in the Albula Valley, whose special varieties are liked even by top restaurateurs, delighting many a palate.
Cute animals competition winners
This cute foursome shows the winning images from the “Cute animals” photo competition. We did an article a year ago to incite our readers to enter at this link. Among thousands of entries, these dainty little animals won the most hearts. They’re funny, clumsy, playful and amusing. Looking to capture this “aww” effect in a new stamp set, Swiss Post sent out a call last summer for original pictures of animals. It was met by a flood of the sweetest images, with around 7,600 photos of native domestic or wild animals sent in. From a cute squirrel and a spirited foal to a frisky young goat kid – no easy task for the internal jury charged with making a shortlist of the 20 best snapshots. In the public vote that followed, it was the curious kitten, the exuberant puppy, the sweet little cygnets and the bright-eyed fox cub who worked their charm on most people. What is your opinion of the winners' entries?
Dialogue is as much a part of Swiss culture as the Alphorn and traditional costume. With the 2023 stamps, the Pro Patria foundation provides a little friendly prompt for lively communication across language and cultural borders. What would you write or stick into the speech bubble? Reach out and speak to each other – that’s the motivational key message of these special stamps. The speech bubble in the design represents an open invitation to talk. The language is neither here nor there. Take one of the stickers on the sheet with typical expressions and idioms from all four language regions and stick it onto a speech bubble, or write a message of your own in an empty bubble – in your own dialect if you like.
The ready-made stickers encourage you to send a message in a language other than your own. This is Pro Patria’s way of emphasizing the importance of language diversity and skills for cultural exchange within Switzerland. Living a tolerant life in a diverse culture means creating cohesion. Since its foundation in 1909, Pro Patria has been committed to a Switzerland that, through its diversity, creates a home for everyone. This year, Switzerland is also celebrating 175 years of the Federal Constitution, the document that provides the basis for our social values and the foundation of our direct democracy. A willingness to talk and dialogue between the different language regions and cultures are prerequisites for a living and functioning democracy.
The Pro Patria stamps dedicated to our country’s culture of dialogue should therefore also be understood as a contribution to the activities celebrating the anniversary of the Federal Constitution. And there’s something new, too: for the first time in over 80 years, the Pro Patria stamps are self-adhesive!
The speech bubbles can be detached and stuck onto the stamps.
Quack, quack – here’s a little rubber duck who delivers letters with a squeak. And he doesn’t even need a uniform for work, because of course Swiss Post yellow is his natural garb. A decoration in the bathroom, a thermometer in the bath, a squeaky toy or even a floating radio – there are rubber ducks for pretty much anything you can imagine. You’ll see them outside, too – for example, as floats in swimming pools. And whole flocks of them will turn up for rubber duck races, usually arranged to raise money for charities.
Apart from the classic yellow version, you’ll also find rubber ducks in all sorts of other looks: dressed up as a knight, in a pirate’s outfit or football jersey, or with an apron on – there’s nothing you won’t come across. And that now also includes a mail carrier duck. But the friendly little duckling on the new stamp gets along fine without a uniform – after all, his feathers are already Swiss Post yellow. The stamp features a relief finish and contour cut. The bubbles on the sheetlet suggest the natural habitat of the rubber duck – the bath.
To order your stamps, please go to the website. Most post offices don't carry special stamps in stock. To order online, free delivery to a Swiss address from Fr. 15.- of purchases.
