Moralistic background thoughts on the December stamp fairy tales 2025 (part 2)

The roots of fairy tales lie in ancient oral folk tales from diverse European cultures. This genre was put into writing by, among others, the Brothers Grimm (Germany, 19th century) and Hans Christian Andersen (Denmark). Fairy tales can help make difficult subjects more accessible and easier to understand because they work with recognizable similarities. In doing so, they use allegorical and metaphorical imagery – comparable to how one looks for the symbolism in stamps to understand the hidden message. This blog is a follow-up to the one from November 9 about the December stamp fairy tales. The attractively cheerful multicoloredness of current fairy tale books and the above poster 'Sprookjesbos Valkenburg' (designer Jan Lavies, ca. 1950, Van Sabben poster auction) is absent from the somberly romantic and muted stamp images. The moral story behind the ten fairy tales Source: all informative texts are taken in abbreviated form from the Google AI overview. 1) Sleeping Beauty The moral of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty can be explained as the transition from childhood to adulthood, the power of love, inevitable fate, and the consequences of revenge and exclusion: * Transition to adulthood: her sleep symbolizes the transition from childhood to adulthood. * Power of love: true love signifies a hopeful message. * Inevitability and fate: the fairy tale suggests that some things are inescapable. The outcome is always positive. * Consequences of revenge: revenge and exclusion have negative consequences. * Stagnation and renewal: sleep signifies stagnation in the kingdom. Awakening, beginning, and growth signify progress. 2) Journey of the congratulations The story of 'The Journey of the Wish', conceived by Efteling, is a fairy tale created specifically for the 2025 December stamp. A squirrel and a mouse, sitting on a mushroom in the forest (with an old-fashioned mailbox in the background), have found a magical fairy tale book in the woods, which they are leafing through and reading with interest and attention: * The nearly century-old mailbox exudes an atmosphere of connection and magic. * Similarity: the book contains appealing stories corresponding to the December stamps. * PostNL fulfills the function of a conduit between sender and recipient. Just like fairy tales, the mail connects people. * Connection: writing and sending Christmas and New Year's cards is an appealing activity. The recipient particularly appreciates receiving a card during the holidays: “Someone is thinking of me!” 3) Hansel and Gretel The moral of Hansel and Gretel is that you should never blindly trust strangers, even if they seem friendly and offer attractive things: * Do not trust strangers: the fairy tale teaches children to be wary of strangers who try to seduce them (the witch lures them to the pancake house). * Symbolism of poverty – abundance: poverty ends in wealth. Trials can be overcome with wisdom and ingenuity, which ultimately lead to wealth. * Morality and justice: justice prevails and injustice is punished. 4) The six servants The moral of 'The Six Servants' is that intelligence holds greater value than physical strength. The servants defeat the queen with their cleverness, not with brute force: * Strength and diversity: the prince fails to solve the queen's tasks alone. With the help of his servants (each possessing extraordinary specialized skills), he can accomplish the impossible tasks. * Strength in numbers: a team with diverse skills can overcome challenges that are unattainable for one person alone. * Overcoming arrogance: the proud and wicked queen, who makes impossible demands and kills previous princes, is ultimately defeated by the collective strength of the group. Good triumphs over evil. 5) Wolf and Seven Little Goats The moral of 'The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats' is that you must listen to your parents, be careful with strangers, and that malicious deeds are punished: * Listen to your parents: unfortunately, all but one of the young goats do not listen. * Be careful with strangers: you should not simply trust everyone and let them into your home. * Evil deeds are punished: consequences of bad deeds? Punishment! * Resourcefulness and courage pay off: the youngest goat is not only cautious, but also resourceful and courageous, which helps defeat the wolf. 6) Little Red Riding Hood The moral of Little Red Riding Hood is clearly expressed in the proverb 'He who will not listen must feel'. Mother Little Red Riding Hood: “If you stray from the path, you will be in danger.” * Obedience: the most literal moral: “Obey your mother.” * Towards adulthood: the path through the forest symbolizes the transition from childhood to adulthood. The red hood possibly symbolizes the first menstruation. The wolf represents evil and the dangerous temptations of the adult world. 7) The Princess and the Pea The moral of the story 'The Princess and the Pea' is that true nobility is an inner quality and is not based solely on appearance or status. Extreme sensitivity can be a sign of refinement: * Inner value over outer: the princess is not judged on her noble lineage, but on her sensitivity. This indicates that true nobility comes from within. * Sensitivity as strength: her sensitive nature is seen as her strength. It emphasizes her unique and vulnerable role in the world. * Impact of small things: the pea symbolizes how small things can have a big impact on a sensitive person or in a relationship. 8) The Frog King The moral of the fairy tale 'The Frog King' is that you must keep your promises, even if you do so under pressure. You must be true to your word. Acceptance, personal growth, and transformation—or in other words, self-development—are also addressed in the fairy tale: * Loyalty and promises: promises have consequences; you must keep your word. * Acceptance and personal growth: the fairy tale symbolizes the necessity to accept and integrate inner conflicts and unloved aspects. * Transformation: you must overcome fear and aversion to undergo transformation. This aspect symbolizes personal growth and embracing the unknown. 9) Tom Thumb The moral of the fairy tale of Tom Thumb is that cleverness is more important than size. The combination of perseverance and ingenuity comes in very handy in this regard: * Cleverness trumps strength: the results of intelligence are effective. Think of scattering the pebbles. * Warning to parents: raising children should be carried out with involvement and care. * Small in stature, great achievements: people of small size are capable of great achievements. 10) Rapunzel The moral of the fairy tale 'Rapunzel' is that disobedience has consequences. With love and perseverance, the most difficult obstacles can be overcome. The story emphasizes the power of hope: * Consequences of disobedience: breaking rules can have severe consequences. * Love and perseverance: despite the separation and setbacks, the love between the prince and Rapunzel endures. * Greed and obsession: a tragic event follows the abduction of a child by the witch. * Independence and forgiveness: Rapunzel manages to adapt to the new lifestyle. Through the power of love and compassion, Rapunzel is able to forgive.