India - Kaavadi Bearer

During Thaipusam, not everyone pierces their bodies or bears painful Kaavadi (burden), but the ones who do create quite a spectacle.

Sent by Kishore from Tamilpādi in the State of Tamil Nādu, India.

The Kavadi Attam is the sacrificial offering performed by devotees to Lord Murugan during the auspicious festival day of Thaipusam. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore offering prayers for fulfiled or some future requirements from Lord Muruga
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Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer & fasting for 48 days before Thaipusam. Kavadi-bearers have to perform ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi & at the time of offering it to Murugan. The kavadi-bearer observes celibacy, consumes only vegan food & are on a continuous thinking of God. On the day of the festival, devotees shave their heads & undertake a pilgrimage along a set route, while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadis (read more).

Canada - Indians Of The Southwest

COLORFUL INDIANS OF THE SOUTHWEST.

Sent by Lynda from Stouffville in Ontario, Canada.

The "Indians of the Southwest Canada" refers to Indigenous peoples who lived in the southwestern regions of Canada, specifically within the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. These groups include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people, each with their own distinct cultures, languages, and histories. 

France - Provence

Images of Provence.

Sent by Françoise from Piégon, France.

Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It largely corresponds with the modern administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and includes the departments of Var, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, as well as parts of Alpes-Maritimes and Vaucluse. The largest city of the region and its modern-day capital is Marseille.

The Romans made the region the first Roman province beyond the Alps and called it Provincia Romana, which evolved into the present name. Until 1481 it was ruled by the counts of Provence from their capital in Aquae Sextiae (today Aix-en-Provence), then became a province of the kings of France. It also hosted the Avignon papacy in the middle ages, when the Pope and his Curia fled Rome. While the region has been part of France for more than 500 years, it still retains a distinct cultural and linguistic identity, particularly in the interior of the region (read more).

Chile - Huaso

Chilean countryman (huaso).

Sent by Nat from Santiago, Chile.

A huaso (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈwaso]) is a Chilean countryman and skilled horseman, similar to the American cowboy, the Mexican charro (and its northern equivalent, the vaquero), the gaucho of Argentina, Uruguay and Rio Grande Do Sul, and the Australian stockman. A female huaso is called a huasa, although the term china is far more commonly used for his wife or sweetheart, whose dress can be seen in cueca dancing. Huasos are found all over Central and Southern Chile while the Aysén and Magallanes Region sheep raisers are gauchos. The major difference between the huaso and the gaucho is that huasos are involved in farming as well as cattle herding (read more).

Malaysia - Pahang - Tasek Chini

TASEK CHINI, PAHANG, MALAYSIA

An aborigine girl and the floating hut in Lake Chini.

Sent by myself during my short trip to Kuantan on 22nd February 2025.

Chini Lake (Malay: Tasik Chini) is a lake in Pekan District, Pahang, Malaysia. The lake shores are inhabited by the Jakun branch of the Orang Asli, indigenous ethnic groups of Malaysia.

The 12,565-acre (5,085-hectare) Tasik Chini is the second largest fresh water lake in Peninsular Malaysia and is made up of a series of 12 lakes. Chini River, which drains from the lake, flows into Pahang River. The river is dammed to maintain the lake's depth during the dry season. However, this has disrupted the natural ecology of the lake and caused the death of trees on its shores due to elevated water level (read further).

Laos - Opa Village

Located on the heights of the Nam Ou, O'pa villages are hard to reach.

I bought this postcard during my visit to Vientiane, the capital of Laos (12th - 15th January 2025). The stamp was cancelled at the Post Office (HQ) in Vientiane. All the postcards from Laos during this trip (except two Luang Prabang postcards) were brought home myself.

Note : Laos Post Office do not have variety of stamp(s). The cost for international postcard is Kip40,000.00. The Post Office only have Kip2,500.00 which value was upgraded (by red marking the stamp) to Kip40,000.00 on February 2024. 

Laos - Young Girl KO LOMA

Northern Laos - Young Girl KO LOMA

I bought this postcard during my visit to Vientiane, the capital of Laos (12th - 15th January 2025). The stamp was cancelled at the Post Office (HQ) in Vientiane. All the postcards from Laos during this trip (except two Luang Prabang postcards) were brought home myself.

Note : Laos Post Office do not have variety of stamp(s). The cost for international postcard is Kip40,000.00. The Post Office only have Kip2,500.00 which value was upgraded (by red marking the stamp) to Kip40,000.00 on February 2024. 

Laos - Young Girl Hmong Khao

Hmong Khao belonging to the Lao ung Group or "Hill tribe Lao", Hmong-Mien language and Tibetan-Burmese origin.

I bought this postcard for my wife during my visit to Vientiane, the capital of Laos (12th - 15th January 2025). The stamp was cancelled at the Post Office (HQ) in Vientiane. All the postcards from Laos during this trip (except two Luang Prabang postcards) were brought home myself.

The Hmong people (RPA: Hmoob, CHV: Hmôngz, IPA: [m̥ɔ̃́], Chinese: 苗族蒙人) are an indigenous group in East Asia and Southeast Asia. In China, the Hmong people are classified as a sub-group of the Miao people. The modern Hmong reside mainly in Southwestern China and Mainland Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar (read further).

