Celebrate the holiday season with this souvenir sheet Official First Day Cover from the Holiday Birds stamp issue.

Many creatures in nature bring good tidings, especially birds such as northern cardinals, blue jays and evening grosbeaks that overwinter in Canada.

Their brilliant colours and visits to backyard feeders brighten the season, and they, like other birds and animals, can bring us meaningful messages, which vary by culture or tradition.

The cardinal, with its festive red colouring, can represent transformation or a pivotal point in one’s life and is a symbol of devotion, diversity and unity. The incredibly smart and tenacious blue jay often mates for life and in some traditions symbolizes strength, loyalty and lasting bonds. It can also help one attain higher knowledge. The social and family-oriented grosbeak can awaken parental feelings and assist in bringing about healing, forgiveness and harmony, especially in family life.

This OFDC is cancelled in Cardinal, Ontario.

This holiday season three-stamp issue features colourful illustrations by Sandra Dionisi of three birds that overwinter in Canada. The first stamp features a cardinal (Permanent™ domestic rate), the second stamp features a blue jay (U.S. rate) and the third stamp features an evening grosbeak (international rate). This is the first stamp by Hambly & Woolley Inc.