Christmas card facts for kids
A Christmas card is a special greeting card that people send to each other during the Christmas and holiday season. It's a way to share happy feelings and good wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Many people, including some who don't celebrate Christmas, exchange these cards in the weeks before Christmas Day.
A common message on a Christmas card is "Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." But there are many other greetings! Some cards have religious messages, poems, song lyrics, or Bible verses. Others focus on the general holiday season with a message like "Season's Greetings." The very first modern Christmas card was designed by John Calcott Horsley.
Most Christmas cards are bought from stores. Their designs can show scenes from the Nativity of Jesus, like the birth of Jesus, or Christian symbols such as the Star of Bethlehem or a white dove (which represents peace). Many cards also feature fun Christmas traditions. You might see Santa Claus, snowmen, reindeer, or items like candles, holly, and Christmas trees. Some cards show people enjoying winter activities like caroling or scenes of snowy landscapes. Others are funny, especially those showing Santa and his elves getting into mischief!
Contents
Discover Christmas Cards
The History of Christmas Cards
The idea of sending a Christmas card is quite old! The first known Christmas card was sent in 1611 by Michael Maier to James I of England and his son, Henry Frederick. This card was handmade and had a special design, wishing them a joyful celebration and a happy new year.
The First Commercial Cards
The first Christmas card made for sale was created in London in 1843. Sir Henry Cole asked artist John Callcott Horsley to design it. The card showed a family toasting the recipient, with scenes of people helping the poor on the sides. About 2,050 of these cards were printed and sold that year. This was a clever idea because Henry Cole had helped start the Penny Post postal service a few years earlier, making it easier to send mail.
Early British Christmas cards often featured flowers, fairies, or funny pictures of children and animals. They didn't always show winter or religious scenes.
Cards Become Popular in America
In 1873, a company called Prang and Mayer started making greeting cards for people in Britain. Then, in 1874, they began selling Christmas cards in America. The owner, Louis Prang, is sometimes called the "father of the American Christmas card." He used a special printing method called chromolithography to make millions of colorful cards each year.
Over time, simpler postcards became popular, and the fancy Victorian-style cards faded for a while. But by the 1920s, cards with envelopes made a comeback. Today, you can still find reproductions of these beautiful old cards.
Modern Christmas Card Trends
Throughout the 1900s, making Christmas cards was a big business. Designs changed with new tastes and printing methods. Hallmark Cards, a well-known brand, started in 1913. The company grew quickly, especially during World War I when many people wanted to send cards to soldiers. During the World Wars, cards often had patriotic themes.
In recent years, technology has changed how we send greetings. Many people now use email or phones to connect. However, millions of physical Christmas cards are still sent every year. Some card companies even offer E-cards, which are digital cards sent online. In countries that are not very religious, people sometimes send "New Year Cards" instead, focusing more on the New Year than on Christmas symbols.
Special Kinds of Christmas Cards
Cards from Leaders and Royalty
"Official" Christmas cards began with Queen Victoria in the 1840s. The British royal family often sends cards with portraits that show important family events from the year.
In the United States, it's a long-standing tradition for the President and First Lady to send White House Christmas Cards. President Calvin Coolidge sent the first written holiday message in 1927. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the first to use a card format similar to what we see today. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House Card. These cards often show scenes of the White House created by famous American artists. The number of cards sent has grown a lot, from 2,000 in 1961 to 1.4 million in 2005!
Business Christmas Cards
Many businesses, from small shops to large companies, send Christmas cards to their customers. This helps them build good relationships, remind people of their brand, and stay connected. These cards are usually simple and don't try to sell products. They just wish people happy holidays and mention the business name.
Cards That Help Charities
Many organizations create special Christmas cards to raise money for good causes. One of the most famous is the UNICEF Christmas card program, which started in 1949. They use artwork from artists around the world for their cards. The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) produced the first charity Christmas card in 1898, selling 4,500 that year.
More About Christmas Cards
Christmas Stamps and Stickers
Many countries create special Christmas stamps for the holiday season. These stamps are often colorful and show Christmas traditions or Nativity scenes. Small decorative stickers are also made to seal envelopes, often featuring a Christmas symbol. In 2004, the German post office even gave away scented stickers that made Christmas cards smell like a fir tree, cinnamon, or gingerbread!
Collecting Christmas Cards
From the very beginning, people have loved collecting Christmas cards. Queen Mary had a huge collection that is now in the British Museum. Cards from the "golden age" of printing (1840s–1890s) are especially valuable. In 2005, one of John Callcott Horsley's original cards sold for almost £9,000! The most expensive Christmas card ever sold was another one of Horsley's 1843 cards, which went for £22,250 in 2001.
Making Your Own Christmas Cards
Since the 1800s, many families and individuals have enjoyed making their own Christmas cards. They might do this to save money, to be artistic, or to add a personal touch. Making cards can be a fun family activity during the holiday season. People use all sorts of materials, from paints and crayons to collage and simple printing techniques.
Today, with digital photography and home printers, it's easy to design and print your own cards. You can use your own photos, drawings, or images found online. These homemade cards often include personal touches like family pictures or holiday snapshots.
Sending and Receiving Cards
Your Christmas Card List
Many people send cards to both close friends and distant relatives. This can sometimes take a lot of time, as you might address dozens or even hundreds of envelopes! The message inside can be short and sweet, or it might include a summary of what happened in your life that year.
Because cards are often exchanged year after year, the phrase "to be off someone's Christmas card list" means that friends have had a disagreement or fallen out.
Christmas Letters: Sharing Your Year
Some people use their annual card mailing as a chance to share all the news from their year. They include a "Christmas letter" that talks about what their family has been doing. In the UK, these are called round-robin letters. Some people enjoy reading these letters to "catch up" with friends and family they don't see often. Others might find them a bit long or too much like bragging.
Caring for the Environment
In the 1800s, it was common for women's groups to collect and recycle Christmas cards. They would cut out the pictures and paste them into scrapbooks for children in hospitals or orphanages.
Today, people are more aware of how printing and mailing cards can affect the environment. This has led to more interest in e-cards, which are digital and don't use paper.
The U.K. charity Woodland Trust has an annual campaign to collect and recycle Christmas cards. This helps raise money to plant more trees. In the 12 years the scheme has run, over 600 million cards have been recycled. This has helped plant more than 141,000 trees and saved a lot of paper from landfills!
Images for kids
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Christmas card made on a PC
- Christmas postcards
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American card, c. 1940
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War-related, c. 1943
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Rust Craft, c. 1950
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Snow in the Netherlands
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Christmas card
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Christmas card Frances Brundage
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Merry Christmas card
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Christmas card
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Christmas tree market
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Christmas card with embroidery
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Christmas card
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Santa Claus clothes
See also
In Spanish: Tarjeta navideña para niños