Note : Laos Post Office do not have variety of stamp(s). The cost for international postcard is Kip40,000.00. The Post Office only have Kip2,500.00 which value was upgraded (by red marking the stamp) to Kip40,000.00 on February 2024. 

Laos - Young Girl Opa

The O'pa are one of the smallest branches of the Tibetan-Burmese family (lolo-Burman), their group is one of the most mysterious of Laos.

I bought this postcard during my visit to Vientiane, the capital of Laos (12th - 15th January 2025). The stamp was cancelled at the Post Office (HQ) in Vientiane. All the postcards from Laos during this trip (except two Luang Prabang postcards) were brought home myself.

Note : Laos Post Office do not have variety of stamp(s). The cost for international postcard is Kip40,000.00. The Post Office only have Kip2,500.00 which value was upgraded (by red marking the stamp) to Kip40,000.00 on February 2024. 

Vietnam - Sapa - Hmong Family

Traditional Black Hmong's house near green terraced rice field!!

I bought this postcard during my trip to Hanoi (10th - 12th January 2025) and got the stamps cancelled at the Central Post Office in Hanoi.

The Hmong people, Chinese: 苗族蒙人) are an indigenous group in East Asia and Southeast Asia. In China, the Hmong people are classified as a sub-group of the Miao people. The modern Hmong reside mainly in Southwestern China and Mainland Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar (read further). 

India - Kunbi Dance

Kunbi dance is a tribal folk dance of the Kunbi community of Goa that potrays social themes. The dance is simple in its presentation and is performed during various social occasions.

Sent by Abhay who sent this from Goa, India.

 

Kunbi, named after the indigenous farming community of Goa, traces its origins to the agrarian lifestyle prevalent in rural Goa. Historically performed by the Kunbi tribe during agricultural festivals and social gatherings, this dance form is a symbolic expression of gratitude for a bountiful harvest and a means of celebrating life's joys and challenges. The dance is characterized by its simplicity and rhythmic movements, reflecting the close bond between the people and the land. Over the years, Kunbi has evolved from a tribal ritual to a cherished cultural tradition, embraced by various communities across Goa (read further).

USA - Delaware - Fenwick Island Beach Patrol

Members of the Fenwick Island Beach Patrol.

Sent by Melissa from Rexburg, Idaho, USA.

Maldives - Traditional Hairstyle of A Local Woman

MALDIVES

Traditional Hairstyle of A Local Woman

Sent by myself during my vacation in Maldives (8-11th December 2024).

Photography by : Fathimath Sharuwary Moosa | sharuwary@gmail.com

Mongolia

Mongolia.

Sent by myself during my travel to Mongolia in July this year

The Gambia

THE GAMBIA

Sent by حامدMaπias, a postcrosser from Gambia.

USA - Idaho - A Nez Perce' Child

IDAHO
This adorable child, dressed in ceremonial finery for a Pow Wow, is a member of Nez Perce' tribe that has populated the valleys of the Snake and Clearwater rivers for centuries. This famous tribe is known for its friendship and generosity to early explorers such as Lewis and Clark, and for the breeding and development of the Appaloosa horse, a symbol of the state of Idaho.

Sent by Sandra, a postcrosser from Idaho, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The Nez Perce are Native American people who live in the Pacific Northwest region (Columbia River Plateau) of the United States. An anthropological theory says they descended from the Old Cordilleran Culture, which moved south from the Rocky Mountains and west in Nez Perce lands. The Nez Perce nation currently governs and inhabits a reservation in Idaho. The Nez Perce's name for themselves is Nimíipuu (pronounced [nimiːpuː]), meaning, "The People."

They speak the Nez Perce language or Niimiipuutímt, a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin. The Sahaptian sub-family is one of the branches of the Plateau Penutian family (which in turn may be related to a larger Penutiangrouping).

Nez Percé is an exonym given by French Canadian fur traders who visited the area regularly in the late 18th century, meaning literally 'pierced nose'. The most common self-designation used today by the Nez Perce is Niimíipu. "Nez Perce" is also used by the tribe itself, the United States Government, and contemporary historians. Older historical ethnological works use the French spelling "Nez Percé," with thediacritic. The original French pronunciation is [ne pɛʁse], with three syllables.

