950th stamp blog: Revival of philately among young people?
A philatelist friend handed me an article from *Trouw* about the revival of philately among young people. See the link at the bottom of this blog. Two seventeen-year-old hobbyists talk about their hobby: philately. Instagram posts about stamps are getting a lot of likes. The question is whether this leads to more youth philatelists and more youth members in stamp societies. I am curious if board members of societies can respond as to whether that is the case. Have youth sections been established again as well? Postzegelblog also contains thousands of pictures of stamps and postmarks.
One swallow does not make a summer
There is a saying: 'One swallow does not make a summer' (or spring), which means that you should not be too optimistic based on a single positive omen or event. One success or good sign is no guarantee that everything will turn out well or that it is definitely spring/summer. It warns against drawing hasty conclusions.
Key points of the proverb:
- Meaning: You may not draw a general conclusion from a single fact.
- Origin: It refers to the fact that swallows return in the spring. However, one early swallow does not mean that the cold winter is definitively over.
- Variations: Sometimes 'spring' is used instead of 'summer', which keeps the meaning the same.
- Origin: The proverb is very old and is used in many languages (e.g. in Italy as 'Una rondine non fa primavera')
The saying is used as a warning not to celebrate too soon at the first sign of prosperity.
Estonia, 2-euro coin swallow (2023)
The 2-euro coin that Estonia is issuing in 2023 is dedicated to the swallow as a symbol of the return of good weather. In many countries on our continent, the swallow symbolizes spring and the return of fine weather, especially in Northern Europe, where winters are particularly long, cold, and dark. This is also true for Estonia, where the swallow, with its return, also stands as a symbol of the freedom and independence the country has gained after decades of Soviet domination.
The national side of the coin depicts a flying swallow with two other swallows sitting on a string in the background, supplemented by the country name EESTI, the scientific name of the animal – HIRUNDO RUSTICA – and the year 2023: a coin elegant in its simplicity.
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With a surface area of approximately 45.000 square kilometers and a population of only 1,34 million people, the Republic of Estonia quickly broke away from the Soviet Union and subsequently from Russia. The country became a member of the EU, NATO, and the OECD, and was among the first countries to sign the Kyoto Protocol.
Estonia has experienced strong economic growth since 2010, making it one of the world leaders in the innovation, dissemination, and application of new technologies. This led the country to quickly create the conditions for the introduction of the euro in 2011.
As part of a multi-year series dedicated to the symbolic animals of Estonian fauna, Estonia is dedicating a 2-euro coin to the swallow in 2023. One million coins are expected to be issued, of which only 12.000 will be packaged in coin cards and the rest will be in circulation.
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On Instagram, the stamp is no longer dusty at all (Trouw, March 28, 2026, paper version):
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