Here Are Some Interesting Christmas Greeting Card Facts

The holidays are approaching - what a perfect time to look at the history of the greeting card! A conglomeration of statistics, fun trivia, and history was what I found. I decided to share this with you. So take a moment to relax in the midst of this hectic holiday season, sit down, grab an eggnog, and learn a little something about the cherished tradition of the Christmas Card.

- The ancient Chinese were some of the first to send greeting cards. They loved to send good will messages at the New Year. Greetings were expressed by the early Egyptians on papyrus scrolls. New Year's greetings were produced in Germany as early as 1400.

- The English were the first to exchange cards at Christmas time. Boys created these as a means to improve their writing skills. They would create the cards for their mothers and fathers.

- In 1843 London, Sir Henry Cole commissioned the first Christmas cards. Due to a time crunch, Sir Henry found it impossible to write individual greetings that year. The simple message A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You was inscribed on the card. The cards sported a drawing by John Callcott Horsley. It was of a joyous family, hugging one another, and raising a toast to the recipient. The design was condemned by critics who claimed it promoted drunkenness.

- Louis Prang takes the credit for the first Christmas Cards sold commercially in America. The German immigrant opened a small lithographic business in 1856 near Boston. He is generally credited with being the founder of the American greeting card industry. More than five million cards a year were what he was producing by the year 1881. Popularity was gained and continued during the 1890's by his cards. Prang stopped producing greeting cards as cheaper imports came onto the market.

- President Eisenhower issued the first official White House Christmas card in 1953. 2000 cards were mailed by the White house in the year 1961. That number shot up to 1.4 million by 2005.

- Contemporary Christmas cards are available either individually or in boxed sets. Boxed cards are usually more convenient for your Christmas Mailing List, while individual cards are typically reserved for special recipients. Boxed cards make up 90% of the holiday cards sold.

- In 2006, Two billion Americans exchanged cards. That means that 85% of Americans sent cards that year.

- There is a message that is religious in nature, on 1 in 3 of all purchased holiday cards.

- The holiday season accounts for 30% of annual greeting card sales.

- Christmas cards are the most popular seasonal cards. 60 percent of all the sales were accounted for by them. At only 25%, Valentine's Day cards are in a significantly lower second place.

- In the U.S., it is estimated that there are 3000 publishers of Christmas cards.

- "Merry Christmas" if preferred by 53% of us. "Happy Holidays" is favored by 21%, and "Season's Greetings" has 12% of the vote.

- When deciding which cards to purchase, 56% of consumers base the decision on the variety of cards, while 63% base on price. Both these conditions can be satisfied by an online distributor. A typical store can display a limited number of cards, whereas an online store can display a limitless amount of styles.

I hope you enjoyed our foray into the history of the Christmas Card. As I'm sure you see, there are lots of others who love this holiday ritual too!