The stamp of the month December 2021 is not a Christmas stamp. Instead, I chose two stamps – both of which have the same motif – but each with a different intention. The new German definitive stamp at 5 Ct is a water lily folded from letters, in which the stamps are writing pens – it is intended to encourage writing letters. The Armenian stamp, on the other hand, is a beautiful drawing of the water lily in nature – simply for the sake of beauty.
Water lilies on German stamps
Liechtenstein: water lily pond; Austria: vending machine stamps
The water lily is quite often depicted on stamps. In Germany, it can be seen on a stamp of the Floral Duration Series, as well as on a stamp from 1957, but also on stamps of private mail. Liechtenstein immortalized a photograph of a water lily pond in 2011 with the reflection of Balzers Castle on a stamp, while the Austrian Post sold vending machine stamps with water lily motif at special post offices.
But there are not only white water lilies – but also blue. And there is a beautiful creation story about this one: In the Egyptian creation story, the very first blue water lily arises from chaos, darkness, and water. When it reaches the surface of the water, it opens and in the middle of the blossom sits a beautiful young god – the sun god, from whom bright light emanates banishing all darkness. Closing the water lily brings the night, opening it brings the day when the sun god shines anew. The sun god does not want to live alone, however, and so he creates other gods and other lifes with his thoughts, which he awakens when he gives them a name. The creation arises thus in this mythology from thoughts and words…… And the blue water lily remained the symbol of this creation story: it has a sunlike center, which is closed in the night by the blue leaves.