Cards at Christmas time

Christmas is always a special time of the year, it is a time to send wishes and greetings to family, friends and acquantinces.

Sending Christmas greetings started in the UK, in 1843 during Victorian times by Henry Cole, who with a friend who was an artist, started designing cards and selling them for one shilling, which back then was not cheap. This is when the first commercial christmas cards appeared. And, it only costs one penny to post. So, the sending of cards was definitely for the more affluent in society.

Sending a Chrismas card was a way of sending an emotional touch to the recipient and this in turn generated positive feelings from the receiver of the card. And, of course, centuries ago, snail mail was the main method of communicating with family and friends that were miles apart. Receiving a Christmas card with a beautiful illustration on it was really something special.

In 2021 we have greeting cards that cover all religions over the Christmas festive season. After all, it is a special holiday season for millions of people. There are cards dedicated to wives, husbands, children and other family members to give at Christmas.

Over time, in countries all over the world, special things that are around or occur during the christmas period started to feature on greeting cards and became symbols of the festive season. A snowman in the USA, a red robin in the UK and a surfing kangaroo with a Santa hat in Australia. In the northern hemisphere, christmas greeting cards feature winter pictures and scenes, while in the southern hemisphere cards a dominated by summery images. The pictures are an illustration of how different countries celebrate the holiday season. Also, still popular are religious cards depicting the season. Did you know that holy symbolises chastity. And, let’s not get the nativity scene which often features the Star of Bethlehem, reminding us of what the season is all about and why we are celebrating it.

Many years ago when Christmas cards were starting to be mass produced, there was not a great deal of variety in the illustrations on the cards, so it was not unusual to receive a few cards that were the same from different people. Sending cards grew in popularity during WW1 as a way to let soldiers know that the families had not forgotten them at that time of the year.

Nowadays we are spoilt with choice when it comes to images and types of Christmas cards. We have funny cards, cards with beautiful photos and illustrations, handmade cards for that extra special touch and eCards (for those who are running late). There are cards with sentiments for every member of the family available, such as a sister or brother, mother or father, to make them feel extra special in that you have picked a Christmas card especially for them.

A popular theme for cards is to use a family photo with a greeting for the season. A perfect way to give those who don’t get to see you on a regular basis, an update on how the kids or furr babies have grown in the previous 12 months.  Over the years, the themes on the holiday season have changed.  Looking back at cards from last century, the colours will dull and some of the scenes appear to be rather somber.

The cost of cards for the festive season has always depended on how they were produced. You will spend less money on a mass produced card in comparison to a card that has been handmade and is unique. Plus, you can also add a personal message with your cards through Handpress Cards, just to make it that little bit more personal.

Moving on from cards, many postal organisations in countries all over the world saw an opportunity and now produce stamps depicting scenes relating to the holidays. Charities also saw an opportunity and started producing greeting cards for the season to raise funds and their cards often have a hand drawn illustration done by an artist.

It is always a joy to open a card from someone who you may not have spoken to in a while and to realise that they were thinking about you while they organised the card to send to you. Sending a Merry Christmas card is the perfect way to put a smile on someone’s face. December is really the most wonderful time of the year.