It’s ironic to think that the first printed Christmas card, sent more than 150 years ago, was actually an effort to save time. I, for one, tend to consume time with my yearly cards -- searching for the right paper stock, getting a picture of the children, deciding on a message.
But in 1843, when correspondence (including Christmas greetings) was completely handwritten, London’s Sir Henry Cole, who oversaw the inauguration of what later became the Victoria and Albert Museum, became overwhelmed with the large number of holiday wishes he felt obligated to send, so he commissioned a printed card. The main image was of a family shown embracing one another, sipping wine, and enjoying the festivities with a message that read: “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.”
I took an unofficial poll among friends, and the results revealed that receiving holiday cards is, by far, a favorite tradition of the season. It is, perhaps, number one for me. Last year, my favorite card was a tasteful white foldover one into which the sender inserted a holiday CD. Inside, each song’s name was letterpressed in red. I played Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby well into the New Year.
Of course, I always rush to the mailbox for those cards with pictures of our friends’ children, who at this stage in our lives are precious little ones missing two front teeth, though I’m sure we’ll watch them grow into gangly teenagers and on into young adulthood, whether seeing them on a daily basis or only in the yearly cards. And it’s nice to receive a few of the newsletter types. They often get a bad rap for being a little boastful, but they do keep me informed.
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