The History of Christmas Cards
Year after year, we send Christmas cards to our loved ones to spread joy at Christmas. It is a tradition that has been around for hundreds of years. From the first printed cards in the 19th century to the digital e-cards many of us use today, the history of Christmas cards is a fascinating journey through time.
The first known traces of sending Christmas cards go back to the 15th century. According to Pallant House Gallery, Wealthy European families were known to exchange handmade cards that were often decorated in extravagant ways with gold leaf, religious imagery, and embossed designs, as a way to flaunt their artistic skills and their wealth.
According to Why Christmas, the tradition of sending modern Christmas cards began in 1843 in the UK by Henry Cole. He designed the first card with artist John Horsley, being sold for one shilling each. The design of the card included people caring for the poor and a family having a large Christmas dinner. In total, 1000 of these cards were printed and sold.
Christmas cards grew in popularity as printing methods improved and by 1860, Christmas cards were being produced in masses. By the early 1900s, the tradition had spread over Europe and became extremely popular in Germany.
Charities used seals and stickers to seal the card envelopes as a way to raise money and make the cards more decorative. This tradition started in Denmark in the early 1900s, but soon spread all across Europe and to the USA.
Homemade Christmas cards were particularly popular in the 1910s-1920s, usually made with materials such as foil and ribbon. Today, the Christmas card comes in a wide variety of designs, from joke cards to Winter Wonderland scenes, and Santa Claus designs. Although physical Christmas cards are still common, digital e-cards have become much more popular because they allow people to send greetings with ease to and from anywhere in the world.
For all your Christmas accessories and decoration needs, visit our website at christmastimeuk.com.
