Christmas cards become a tradition
The tradition of wishing each other a merry Christmas dates back a long time. It used to be customary to walk around the village and knock on people’s doors to wish them Merry Christmas face-to-face. Then the idea of sending Christmas cards arose.
Gammelt julekort
The first Christmas card
It was the British man Henry Cole who originally came up with the idea in the early 19th century. He got in touch with his artist friend John Calcott Horsley who designed a beautiful Christmas card. Cole then copied the card, took what he needed himself and sold the rest. This became really popular and a new business venture was born.
The first card, from 1843, is a drawing of a family gathered together around the dinner table. The words ‘A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’ are printed on the front of the card. It was what is called a presentation card, which means that the card was delivered in person and was in itself considered to be a gift.
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Første julekortet fra 1843, illustrasjon av John Calcott Horsley
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