Englishman Henry Cole gave birth to the idea of
Christmas cards in 1843. Since he was too busy to write a personal
holiday greeting, Cole hired well-known London artist John Calcott
Horsley to design a card he could send to all his acquaintances.
The cards made use of the religious symbolism of
Christmas. Panels depicted the virtues of feeding
the poor and clothing the naked.
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Horsley also painted sprigs of holly, the symbol
of chastity and ivy, symbolic of a place where God has walked,
throughout the design.
Still, the card was criticized by temperance
groups because it pictured a family with wine glasses raised in a
toast.
Many believe the controversy aided the
popularization of the Christmas card-sending tradition. Over the
years, Christmas cards have reflected the traditions and trends of
society.
In the late 19th century, cards were often
elaborately designed but lacking in most of the religious symbolism
that is common on many of today?s cards. After the turn of
the century, the card market was flooded with inexpensive European
postcards that were popular for more than a decade.
In the 1920s, early Hallmark Christmas cards were
often hand-painted and the art deco influence of the decade was
evident in the more stylized cards.
The custom of exchanging Christmas cards with
faraway friends and relatives was boosted during the war years of
the 1940s. Messages like ?Missing You? and
?Across the Miles? were created especially for
loved ones serving overseas. The cards of this decade also reflect
advances in printing technology, such as the use of four-color
printing.
Christmas cards turned modern in the 1950s with
more varied artwork, colours and themes. Some cards echoed the
language and style of the jazzy beat generation. An early
Contemporary card showed Santa with Cold War jitters as nuclear
missiles loomed over his head. The message read ?Peace on
Earth.? Another card showed Santa relaxing in his easy
chair watching television. Humour had been used in a limited
fashion on Christmas cards of previous decades, but the 1950s
established humor as a specific category.
Day-glow poster art and the psychedelic colours
that were so popular in the 1960s spawned many Christmas cards with
decidedly untraditional colours. Peace cards were popular.
Cards of the early 1970s celebrated achievements
in space. The so-called ?me generation? and its
interest in physical fitness spawned a new line of Sporting Santa
cards.
A maturing, less child -oriented society created
an interest in more stylish and sophisticated Christmas card art in
the 1980s. And as the public slimmed down during the health craze,
so did Santa. In a shift from previous decades, the jolly old St.
Nick portrayed on cards of this decade is visibly thinner.
The me decade gave way to the we decade of the
1990s, bringing a renewed interest in family and home life.
Christmas cards reflected this new traditionalism with
old-fashioned trees, wreaths, snow-covered landscapes and other
traditional design elements. There also were twists, such as
environmental designs and messages.
With the capabilities of technology and the
Internet, and diverse makeup of the population, Christmas cards
have metamorphosed once again. Much as Henry Cole wanted to
simplify his Christmas communication, so do modern-day consumers.
Hallmark recognized this need and combined the two needs into one,
offering electronic Christmas greetings and the ability to order
and send paper Christmas cards online, as well as the traditional
holiday greetings.
This article was supplied by Hallmark Cards.
