A Lovely Tradition

Besides decorations, gifts, and other festive fanfare associated with various special occasions, the exchanging of holiday-specific greeting cards is a long favored tradition. A personalized card adds to festivities, and makes the participant feel extra special. Birthday cards single out the honorary guest at a birthday party, providing a keepsake to enjoy long after the last piece of cake has been eaten, or last colorful balloon popped. Whether the message speaks of love, or is cheery or funny, a birthday card to accompany a gift is a must! It isn't just individuals who enjoy the custom of card giving.

As a way of tapping into the holiday spirit or letting a newly-acquired client feel appreciated, companies send business cards with warm holiday greetings or an appreciative "thank you for selecting our service" message. Though the assortment of greeting cards available present day has grown to include every situation imaginable - graduation prose, congrats on the new job, sorry you have a cold, and thank you for being my friend, are but a few - the art of exchanging cards is nothing new. The custom of leaving a calling card while dropping in on acquaintances, for instance, began in the late 1700s. The cards were discretely presented to the mister or mistress of the house on a silver platter. Would they or would they not welcome the visitor inside; or would an appointment be required for a later date?

The History of Holiday Cards

The Holiday card enjoys an even greater history. Exchanging a greeting card at New Year's can be dated back to the 1400s, centuries before printed cards were commercially produced. And Christmas cards with artwork fit to hang on the walls of a home were a German tradition called "Andachtsbilder." These cards were usually decorated with a scroll; the Christ Child bearing the inscription, "A good and blessed year." Of course, this was all long before cards were mass produced, packed in boxes, and made available for purchase. It wasn't until the 1700s that cards began being printed with the idea of distributing them as holiday cards Eighteenth century students crafted handmade cards out of sheets of paper with engraved borders. Personalized messages completed the fun school project, and cards were brought home as a type of "rank card." Parents and relatives enjoyed the cards, and were able to see how penmanship had improved each year. Within time, color was added to the engraved borders of the paper, making the handcrafted cards even more colorful and festive. It wasn't long before Christmas cards evolved. By the middle 1800s the giving of cards at Christmas time was as popular and as much a "sacred" part of holiday tradition as the decorated tree in the front room, and ball of mistletoe over the doorway. Only with the raise in postage did the practice start to wane. However, sending a card at Christmas time, or any other special time of the year, remains a popular and much appreciated way to show someone else how special they are, and how much you care.

Other Interesting Card-giving Facts

Valentines is a favored time to send love cards. This tradition, too, had early roots. After Charles, Duke of Orleans was imprisoned in the London Tower in 1415; this romantic gentleman took to sending pictures with heart-felt verse to his wife in France. One "card" depicted a knight, a lady; a nearby cupid had an arrow aimed at the knight's heart. This romantic endeavor did not go unappreciated by his wife, or unnoticed by the public. Within a century the giving of Valentine cards was a popular way for lovers, lovers-to-be, and wanna-be-lovers, to express their adoration and longing for that special someone. Of course, it wasn't long before other holidays also became popular times to exchange a greeting card, with Easter and Thanksgiving in the forefront. The Victorians collected cards made of lace, feathers, beads, and sequins to add to their parlor albums. By the 1870s they had become so popular that "trade cards" were manufactured. Packaged items such as soap, tobacco, certain foods, and tea included a free trade card with each purchase.

The Tradition Continues

With the invention of quality lithography, cards began to be manufactured large scale world-wide. Elaborate artwork and photos combined with verse were custom-made for a variety of purposes. Cards were strung along walls and stacked on fireplace mantles at Christmas, wedding and birthday cards were kept in scrapbooks and photo albums, and "welcome home from the hospital" cards taped in "Baby's First Book." Today this long-time tradition of exchanging greeting cards continues to warm the heart and bring a smile to face of each recipient who opens their mailbox to find a gaily-colored envelope addressed to them. Long live the art and tradition of card-giving!