With soo nice stamp too...Cute and cuddly is the theme of these tropical cats of Vanuatu. From a set of 4 issued on 14 July 2010, designed by Denise Durkin of New Zealand,
Pentecost Island is one of the 83 islands that make up the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. It lies 190 kilometres (120 mi) due north of capital Port Vila. Pentecost has also been referred to as Raga or Araga, a tribal name that originated in the north but is now widely applied to the whole island. In old sources it is occasionally referred to as Whitsundie Island.
The island is well known for its land-diving "The ritual of the Naghol" which is one of the most spectacular and impressive rituals in the whole of the Pacific. It takes place when the yams are ripe for the picking, in April/May, also the time of the year when the vines reach their maximum strength.
Young men dive from tall towers (20 to 30 meters high )built from local materials and hurtle towards the earth attached by a length of vine tied to one leg. It is a fertility ritual and to be most effective the diver is required to graze the ground below with his head. ...Predictably this sometimes goes terribly wrong...
While the men risk their lives to prove their masculinity, villagers dance and stomp on the earth to encourage bountiful harvests.
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