Christmas Cards

 Christmas Cards with personal photos sent in the 1990s

Billions of Christmas cards are exchanged every December. I am grateful that I receive close to 60 cards, most of them with a religious theme. When I send cards myself, I have  the custom of making my own cards with a different photo every year. Above you will see a collection of various cards I used over the years. In this digital age, people are sending less Christmas cards, but opt for the electronic cards, which are cleverly done, and meaningful nonetheless. 

First Christmas card ever designed by John Callcott Horsley in 1843

The first Christmas card was sent in 1843 from England, and I share it here with readers and visitors of this blog. Over 2050 copies were printed that first year, for the cost of a shilling each, maybe valued at 25 cents. Original cards were designed and sent as postcards, but by 1920, most cards were sent in an envelope. A United Kingdom auction in 2001 fetched a record breaking £22,250 for this first original card!