Don’t you just love the Christmas season? The mood is so festive. The streets are filled with colorful lights, houses are beautifully decorated and there are lots of foods and drinks. Of course, you get to buy various items at discounted prices. This festive mood against the cold season makes Christmas one of the most anticipated holidays in the world.

There are so many activities during the season. Family members come together to decorate their Christmas tree. There are several parties to attend to. You go shopping for gifts and feel the excitement of wrapping them yourself. There is also that anticipation of what gifts you are going to receive. And, who can forget about sending out cards, especially to your friends and loved ones who are in far places. Just like gifts, you can put your personal style to your cards. It would be even more rewarding if you can find time to make them and compose the thoughtful messages yourself. But, did you know that the first commercial Christmas card was first made because one person did not have enough time to write all of his friends and professional acquaintances to wish them a merry Christmas?

It happened in the year 1843, when John Callcott Horsley, a British narrative painter and a Royal Academician, was commissioned by a wealthy British businessman to make a Christmas card that the latter can send to his friends and professional acquaintances. This businessman was Sir Henry Cole, who also happened to be the first director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The card showed a picture of a family with a small child drinking wine together. A thousand copies were printed, which was sold for one shilling each.

Sending out Christmas cards was thought to be a vogue, but apparently, it isn’t. Let us take the number of cards that Americans send every year as an example. Figures show that at present, almost 4 billion cards are sent every year. This can be equated to an average of twenty cards per person.

Christmas cards come in different styles and themes. During the Victorian era, the most popular Christmas card is the ‘trick card.’ It had been called as such because of the element of surprise that went with it. The surprise would come to you when you turn a page or pull a string. Moreover, they are usually very elaborate. They are adorned with layers of lace, ribbons, satin, and dried flowers, among others.

As Christmas is supposed to be a religious celebration, cards showing the nativity scene or a picture of the holy family are always there. There are also pictures associated with Christmas such as Christmas trees, toys, and Father Christmas or Santa Claus. Humorous cards have also become popular.

With the power of the Internet, e-cards have also become popular. They are much like those traditional cards, only that you cannot put e-cards in your shoebox of cards you receive every Christmas (unless you print your e-cards out). We love receiving cards because they have something so human about them. The thoughtful messages they enclose just never fail to touch the heart. They are messages that we love reading again once in a while. Although not expensive, cards are sometimes valued more than those nicely-wrapped, big boxes of presents. And, don’t we tend to resort to buying cards when we just do not know what material things we are going to give to our loved ones for Christmas?

Christmas, no doubt, is one of the most awaited holidays every year. It is one of the best times to show our love and thanks to our family and friends by giving them gifts, cards, and more importantly, our time.