As Christmas is fast approaching, I thought it would be a great idea to share how the Christmas card got started.

So get all cozy, and let’s begin.

The story of the Christmas card all began with a man by the name of Sir Henry Cole. He was better known and remembered for being the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum. However, he also enthusiastically supported a new expansion of the postal system called the “Penny post.” Before this system, only the wealthy could afford to send mail by post. With this system, more people could send and receive cards.
While being adamantly supporting this new postal system, Sir Henry Cole ran into some problems. He was a busy man. He fretted what he would do when his pile of mail grew higher and higher. In Victorian England, it was considered impolite to let mail go unanswered.
However, one day, Sir Henry Cole found an idea. He quickly got in touch with John Horsley, an artistic friend of his and designed what would be the first Christmas Card. The card had a triptych showing a family at a table celebrating the holiday flanked by images of people helping the poor. The image was printed on a piece of stiff cardboard 51/8 x 31/4 inches in size. At the top of each was a salutation “To______” allowing Cole to personalize his responses which included he generic greeting “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”
Thus, this was the very first Christmas Card. Now it took decades for it to catch on elsewhere in Great Britain and in the United States. But nowadays, it is the staple of the holidays, allowing families to show their greetings, affections, and to keep family ties strong.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and see you soon,
Alyssa