The History of the Christmas Card

A Christmas card is more than just a greeting card, it conveys the message that you care about the recipient and that you remember them during the holiday season. So a personalized Christmas card is a great way for you somehow say it in a manner that is both personal and warm. But did you know that the practice of sending out holiday cards is actually a very old tradition? It has been practiced for more than 150 years. The practice of sending out a holiday card came from England.

How did it start?

And you thought you were always busy! British civil servant Henry Cole found himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of Christmas greetings he had to send. Sir Henry was the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum and had so many friends, acquaintances and colleagues that he found it impossible to write the greetings by hand.

He asked John Calcott Horsley to design the first commercial Christmas card. It depicted a family drinking wine, a panel showing clothing and feeding the poor and the simple message: "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You"

Each card sold for a shilling, but the tradition stayed on. Soon Christmas cards depicting fairies, flowers and fancy designs cropped up

It took 30 years to come to America

The tradition came to the U.S. over 30 years after, when Louis Prang opened a new lithographic shop and churned out the first U.S. Christmas cards. They depicted birds and flowers. Soon, however, Christmas scenes became a favorite illustrations on cards, as well as cards depicting the signs of the times. During the World Wars, Christmas cards had a more patriotic design, while risquè graphics were prevalent in the 1950s.

It has since been a steady climb for Christmas cards the world over. The holiday card industry has always been very lucrative, with an impressive 1.3 billion cards sent in 2020 in the U.S. alone.