Christmas Cards and Our Ancestors

"Firstchristmascard". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

​After a marathon writing session, I mailed off my Christmas cards and letters to friends and family. Yes, I know it is early, but I find me focus on other holiday activities, plus enjoying the Christmas greetings from others. I was thinking about our ancestors and when Christmas cards came into vogue. Let’s look.

​As I began my research, I suspected that Christmas cards are relatively new, perhaps in the last 100 years or so. Well, the answer was quite so start forward, according to this article, people used “Merry Christmas” in a letter as early as 1534! Who knew?  Christmas cards as we know them today was started in the United Kingdom by Sir Henry Cole in 1843. He was a government employee and involved in the postal service. Sir Henry was looking for a way to have more ordinary people use the service.
 
Over time printers made these cards less expensive and more available. According to Wikipedia (Christmas card - Wikipedia), “a Christmas card  is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season.”
 
I don’t think that my Grandparents sent Christmas cards until later years. There were some Christmas postcards from close family sent to my Great grandparents. I’m sure my ancestors from Luxembourg, Ireland and Germany in the 18th and 19th centuries didn’t send Christmas cards. Some may not have been able to read or write, others might not have had the funds to spend. I hadn’t really thought of this until I did this research.  What about your ancestors? Do you have old Christmas cards from them? Perhaps their world was smaller with their relatives and friends contained in their small village where they would pass on Christmas greetings in person.
 
For those who don’t celebrate Christmas, think about your family traditions. Are there activities that are common today that your ancestors would not have done? I hope this has given you something to think about as your write your family stories. These little nuggets give us a better understanding of our family, ancestors, and traditions. Ask your family this Christmas about Christmas cards. You might learn something unexpected.  Happy Researching!