HOLIDAY CARDS: ORIGINS AND TRADITIONS

Origins of the Christmas Card

The tradition of sending Christmas or holiday cards is very much engrained in our culture, but the custom is not as old as one might imagine. The idea of sending Christmas greetings first began in England in the 1840’s with the appearance of the Penny Post, which greatly simplified the sending of mail. Soon after, the development of lithography printing popularized the sending of colourful, decorative Christmas cards. The first commercial Christmas card was commissioned by Henry Cole and designed by John C. Horsley in 1843. Despite the ease of communication thanks to the telephone and email, the tradition of sending holiday cards to one’s family and friends during the Advent season has continued to today.

Content of the Holiday Card

The first cards sent in England brought wishes for a joyous Christmas. Today, the sending of holiday cards is a tradition that has expanded across the world, and is also practiced by non-Christians. Thus, the holiday card no longer simply contains the message Happy Christmas but also offers wishes for a Happy New Year or Season’s Greetings. Some holiday cards continue to centre on the Christmas theme, featuring an image of a nativity scene or a Bible verse, but others are entirely secular and can show other holiday characters such as Father Christmas, holly and ivy, or snowy landscapes.

Special Holiday Cards

Official holiday cards were first sent by Queen Victoria in the 1840’s. Today, the royal family’s holiday card is usually a family portrait depicting significant personal events of the past year, along with the royal seal.
Commercial holiday cards are sent by many companies to their customers and clients as a gesture of goodwill. These cards are almost always secular in nature.
Charity holiday cards are used by organizations as a fundraising tool. One such well-known program is the UNICEF Christmas card program, which is a partner of ooprint France.

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