The Postal Union for the Mediterranean (PUMed), is a regional postal community with a mission to promote the collective interests of its members in the Euro-Mediterranean zone. It serves to strengthen network integration and the inter operability of services, including transfer of knowledge and technology.
This year, MaltaPost has again joined members of the Euromed Postal Joint Stamp Project in the issue of a new set of stamps bearing a common theme. The Euromed series is an annual commitment that began in 2014 along the lines of the EUROPA stamp issue. The theme for 2023 is "Mediterranean Festivals" and in this regard MaltaPost has launched a new philatelic issue, consisting of two stamps, both related to fireworks activity in the Grand Harbour at Valletta.
Sebio Aquilina's photograph of a magnificent fireworks display from the annual Malta International Fireworks Festival appears on the first stamp. This shows a breath-taking spectacle of light and colour, reflecting on the sea and emphasising the natural beauty of the Grand Harbour. In Malta, fireworks displays constitute an old tradition, dating back four centuries, tied to traditional religious celebrations.
The Malta International Fireworks Festival also hosts apyro musical competition where firework displays are synchronised to the rhythm of a musical arrangement. Numerous local and international pyrotechnic companies look forward to the annual event and eagerly compete with their impressive displays in the hope of claiming one of the prestigious awards.
The second stamp in the series shows a typical colourful fireworks explosion, taken by photographer Michele Agius. The night sky is lit up to reveal the Siege Bell Memorial perched above the Grand Harbour. This monument symbolises the plight of those who fought and died for Malta during the Second World War.
It was built in 1992 to a design by UK sculptor Michael Sandle R.A., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to Malta in recognition of the bravery and valour shown during the attacks on the Islands in 1940-42.
