First appeared in The Tecumseh Herald, Dec. 14,, 2023
Squibs: Christmas Cards
We are now less than two weeks from Christmas and already I’m behind on most of the things I typically do this time of year. At the top of that list is sending Christmas cards.
As I write this, I have mailed about 15 cards and have about 25 or so yet to go. In recent years, I’ve handcrafted my Christmas cards, but before that, I’ve used boxed religious cards sold by the parish youth group, photo cards, annual letters with photos, and Hallmark cards. But, the handmade card is my go-to, mainly because it represents a gift to the recipient. Not just that I “care enough to send the very best,” but that I care enough to spend time crafting something heartfelt for this very special season.
As a newlywed 40 years ago, I could hardly wait to sit down and do my Christmas cards, signing each one, “Bill and Renee,” and then receiving many more in the mail, addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. William Collins.” It was such a thrill to see that salutation when I was first married. I saved those cards for years, carefully curated in shoeboxes so that the following year, I could make sure everyone who remembered us would be equally remembered.
Over the years, the old folks have died off, and the tradition of sending Christmas cards also has waned. According to statistics from 2021, 73 percent of people still send Christmas cards, but that is far less than the 1950s and 1960s, when Christmas card traditions were at their peak.
As a child, I remember how my mom would tape each Christmas card to the wall in our living room at 604 Cairns Street, the cards hung so that they flapped open and we could see who sent them. Many families had similar ways to display cards, from wires and clothes pins to a special table where the folded cards would be placed just so, part of the Christmas decor.
Over the years, I’ve gotten fewer and fewer cards and I expect it’s a trend that likely will continue. That’s not to say I don’t hear from friends and family around the globe, but these days, it’s more common to receive a “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” text, complete with decorated trees, evergreens, and Santa and Mrs. Claus emojis.
Christmas cards as we know them originated during the Victorian era in England. It was during a time when folks were writing letters more frequently, mainly because they could buy a stamp for a penny. In 1843, John Horsley, a printer in London, was hired by Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy businessman and the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum, to design and print postcards that he could mail to friends and family. Horsley’s design depicted a family enjoying dinner as well as people doing charitable works, such as feeding the poor. In 1875, a Prussian immigrant, Louis Prang, printed the first Christmas cards in the U.S. As the nation and the world became more industrialized and urbanized, people looked for ways to stay in touch with the families they left behind on farms.
Although people still send out Christmas cards, as my generation dies off, I’m not convinced Gen-X, Gen-Y or Millennials, and Gen-Z or Centennials will continue these traditions. These are adults and children who’ve never seen rotary dial phones, rabbit ears, or an 8-track player. They don’t remember a time when people had to wait until after 8 p.m. to get the best long-distance rate on a cross-country phone call. They’ve had little experience with manual transmissions, AM radio, and “jarts.” They grew up on social media and so will find their own ways of staying in touch with family and friends at the holidays with new and improved emojis, video greetings, and text messages. A classic Christmas card reduced to a few well-designed emojis–a Christmas tree, snowman, and Santa–and a simple “Season’s Greetings.”
Hard to get easier than that!
SQUIBS 