In the journals of William Clark, the people are referred to as Chopunnish (/ˈtʃoʊpənɪʃ/). This term is an adaptation of the term cú·pʼnitpeľu (the Nez Perce people) which is formed from cú·pʼnit (piercing with a pointed object) and peľu (people). When analyzed through the Nez Perce Language Dictionary, the term cúpnitpelu contains no reference to "Piercing with a pointed object" as described by D.E. Walker. The prefix cú- means "in single file." This prefix, combined with the verb -piní, "to come out (e.g. of forest, bushes, ice)". Finally, with the suffix of -pelú, meaning "people or inhabitants of". Put all three parts of the Nez Perce word together now to get cú- + -piní + pelú = cúpnitpelu, or the People Walking Single File Out of the Forest. Nez Perce oral tradition indicates the name "Cuupn'itpel'uu" meant "we walked out of the woods or walked out of the mountains" and referred to the time before the Nez Perce had horses. Nez Perce is a misnomer given by the interpreter of the Lewis and Clark Expedition at the time they first encountered the Nez Perce in 1805. It is from the French, "pierced nose." This is an inaccurate description of the tribe. They did not practice nose piercing or wearing ornaments. The actual "pierced nose" tribe lived on and around the lower Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest and are commonly called the Chinook tribe by historians and anthropologists. The Chinook relied heavily upon salmon as did the Nez Perce and shared fishing and trading sites but were much more hierarchical in their social arrangements.

Taiwan - Adult Ceremony of Amis People

The Adult Ceremony, Taiwan Amis, Hualien.

Sent by Sophia, a postcrosser from Taiwan.

This is from Wikipedia : The Amis (Chinese: 阿美族; pinyin: āměi-zú; also Ami or Pangcah) are an indigenous people of Taiwan. They speak Amis, an Austronesianlanguage, and are one of the fourteen officially recognized peoples of Taiwanese aborigines. The traditional territory of the Amis include the long, narrow valley between the Central Mountains and the Coastal Mountains, the Pacific coastal plain eastern to the Coastal Mountains, and theHengchun Peninsula.

In the year 2000 the Ami numbered 148,992. This was approximately 37.5% of Taiwan's total indigenous population, making them the largest tribal group. The Amis are primarily fishermen due to their coastal location. They are traditionally matrilineal..Traditional Amis villages were relatively large for indigenous groups, typically between 500 and 1,000. In today's Taiwan, the Amis also comprise the majority of "urban aboriginals" and have developed many "urban tribes" all around the island. In recent decades, Amis have also married exogamously to Han as well as other indigenous.

Russia - Emperor Nicholas II

Emperor Nicholas II on the yacht Polar Star
Photo, 1900s

Sent by Anna, a postcrosser from St. Petersburg, Russia.

This is from Wikipedia : Nicholas II (Russian: Николай II, Николай Александрович Романов, tr. Nikolay II, Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov; IPA: [nʲɪkɐˈlaj ftɐˈroj, nʲɪkɐˈlaj ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ rɐˈmanəf]; 18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July 1918) was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Duke of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church. He has often been referred to as Saint Nicholas the Martyr.

Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. His reign saw Imperial Russia go from being one of the foremostgreat powers of the world to economic and military collapse. Critics nicknamed him Bloody Nicholas because of the Khodynka Tragedy, Bloody Sunday, the anti-Semitic pogroms, his execution of political opponents, and his pursuit of military campaigns on a hitherto unprecedented scale.

Under his rule, Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War, including the almost total annihilation of the Russian fleet at theBattle of Tsushima. As head of state, he approved the Russian mobilization of August 1914, which marked the beginning of Russia's involvement in World War I, a war in which 3.3 million Russians were killed. The Imperial Army's severe losses and the monarchy's incompetent handling of the war, along with other policies directed by Nicholas during his reign, are often cited as the leading causes of the fall of the Romanov dynasty.

Nicholas II abdicated following the February Revolution of 1917 during which he and his family were imprisoned first in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo, then later in the Governor's Mansion in Tobolsk, and finally at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg. Nicholas II, his wife, his son, his four daughters, the family's medical doctor, the Emperor's footman, the Empress' maidservant, and the family's cook were killed in the same room by the Bolsheviks on the night of 16/17 July 1918. This led to the canonization of Nicholas II, his wife the Empress Alexandra and their children as martyrs by various groups tied to the Russian Orthodox Church within Russia and, prominently, outside Russia.

USA - Oklahoma - Native American

 

OKLAHOMA
Each year many of the Native American tribes in Oklahoma host Pow Wow's featuring traditional dress, dances, customs and food.

Sent by Michael, a postcrosser from Tennessee, USA.

 

Turkey - Anatolia

Anatolian Life.

Sent by Aysu from Istanbul, Turkey.

This is from Wikipedia : Anatolia (from Greek Ἀνατολή Anatolē — "east" or "(sun)rise"; also Asia Minor, from Greek: Μικρὰ Ἀσία Mikrá Asía "small Asia"; in modern Turkish: Anadolu) is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey. The region is bounded by the Black Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Aegean Sea to the west. The Sea of Marmara forms a connection between the Black and Aegean Seas through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, and separates Anatolia from Thrace on the European mainland. Traditionally, Anatolia is considered to extend in the east to a line between the Gulf of Iskenderun and the Black Sea, approximately corresponding to the western two-thirds of the Asian part of Turkey. However, since Anatolia is now often considered to be synonymous with Asian Turkey, its eastern and southeastern borders are widely taken to be the Turkish borders with the neighboring countries, which are Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria, in clockwise direction.

Anatolia has been home to many civilizations throughout history, such as the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks, Assyrians, Armenians, Romans, Georgians, Seljuk Turks, and Ottomans. As a result, Anatolia is one of the most archaeologically rich places on earth.