Christmas Card Day Date in the current year: December 9, 2024

The tradition of exchanging greeting cards during the winter holiday season is popular in many Western countries, as well as in Asia. The first known Christmas card was sent in 1611 by German physician Michael Maier to King James I of England and his son Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. It was, of course, handmade.

The person credited with designing the first commercially available Christmas card is English painter and illustrator John Callcott Horsley. He made it for inventor and civil servant Henry Cole, who devised the concept of sending Christmas cards and commissioned Horsley to create one in 1843. Early Christmas cards sold in Britain favored humorous and sentimental images featuring flowers, fairies, animals, and children over religious and winter themes.

In 1874, American litographer, printer and publisher Louis Prang introduced Christmas cards to the United States. Due to this, he is widely known as the “father of the American Christmas card”. By the 1880s, his firm Prang and Mayer was printing more than five million greeting cards a year. However, the popularity of Prang’s cards resulted in the emergence of cheap imitations that drove him out of business.

In 1910, Joyce Clyde Hall and his older brothers, Rollie and Williams, founded Hallmark Cards. Their company is still in operation; it is the oldest and largest greeting card manufacturer in the United States. Hallmark Cards even received the National Medal of Arts as a patron of the arts in 1895.

Since their emergence, Christmas and New Year cards have become a major part of the holiday season in many countries around the world. Some people buy commercially available cards, and some prefer a more personalized approach and send out handmade greeting cards; regardless of which approach you choose, your Christmas cards will make their recipients smile and think of you fondly.

It is unclear who and when came up with the idea of celebrating Christmas Card Day, but the holiday seems to have been around for quite some time. The best way to celebrate it is, of course, to pick up some Christmas cards, write a personal note on each card, and start mailing Christmas cards to the people you love.

If you’re feeling creative, you can book a holiday family photo shoot and send out the photos as Christmas cards to your family and friends. Some people think it’s tacky, but yours is the only opinion that matters here. You can also ask your kids to help make personalized Christmas cards for your family – a handmade Christmas cards is a great way to show someone that you really care about them.

Another fun way to celebrate Christmas Card Day is to reread the Christmas cards you have received over the years and reminisce about the good old days. Finally, don’t forget to spread the word about the holiday and encourage others to celebrate by posting on social media with the hashtag #ChristmasCardDay.