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The 1st Xmas card is usually credited to Henry Cole, director of the V&A and a civil servant involved in the postal service. His 1843 card was sold for a shilling & was supposed to save Cole time answering letters. #househistoryhour
But actually the @BNA turns up earlier hits for Christmas cards. Here’s a reference to them being sold in 1829. They were probably an evolution of the earlier fashion for Valentine Cards rather than Mr Cole’s idea. #househistoryhour
Most Victorian Christmas cards were quite quirky and celebrations of a social festival rather than a religious one. They were usually bought separately rather than in packs and chosen for specific individuals. Some had ribbons or lace & were little gifts in themselves.
Nostalgic cards set in the past were common too. Indeed the whole Victorian love of Xmas owed much to how it signaled simpler times, free from class conflict & urban & industrial despoliation. As Dickens’ Christmas Carol showed, Xmas was reminder of what had been & what might be
Growing concerns about commercialism meant religious and charity cards like this one 1st became popular in the 50s. Before that Christian cards were relatively rare. Another complaint was cards arrived too early, especially after 1961 when Xmas Day deliveries came to an end.
Postwar affluence enabled people to buy/send more. Boxes became common; the personal touch of choosing a card for an individual was lost. Some even printed their message. Obligation & habit seemed to be replacing thought. Homemade cards tried to recapture what was lost!
By 2000 email meant cards might not even be physical things anymore. Not helped by rising postal costs, sales of Christmas cards fell in the 2010s. Social media lessened the need to keep in touch via a card. Like Xmas pudding an old tradition is clearly is in decline.
