Christmas Cards

Just like other features that have been fierecely associated with the celebration of modern Christmas, Christmas cards are another aspect that is religiously followed by people enjoying this festive occasion. Apart from proving to be a very comfortable medium for expressing your good wishes, Chriastmas cards rekindle your imagination by creating a personalized holiday card for friends and family.

The wide range of Christmas cards can vary from a hand made paper greeting cards, to the designer ones that cost you a heaven. The recent development in the usage of internet has given a chance for techno-savvies to send their merry Christmas wishes through e-cards. This also lets you create Christmas cards that include music, your own messages, and animation to delight and entertain your recipients.

The First Christmas Cards

In 1843 the first Christmas cards were printed in England. But the greeting card business did not establish itself until about 20 years later. The Christmas card was lithographed on stiff cardboard, 5 1/8 by 3 1/4 inches, in dark sepia, and shows a family party in progress, beneath which is the greeting, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You". It also states that is was "Published at Summerly's Home Treasury Office, 12 Old Bond Street, London". The price was 1s. each.

The first so called Christmas cards were mass produced in 1860 by Charles Goodall & Son. They had the size of a visiting card, about 3 by 2 inches. As it was customary in those days to leave a visiting card when calling at somebody's house. These Christmas and New Year's cards were the forerunners of greeting cards.

The Evolution of Christmas Cards

In the late 19th century, cards were lavish, but didn't have the religious symbols present on either the original cards or the cards of today. Hand-painted cards, heavily influenced by the Art Deco movement were popular during the 1920s. The 1930s brought cards that popularized the animated films characters like Popeye and Mickey Mouse. A surge in Christmas cards came in the 1940s, new technology allowing for more vivid cards. The 1950s introduced humor. Santa was pictured as a couch potato watching television on one card. Untraditional cards took center stage in the 1960s, as Santa was poked fun at and peace symbols appeared on many cards. New inventions allowed cards to feature embossing and gold foil.

The 1970s had an athletic Santa to reflect the public's physical fitness obsession. Sophistication was big in the 1980's. The cards took on the appearance of fine art as technology improved. As the public continued its thinness craze, pictures on cards showed a thinner Santa. Traditionalism came back, to some extent, in the 1990s. Cards featured snow- covered landscapes, wreaths and Christmas trees. The year 2000 relied on technology. Many card buyers used the Internet to order and send their Christmas cards, preventing the need to personally touch an envelope. However, those into tradition could still buy and mail their own cards.

Links

Free E-Cards Online Virtual Christmas Cards - Free christmas cards that are fun (and easy) to send. Nice verses and accompanying music.

Free HiGreetings.com - Send everyone you know our free ecards and make their days all the more merrier.

Free Greetingcards.com - All Free Christmas Cards to be sent to others over the net.

Free eCards,Greeting Cards - Send these Free Love Greetings, Birthday Ecards, Friendship Ecards, Flowers & Gift Cards , Wedding, lovely ecards to your near and dear ones.

Christmas Greetings From Ecard4all- Christmas is all about togetherness, love, and sharing and giving cakes, gifts. Sent Free ecards to anyone.

MVS Business Christmas Cards & Corporate Holiday Cards- Impress your clients with our Season's Greeting Cards! Send your friends more than a Holiday Card, send an original and exclusive artwork by Marie Versailles.