A History of Christmas Cards

Discover the interesting history of Christmas cards, and how it spread to America to become a beloved holiday tradition.

by Esme Addison

There’s something special about opening your mailbox during the holiday season and finding a stack of Christmas cards waiting for you. Each one is a small gesture of connection, a reminder that someone took the time to think of you during the busiest time of year.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially since I launched Cozyville by Due South. Cozyville is an extension of Due South Magazine, the online space I created to celebrate Southern culture and cozy small-town living. It’s a thoughtfully designed brand that starts with greeting cards, each one rooted in something real and meaningful to me.

Each card collection is inspired by something deeply personal. A memory, a person, a moment that shaped me. I believed that if it mattered to me, it would matter to someone else too. Growing up, I watched my mother and grandmother at their writing desks each December, carefully selecting cards for everyone on their lists. They understood something I’m only now fully appreciating. A card is never just a card. It’s a deliberate act of care, a way of saying you matter to me. When I decided to create my own collection, I wanted to understand where this tradition came from and why it still holds so much power.

The First Christmas Card: A Victorian Innovation

The story of the Christmas card begins in Victorian England, a time when the postal service was becoming more accessible and affordable. In 1840, the introduction of the Penny Post made it possible for ordinary people to send letters without breaking the bank. This innovation set the stage for what would become a beloved holiday tradition.

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The very first commercial Christmas card was created in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole, a British civil servant who was also instrumental in establishing the Public Record Office. Cole was a busy man, and like many of us today, he found himself overwhelmed by the task of writing individual holiday letters to all his friends and acquaintances. His solution was both practical and creative: commission an artist to design a card that could be printed and sent to multiple people.

Cole enlisted the help of artist John Callcott Horsley, who created a triptych design featuring a family gathered around a table, raising glasses in a toast. The side panels depicted acts of charity, feeding the hungry and clothing the poor which reflected the Victorian emphasis on goodwill and benevolence during the Christmas season. The card bore the message “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.”

Here’s where it gets interesting. This first card sparked a bit of controversy. The central image showed adults and children, including a small child, drinking wine together, which some temperance advocates found objectionable. Despite the criticism, the concept caught on, and the Christmas card tradition was born.

Crossing The Atlantic

As with many British traditions, the Christmas card eventually made its way across the Atlantic to America. The first American-made Christmas cards appeared in the 1850s, but they didn’t gain widespread popularity until the 1870s. Louis Prang, a German immigrant and lithographer based in Boston, is often credited with popularizing Christmas cards in the United States.

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Prang’s cards were works of art, the kind of cards my grandmother would have treasured. They featured elaborate designs, vibrant colors, and high-quality printing that elevated them beyond simple greetings. He held annual competitions to find the best Christmas card designs, which helped transform the cards from utilitarian messages into collectible pieces of art. By the 1880s, Prang was producing millions of cards each year, and the tradition had firmly taken root in American culture.

The themes of early American Christmas cards were wonderfully diverse. While many featured religious imagery like nativity scenes and angels, others depicted winter landscapes, Santa Claus, holly, and other seasonal symbols. Some cards even featured humorous or whimsical designs that had little to do with Christmas itself, reflecting the Victorian love of novelty and charm.

The Golden Age of Christmas Cards

The late 19th and early 20th centuries are often considered the golden age of Christmas cards, and for good reason. During this time, cards became more elaborate and varied in style. Advances in printing technology allowed for greater detail and color, and card makers experimented with different formats, pop-up cards, cards with ribbons and lace, cards adorned with real pressed flowers. These are the kinds of cards you might find tucked away in an antique shop, still beautiful after more than a century.

The tradition of sending Christmas cards became deeply embedded in both British and American culture. For many families, addressing and mailing cards became an annual ritual, a way to maintain connections with distant relatives and friends. The cards themselves were often displayed in homes, hung on mantels or strung along walls, becoming part of the holiday decor. I love imagining Victorian parlors adorned with these beautiful greetings, much like we still do today.

