Canada Post has released a new stamp to celebrate two important Muslim festivals: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Eid stamp (CNW Group/Canada Post)
The stamp features a beautiful ceramic bowl that was crafted in Iran around 700 years ago, and is part of the Royal Ontario Museum’s collection. The bowl was likely used to serve food during Ramadan, the month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. The stamp has the words “Eid Mubarak” above the bowl, which is a traditional Arabic greeting that means “have a blessed Eid.”
The bowl is a treasure in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum and is made of a hard material called stonepaste, which was invented by Middle Eastern potters. It is inscribed with a Persian poem that blesses the owner of the bowl. The bowl’s blue color is considered auspicious in Islam, and even the colors the artist chose were meant to uplift the soul.
Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Breaking the Fast, will begin in mid-April this year. The stamp was issued early so that people can send greetings to their loved ones before the festival. Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and will start in late June this year.
The Eid stamp is Canada Post’s fifth one and is part of a series of stamps that the post office releases each year to celebrate annual celebrations that are important to Canada’s culturally diverse population. Other stamps in this series include Diwali, Hanukkah, and Christmas.
The new stamp and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada.