Romanians of Washington, DC in partnership with Poșta Moldovei (the Postal Service of the Republic of Moldova) is extremely proud to announce the launch of a limited edition of customized stamps marking the 10 anniversary of the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse in Washington, DC.
The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is a celebration of the traditional Romanian blouse (ia) uniting around the globe all those who cherish Romania and the Republic of Moldova and their shared folk costume. Coordinated by the online community La Blouse Roumaine, the day, first marked in 2013, has become a truly global event celebrated each year on June 24 on six continents, in over 60 countries, 130 cities, and through over 200 events. The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse has rekindled the interest and appreciation for the authentic Romanian folk art and creations, and for those who make them, and after more than three decades since the fall of the communist regime, this movement has contributed decisively to the rebirth and a renewed interest in the traditional culture.
The series of 12 stamps, valued at 1,75 Moldovan Lei each, feature the official group photos from the celebration of the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse in the American Capital, starting from 2013 through 2021. The 2017 and 2018 editions are shown across two stamps to better highlight some important moments of this community event. The 2017 stamps show the over 100 Romanians, Moldovans and Americans who gathered that year in front of the U.S. Capitol, holding a sign that reads # Give Credit and as such joining a global call on fashion designers who use as a source of inspiration Romanian folk costumes and folk patterns to acknowledge their muse and to work with the local craftsmen in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The 2018 celebration in front of the White House, in Lafayette Park, marked the largest gathering of Romanians in front of the executive mansion, the official residence of the U.S. President, and has since become one of the most emblematic photos of the Romanian-American community at large.
The 2020 stamp is the only one that does not show a group photo. It features instead just a small number of the hundreds of photos received that year by Romanians of DC in what was a virtual celebration of this event because of the COVID pandemic and the restrictions that were in place at that time in Washington, DC which prevented an in-person reunion.
The last stamp in the series is a copy of the official Proclamation issued by the Mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser in 2015 in which she declared June 24 the day of the Romanian Costume in the Nation’s Capital and thus conferring the first official recognition of this day. It should be noted here that subsequent to this, both the Romanian and the Moldovan Parliaments adopted similar resolutions which set aside specific days for the celebration of the folk costume common to the two countries.
The limited-edition stamps will be presented on June 25 at the 2022 celebration of the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse in Washington, DC to the winners of the “Romanian Blouse – My Blouse | Ia – Cămașa care mă reprezintă” essay competition. They will also be available for purchase on that day for $20 per set or can be ordered via email at myromanianblouse@romaniansofdc.org. Orders placed via email should also be inclusive of $5 shipping costs and payment must be made via PayPal.