During World War I and World War II, Christmas cards took on added significance. Soldiers sent cards home to their families, and families sent cards to troops overseas. These cards served as tangible reminders of love and connection during times of separation and uncertainty. Many wartime cards featured patriotic themes alongside traditional holiday imagery, reflecting the blending of national pride and holiday spirit. You can feel the weight of those messages, can’t you? The longing and hope pressed into paper.

The Modern Christmas Card

Today, Christmas cards come in countless styles, from traditional religious scenes to modern minimalist designs. The rise of photography in the mid-20th century introduced the photo card, which allowed families to share images of themselves along with their holiday greetings. This personal touch made cards even more meaningful, turning them into keepsakes that recipients could treasure for years.

The digital age has brought new challenges and opportunities to the Christmas card tradition. E-cards and digital greetings offer convenience and instant delivery, but many people still prefer the tangible experience of receiving a physical card in the mail. There’s something about holding a card in your hands, seeing the handwritten message inside, and knowing that someone took the time to select, address, and mail it that can’t be replicated digitally.

In recent years, there’s been a resurgence of interest in artisan and handmade cards. Small publishers and independent artists are creating cards with vintage-inspired designs, watercolor illustrations, and traditional themes that harken back to the golden age of Christmas cards. These cards appeal to those of us who appreciate craftsmanship and want our holiday greetings to stand out in a world of mass production. This is exactly what drew me to create Cozyville, the desire to make cards that feel intentional, that honor real stories and real people.

A Southern Tradition

In the South, the tradition of sending Christmas cards holds a special place in holiday customs. Southern hospitality extends to the mailbox, with many families taking great care in selecting cards that reflect their values and aesthetic. The cards are often displayed prominently in homes, arranged on mantels, tucked into mirror frames, or hung on ribbons as part of the holiday decor.

For many Southern families, the Christmas card list is a cherished document, passed down through generations and carefully updated each year. My grandmother kept hers in a small leather address book, with careful notations about who had moved, who had married, who had welcomed new babies. Receiving a card is more than just a greeting, it’s an affirmation of relationship, a thread that connects families and friends across distance and time.

Why I Create the Cards I Do

Every collection I’ve created starts with a real moment, a real person, a real memory that mattered to me. The Heartland Christmas Card Collection honors the men in my life, my father, who passed away two years ago, my brother, uncles, and cousins, my children’s father. Men who’ve served, who value what’s true and lasting. I couldn’t find cards that spoke to them the way I wanted, so I made them.

Like the A Polish Christmas Card Collection, which was inspired by time spent with my in-laws, from watching stork nests perch on poles in the countryside, from learning about the history of the bison in Białowieża National Park. Those moments deserved to live on paper.

The O Christmas Tree Card Collection celebrates the women who make the holidays real, who plan, prepare, coordinate, and bring the magic to life. My mother. Me. So many of us.

I create the cards I wish I could find. Each one is left blank inside because the real message, the one that matters, comes from you.

The Enduring Appeal

As we look back on the history of Christmas cards, it’s clear that this tradition has endured because it meets a fundamental human need: the desire to connect with others and express care. In our fast-paced, digital world, the act of sending a physical card is a deliberate choice, a way of saying that someone matters enough to warrant the time and effort.

Whether you prefer classic religious imagery, whimsical winter scenes, or modern photo cards, the Christmas card tradition continues to evolve while maintaining its essential purpose. Each card that arrives in your mailbox carries with it not just holiday wishes, but a piece of history, a connection to the Victorian innovators who started it all, and to all the people who have kept the tradition alive through the years.

So this holiday season, when you sit down to address your cards, remember that you’re participating in a tradition that spans nearly two centuries. You’re part of a story that began with a busy Victorian gentleman looking for an easier way to send holiday greetings, and continues today in mailboxes across the world. And maybe, like me, you’ll find yourself thinking about your own mother or grandmother, and the way they taught you that some traditions are worth keeping, not because they’re easy, but because they’re beautiful.