Posted on December 9, 2021
Key points
Christmas cards are some of the earliest and most popular greeting cards in the world – but like all other forms of paper-and-postage, they have dipped a little bit in numbers. However, the chance to send photo greetings and do once-a-year catch-up with far-flung friends and family hasn’t slipped in popularity as much as other forms of mail have.
The first Christmas cards may be those created by Brits Sir Henry Cole and John Horsely, in 1843. They deliberately created and promoted Christmas cards in order to encourage people to use the new postal delivery system.
In 1875 German printer Louis Prang started mass-producing Christmas cards, which brought the prices down. They started getting more popular in the U.S. and elsewhere.
When the Hall brothers started the Hallmark Company, in the early 1900s, the practice of sending Christmas cards really took off.
Nowadays, Americans buy around 1.6 billion Christmas cards per year – making Christmas the largest card-sending holiday in the U.S. Personalized holiday cards featuring family photos are among the most popular types of season’s greetings.
And some of the family photo cards are deliberately funny.
Also on this date:
Weary Willie Day
Birthday of consumer advocate and labor organizer Esther Peterson
Anniversary of the first African American governor taking office
International Anti-Corruption Day
Plan ahead:
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Historical anniversaries in December
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January birthdays
