Victorian Thanksgiving Day Greeting Card with Pilgrims

There's a palpable sense of forced cheerfulness as two Pilgrims stroll arm-in-arm down a dirt path — he in his buckled hat and dramatic cape clutching what appears to be a book or tankard, she in a crimson dress and white bonnet looking absolutely thrilled to be married to someone who dresses like a Halloween costume — with a church spire looming ominously in the background as if God himself is chaperoning this wholesome little date. A cornucopia of apples spills out of frame in the lower right corner, because apparently the best way to express gratitude is by aggressively decorating around the part of history we'd rather not discuss. The autumn foliage framing this scene is gorgeous, the romanticization is breathtaking, and the cognitive dissonance required to send this as a cheerful holiday greeting is, frankly, Olympic-level.