Since the advent of e-mail, the sending of cards and letters has taken a nosedive. However, the long-standing tradition of the Christmas card still seems to be holding strong.  In case you didn’t know it the custom began in England in 1843. Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant, got together with friend and artist John Horsley to design the first card. Only about 1000 of the cards were sold, and today the surviving copies fetch a pretty penny.

As printing methods improved, Christmas cards became much more popular, and many well-known book illustrators began designing the cards. Not long after the trend took off in Europe, the populace of the United States joined in the tradition.  In 1915, one of the biggest card makers Hallmark Cards was born.

Today, during the holiday season just about everybody sells Christmas Cards. I’ve been in car washes and discovered a rack of car wash-themed cards, and just last week we were in Pet SuperMarket and spotted some of the funniest seasonal cards.

This holiday season brush-up on your penmanship, and address, sign, and send out just a few cards to close friends, or maybe someone you haven’t talked to in a long time. You will be amazed at the power that one single gesture can have.

 

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