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The History
The tradition
of sending Christmas cards begun in 1843 – about the same
time as the first Christmas seal was published. The first Christmas
card was produced in England, and the idea was well-received, because
the following year, more than 25,000 Christmas cards were sold.
However, the first Christmas card provoked controversy in certain
circles in England, because the Christmas card pictured a company of
people touching glasses and saying “Merry
Christmas”. Putting alcohol and holy Christmas in one picture
did not please the English citizens then.
For more than
thirty years, Americans had to import greeting cards from England. In
1875, German immigrant to the U.S. Louis Prang, opened a lithographic
shop with $250, and published the first line of U.S. Christmas cards.
His initial creations featured birds and flowers, unrelated to the Xmas
scene. By 1881, Prang was producing more than 5 million Christmas cards
per year.
Today,
Christmas cards come in all shapes and sizes -- from small and simple
to big and colorful. The big American producer of Christmas cards,
Hallmark, employs a whole army of Christmas card designers who produce
new Christmas cards every season. The most popular cards are the old
fashioned and nostalgic ones with sledges and pixies, and a big, chubby
Santa Clause in a red and white coat.
Since the Internet became widespread in the middle of the
90’s, sending electronic Christmas cards became the trend.
Many
homepages offer easy-to-use digital cards which simple require the user
to write an email address, a traditional Christmas greeting wishing for
many nice Christmas presents, and finish by clicking
“send”. The card arrives in the
receiver’s inbox, and the old Christmas greeting tradition is
carried on albeit in a modern way.
It is quite
easy to make a personalized Christmas card. Here are a few ideas:
1.
Glue small fern leaves on a
piece of paperboard. Putting them together simulates the look of a
Christmas tree, especially if you add a small star sticker or cut-out
on the top. The trees can be decorated with small gift packages, i.e.
squares made of colored tape which you wrap with cross ribbons in
contrasting colors.
2.
Even if you are not good in
drawing, you can still create beautiful Christmas cards. Cut out
Christmas motifs from magazines, preferably colorful ones, and glue
them together on a piece of paper (e.g. in several layers). It sounds
simple, but you can really make very beautiful and creative cards in no
time.
Large
picture: Christmas cards
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Did
you know that…
In 2004, the German
post office gave away 20 million scented stickers for free to make
Christmas cards smell like a fir Christmas tree, cinnamon, gingerbread,
or a honey-wax candle.
A surge in Christmas
cards came in the 1940s, courtesy of World War II. Friends and family,
far away fighting, received cards with patriotic messages and symbols,
like Uncle Sam.
Many organizations
produce special Christmas cards as a fundraising tool. The most famous
of these enterprises is probably the UNICEF Christmas card program,
launched in 1949.
An average household
in America will mail out 28 Christmas cards each year and see 28 cards
arrive in their place.
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External
links:
101 CARDS & CHRISTMAS
GREETINGS: A selection of custom
printed and handcrafted Christmas Gift Cards and Greeting cards.
