Christmas Cards
Christmas Cards
Ever since Sir Henry Cole commissioned John Calcott Horsley in 1843 to create some Christmas cards because he was too busy to write to his friends like he usually did during this holiday, they have been a popular way for people to send Christmas greetings to friends and relatives and your loved ones. No one truly expected these cards, printed first in black and white, and later colored by hand, to become a lasting tradition. However, once the printer sold off the leftover cards from the original 1000 cards that he printed for “Old King Cole, ” we have never looked back.
Following the popularity of this new way of keeping in touch at Christmas and sending greetings to loved ones, creating Christmas cards became a big industry. It also offered many new opportunities for artists to create beautiful and delicate works of Nativity and Yuletide themed art to be reproduced on cards that would be shared with many people. These artists would be paid and their art would be seen.
Over the years, the types of greetings have changed. The choices include serious, religious, merry, along with specialty cards for husbands, wives, grandparents, children, other relatives and lovers and basically any one else you can think of including work colleagues. For most of the Victorian era and the early twentieth century, choosing Yuletide cards was one of the favorite activities in preparation for the festive season. Gift cards also became quite popular because they easily provided a simple way to give the gift of money to friends and relatives who lived far away, or were just difficult to shop for.
A whole industry now revolves around Christmas cards and there has been many crafts and decorating ideas formed.. Many mothers, grandmothers and daughters used these cards after Xmas to string together and make decorative baskets. During the twelve days of Christmas, each eagerly anticipated card was immediately taped or tacked to a wall to frame a doorway, or strung across a mantelpiece. The cards were also saved so that bthey could be made into tags to put on next year’s gifts.
As with many other things, the introduction to personal computers and printers changed things regarding Christmas cards. Now everyone who owns, or has access to, a computer and a printer can design their own fantastic Christmas cards. There are even software programs that you can buy to do it for you. With this software, all you fully need is the proper cardstock, a printer complete with color ink. a little time and effort, and these cards can be quite beautiful and meaningful creations that come straight from your heart.
Another way that computers own changed the system of sending Yule cards is through the advent of ecards, or egreetings. Some very nice free ones are stratigically placed all over the internet. You can also view some pay websites with higher end special egreetings. All of these sites allow you to add your own personal message as well as music. The really nice thing is that you save on postage and send as many of these as you need to for free once you have subscribed.
No matter what type of Christmas cards that you choose to send, they will never go be wasted and will always remain part of the time honoured tradition that was started so many years ago. People love sending them, and it is a heart felt joy to receive them.
It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can (Charles Dickens)
