He goes from house to house dressed all in black, with a top hat on his head and his face smudged with soot. The image of the chimney sweeper is firmly fixed in our minds. As early as the Middle Ages, he was clearing blocked chimneys and sweeping away any bad luck. This work helped to protect people from smoke poisoning and fires. So it’s no surprise that he was welcomed warmly into the households of the time. The nature of the work and the clothing may have changed considerably over the centuries. But the idea that a chimney sweeper brings good luck is still widespread today.

2022 marks a special anniversary for chimney sweepers: it is 125 years since the Chimney Sweeper Switzerland association was founded. Swiss Post is dedicating a stamp to this anniversary in its first stamp issue of the year. The illustration shows a man and a woman in traditional costume, holding a ladder and a soot brush and standing next to two roofs with chimneys on top. It’s worth taking a closer look at the chimneys – they are covered with a grey scratch-off coating. If you scratch away this coating, you will make the chimneys appear cleaner. There is also a four-leaf clover emblazoned on one chimney. It is there to bring good luck to the roof – with or without the soot.

Mummenschanz: global fame without saying a word

Mummenschanz is also celebrating a special anniversary this year. The Swiss theatre troupe has been treading the boards for 50 years. In the early 1970s, the founding trio experimented with different forms of masked theatre. As a result of this experimentation, they invented a universal language of movement and expression, combining pantomime and silent mask art with a dash of subtle humour. The unique spectacle enchants audiences around the world. Mummenschanz have become international stars. Having performed on Broadway in New York for three consecutive years, and with countless international tours and awards to boot, Mummenschanz has long been considered a Swiss cultural asset. Swiss Post is dedicating a stamp to their work. It features two of Mummenschanz’s most famous figures: “Giant Hands” opening the curtains for “Slinkyman”. It’s a fitting design, as Mummenschanz are still performing on prestigious stages today. Their 50th anniversary tour has already started.

How does the common kingfisher live? Where does a bumblebee spend the night?

Spring is just around the corner, and the animal kingdom will soon be bustling with life. This is a well-known fact. But how does the lightning-fast common kingfisher live? And where does the bumblebee spend the night? Where does the hazel dormouse retreat to in search of peace and quiet? And where does the snail that adorns the B Mail face value – a tongue-in-cheek reference to snail mail – find shelter? The “Animals in their habitats” stamps provide all the answers. Lovingly designed and rich in detail, these stamps are a splash of colour in the latest stamp issue. They’re sure to melt your heart.

You can find information on other designs in the current issue and details about the new stamps in the latest edition of the collector’s magazine “Focus on stamps” or at swisspost.ch/stamps.

Information

Erich Goetschi, Media Spokesperson, +41 58 341 37 42, presse@swisspost.ch