Christmas cards are usually exchanged during the weeks preceding Christmas Day on December 25 by many people (including non-Christians) in Western society and in Asia. The traditional greeting reads "wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year", much like the first commercial Christmas card, produced by Sir Henry Cole in London 1843. There are innumerable variations on this greeting, many cards expressing more religious sentiment, or containing a poem, prayer or Biblical verse; others stay away from religion with an all-inclusive "Season's greetings".
A Christmas card is generally commercially designed and purchased for the occasion. The content of the design might relate directly to the Christmas narrative with depictions of the Nativity of Jesus, or have Christian symbols such as the Star of Bethlehem or a white dove representing both the Holy Spirit and Peace. Many Christmas depict traditions such as Santa Claus, objects associated with Christmas such as: candles, holly and baubles. Other cards may illustrate winter activities such as shopping, skating, or wildlife scenes typical of a northern winter. Some Christmas cards depict nostalgic scenes of the past such as crinolined shoppers in 19th century streetscapes; others are humorous, particularly in depicting the antics of a modern day Santa and his retinue.
The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in London in 1843 and featured an illustration by John Callcott Horsley.
The picture, of a family with a small child drinking wine together,
proved controversial, but the idea was shrewd: Cole had helped introduce
the Penny Post three years earlier. Two batches totaling 2,050 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling each.
Early English cards rarely showed winter or religious themes, instead favoring flowers, fairies and other fanciful designs that reminded the recipient of the approach of spring. Humorous and sentimental images of children and animals were popular, as were increasingly elaborate shapes, decorations and materials. In 1875 Louis Prang became the first printer to offer cards in America, though the popularity of his cards led to cheap imitations that eventually drove him from the market. The advent of the postcard spelled the end for elaborate Victorian-style cards, but by the 1920s, cards with envelopes had returned.
The production of Christmas cards was, throughout the 20th century, a
profitable business for many stationery manufacturers, with the design
of cards continually evolving with changing tastes and printing
techniques. The World Wars
brought cards with patriotic themes. Idiosyncratic "studio cards" with
cartoon illustrations and sometimes risque humor caught on in the 1950s.
Nostalgic, sentimental, and religious images have continued in
popularity, and, in the 21st century, reproductions of Victorian and Edwardian
cards are easy to obtain. Modern Christmas cards can be bought
individually but are also sold in packs of the same or varied designs.
In recent decades changes in technology may be responsible for the
decline of the Christmas card. The estimated number of cards received by
American households dropped from 29 in 1987 to 20 in 2004. Email
and telephones allow for more frequent contact and are easier for
generations raised without handwritten letters - especially given the
availability of websites offering free email Christmas cards. Despite
the decline, 1.9 billion cards were sent in the U.S. in 2005 alone. Some card manufacturers, such as Hallmark, now provide E-cards.
In the UK, Christmas cards account for almost half of the volume of
greeting card sales, with over 668.9 million Christmas cards sold in the
2008 festive period.
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| The world's first commercially produced Christmas card, designed by John Callcott Horsley for Henry Cole. |
Early English cards rarely showed winter or religious themes, instead favoring flowers, fairies and other fanciful designs that reminded the recipient of the approach of spring. Humorous and sentimental images of children and animals were popular, as were increasingly elaborate shapes, decorations and materials. In 1875 Louis Prang became the first printer to offer cards in America, though the popularity of his cards led to cheap imitations that eventually drove him from the market. The advent of the postcard spelled the end for elaborate Victorian-style cards, but by the 1920s, cards with envelopes had returned.
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| American card, circa 1940 |
Links to Handmade Christmas Cards
- MJ Crafts Design Studio - Christmas Handmade Craft Collection
- Ideas for Handmade Christmas Cards from thriftyfun
- Specialty Cards 4 U Handmade Christmas Cards and Tags
- Christmas Cards and Tags from Planning With Kids
- Traditional Christmas Cards
- Christmas Cards from painted fish studio
- Christmas Card Set from Handmade Parade
- Christmas Cards with Jolly By Golly
- Angels We Have Heard on High Card
- Delightful Decorations Christmas Card
Links to Christmas Cards by Children
Send an internet Christmas Card
Christmas Postmarks
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