By Hilda Zaiser – Winnipeg, Man.
Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a definite decline in the sending of Christmas cards. Many people have stopped sending cards altogether. Some prefer email. That’s understandable considering it’s a far quicker method of communication than ‘snail mail’.
One friend told me the money she saved by not sending cards was donated to a charity instead. What a smart idea!
I believe it was an Englishman by the name of Henry Cole who came up with the idea of Christmas cards in 1843. He felt it would save time to simply add a note to the greetings printed on the card, rather than writing long letters.
The idea of Christmas cards was slow to catch on. It may have been partly due to the fact that at that time, the postal service demanded that recipients of cards and letters pay the postage rather than the senders. Thankfully the practice eventually changed.
Some Victorians exchanged beautifully decorated gingerbread Christmas cards. What a tasty way to celebrate the season! It certainly gets my vote!
I’ve seen greeting cards from 1910-1912 that were in the style of postcards. They showed wonderful illustrations.
I hope the custom of exchanging Christmas cards never goes out of fashion. There are old friends that I hear from only at Christmas with a letter tucked into the card. Some of them I’ve known all my life. We were born in the same town and attended the same school. Others are coworkers of years past and we’ve never lost touch.
There are relatives, too, that I only hear from at Christmastime. Needless to say, all the cards are put on display during the holiday season. I glance at them now and then to refresh my memory as to who sent what card. It’s all part of keeping the Christmas spirit alive and well.
