Christmas Cards
Beautiful illustrations of children in sledges, robins on bushes, Santa with a sack full of presents, a nativity scene. We are all familiar with such cards, but have you ever wondered how the tradition of sending them began?
The first Christmas card was sent in 1843 by Henry Cole, founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Cole had reformed the postal system and in order to increase the use of the Penny Post, he encouraged the sending of seasonal greetings. Henry Cole turned to his friend, artist John Callcott Horsley to illustrate his idea. The card depicted the Cole family enjoying the holiday, as well as people performing acts of charity – which was an important part of Victorian Christmas spirit.
Although the venture did not initially take off, other Christmas traditions, including a decorated tree, were soon after introduced to Britain (from Germany) by Prince Albert. During this time there were also great advancements within the publishing industry, costs came down and demand amongst the middle classes grew. By the 1870s, the more commercial side of Christmas tradition was established.
The introduction of the half penny post in 1894, and a new post-card format, made the sending of Christmas cards even more affordable and the tradition grew, reaching a peak of 1.02 billion in 2005. In addition to the purely commercial ventures which produced the billions of cards bought and received, many charities launched a range of Christmas cards – as part of their fundraising efforts. (Although it has been argued that the sums actually going to charitable works are small.)
Sending Christmas greetings through the medium of a decorated card has continued to be hugely popular, although the birth of the internet and rising costs of postage has now led many people to send their messages of goodwill electronically instead. More recently, the message “instead of sending Christmas cards, I will make a donation to xxx charity” has become a familiar one.
So what is the future of the Christmas card? Is it a tradition which has had its day? Will it gradually disappear completely?
Personally, I hope not. I enjoy receiving those seasonal greetings, whether through the postal service or by personal delivery. They are small reminders that people care, that the recipient is being thought of that there is hope for the future. For Christians, the Christmas card is an additional way to share the Christmas spirit, and even the most secular amongst us can appreciate the display of colourful Christmas pictures which not only brighten a room, but also people’s hearts. This may be especially true during currently difficult times – when we can’t all get together with our families and friends to celebrate the festive season.
I shall continue to send out Christmas cards and hope that by doing so, I can bring a smile to someone’s heart. However, I am in the fortunate position that it doesn’t have to be a choice between card or donation, and I understand that it is not so for everyone.
n.b. I must add that a handmade Christmas card is often even more precious! x
Comments
Very interesting, I think the Victorians are largely responsible for almost all our Christmas traditions. I agree with you, I like to receive them too, especially when they include news and views. I have noticed that my son’s generation tend not to send cards although my granddaughters still like to do it so perhaps their generation will keep the tradition going. I have questioned the sense in sending cards to people I haven’t seen for years, don’t hear from except at Christmas and am unlikely to ever see again. Why is it that those are the ones which always seem to be the first to drop through the letterbox?
I upcycle some of my cards to make new ones for the following year and use any blank card backs for making lists and notes to self so they don’t all go straight in the recycling.
Thanks for your comment Val.
With regards to those people we may not have seen in years but whose cards are the first to arrive – I think it may be a valuable way to keep some sort of link with them, because they must have been closer once, so is it not worth keeping the door open for the future?
Yes, I remind myself that they must value the connection to us so I almost always send one back.
It will be interesting to see the future of Christmas cards. I find there is still something quite special about receiving something which we can touch and hold. To make a parallel – the introduction of the kindle hasn’t sounded the death knell for the physical book, so I wonder whether the same will prove to be the case for electronic communications and the Christmas card. On a separate note, I like Val’s idea of re-using parts of the card to reduce waste.