A brief History and Origin of Christmas Cards

A Brief History and Origin of Christmas Cards

Christmas cards are a popular way to spread cheer and goodwill during the Christmas season. They're an easy and affordable way for businesses to reach out to their customers, as well as a personal way for people to stay connected with friends and family this winter.

The tradition of sending Christmas cards has its origins in England in the 1800s. The idea of sending greetings via postcards was first introduced by Sir Henry Cole, who commissioned artist John Callcott Horsley to design a series of festive cards depicting scenes from English winter life.

From there, the custom continued to grow and eventually became popular across Europe and the US. Today's Christmas card industry is worth over $700 million annually!

A Brief History and Origin of Christmas Cards

A Brief History and Origin of Christmas Cards

A Brief History of Christmas Cards

Velvet trees at the Winter Solstice

Henry Cole was an English silk merchant and philanthropist. In 1843, Cole commissioned Horsley to create a set of decorative cards depicting British winter scenes. These cards served as Cole's Christmas gift to his wife and two friends.

Over the next few years, Cole's wife, Lady Cole, sent the cards to friends and family, and in 1851, his son added a religious element to the collection. Three years later, Cole made the cards available to the general public.

In the late 1850s, the popularity of Christmas cards grew and in the 1860s, Cole stopped producing Christmas cards and instead focused on inventing new cotton fabrics.

In 1859, Clement Clarke Moore's poem, "A Visit from St.

The Origin of Christmas Cards

If you search the phrase "Christmas cards" online, you'll find more than 55,000,000 hits. The Google figure is estimated to be accurate because the site indexes both actual websites and also references to these sites in online forums and social media.

The first printed cards did not resemble the jovial holiday cards we know today. The earliest ones, a design called the "St. Nicholas Maillet" (used to send well wishes to Saint Nicholas), were simply plain white cards with the sender's name handwritten on them.

In 1871, the first printed Christmas cards appeared on post offices in the UK, France, Belgium, and Germany. These stamps used the Christmas tree motif and included a verse. The verse read, "In every home is the gladness of Christmas…and love to all and everyone in the world.

Why Send Christmas Cards?

All things considered, why do people still send out Christmas cards, instead of simply texting or emailing? Although digital communication has quickly caught on with companies, including many online businesses, it doesn't fully replace a personal letter. Like all traditions, it's hard to pin down a single reason for sending them.

It's a surefire way to keep in touch with friends and family, which is still a need today. Even if you spend most of the time with them on social media, there's nothing quite like physical contact.

It might be inconvenient to go to work every day and mail something, but something is comforting about sending a card off to let someone know you're thinking about them.

To give back and say "thank you" for all the support they've given you.

How to Choose the Perfect Card?

How to Choose the Perfect Card?

Knowing what to expect when you open a Christmas card can be a big source of stress for some people. "What do I do with it?" "What does it say?" "What do I reply to it?" "Should I buy or craft it?" These are just some of the questions that come to mind as you're contemplating what to do with your holiday greeting.

Luckily, there are a few simple steps that can help you decide which card you should send to which friend or family member this year. These questions can be summed up in one word: feelings. You want to pick a card that you think the other person will enjoy opening and reading, but more importantly, a card that you'll be happy to have in your collection.

Just be sure to pick a card that you can genuinely enjoy opening and reading.

When to Send Your Christmas Card?

You should definitely start thinking about what kind of Christmas card you want to send out once you've finalized your shopping list and made your holiday plans. If you're a holiday shopper, you might want to start thinking about it before the middle of November, so that you have plenty of time to buy all of your gifts and have them wrapped and ready to go before you start your holiday card orders.

If you're in the process of deciding which cards to send, it's always good to get in touch with your printer or design studio. You can tell them which images you'd like your cards to feature, and what kind of design you're looking for, but they should be able to tell you what the printing costs are for the specific cards that you're planning to print.

How to Write the Perfect Greeting for Christmas Cards?

How to Write the Perfect Greeting for Christmas Cards?

Once you've chosen your chosen card design, you need to think about how you'll write the words on the card. No need to break out the highlighters and Sharpies, here's a list of all the most popular greetings you can choose from:

"Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"

"Merry Christmas from the (Insert your company's name here) Family"

"Season's Greetings"

"Happy Holidays"

"Happy New Year"

"Wishing You a Very Happy New Year"

How to Write Your Christmas Card?

Choose a card that says what you want to say and stick to it. Avoid writing in the first person, as this can be confusing. Rather, write in the third person. If you don't want to send a card, attach a small note to your email. Include the sender's email address.

Conclusion

Holiday mail can be stressful. If you're ready to celebrate the season in style, there's no better way to spread some cheer than with a stylish and professional holiday greeting card.

Where to find the perfect Christmas card for your loved ones

If you’re looking for a sophisticated, fun, and original greeting card, find the one below that best suits your Christmas celebration.

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A Brief History and Origin of Christmas Cards