Season’s Greetings
Some grumpy people would have us believe that the keeping of Christmas is dying out,” the Chepstow Weekly Advertiser announced in 1906. “The demand for Christmas cards, however, is a criterion of the popular feeling, and so far from there being a falling off in this respect, the custom of sending them is becoming more popular than ever.”
When the first Christmas card was sent in December 1843, the seasonal gesture went largely unnoticed, but by the end of the 1860s Christmas cards had become so popular that they were considered a festive staple. The humble Christmas card, like all good Victorian inventions, has spawned a multimillion-pound global industry – a remarkable achievement for a decorated card sent to friends and family.
The custom of exchanging tokens and seasonal well-wishes, particularly to welcome in the New Year,
