A3505

Thanksgiving

The Mayflower

Cover Announcement 

When the new Thanksgivinq stamp was issued, I decided that I would produce a mini-set of five rather than just a single cover. I have always had a keen interest in United States history, and the story of the Pilgrims has fascinated me since the third grade. The philatelic press has reported that this will be the one and only stamp in the "Holiday Celebration" series that honors our annual day of Thanksgiving. Not wanting to miss this golden opportunity to record philatelically this special moment in America's past, I am pleased to present a First Day Cover chronicle of the Plymouth Colony.

After the Pilgrim's first dreadful winter, a small wildflower called Trailing Arbutus was the first to greet them. They took renewed hope and courage when they saw such a beautiful plant blossoming so bravely amid the winter snows. They wrote "O sacred flower of faith and hope. " To this day, this plant is called the Mayflower in New England. It is said that the Pilgrims first called it such after their ship because the fresh delicate green leaves emerging after a harsh winter reminded them that they, too, had triumphed over the season's grim and bitter experiences. In my final cachet, I show the Pilgrims' ship at anchor and, in the lower right corner, a sprig of its namesake - the Mayflower. It's a lovely cachet that symbolizes the triumph of hope and success over despair and failure. Throughout the year, they worked hard with renewed courage, and, when the growing season came to an end, celebrated with their feast of Thanksgiving.