Christmas cards are a reminder of those we’ve lost
The long-standing tradition of sending out Christmas cards during the holiday season can be credited to Henry Cole of Victorian England. It was often customary in those days to send out letters to family and friends around Christmas and New Year’s, and the newly created British postal system meant people were sending their holiday tidings in mass. Henry Cole, traveling in very elite social circles, found himself with an over abundance of letters he simply couldn’t respond to with handwritten replies, as was expected. Ace Collins, author of Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, writes, “In Victorian England, it was considered impolite not to answer mail. He had to figure out a way to respond to all of these people.” His solution became the Christmas card, first sent back in…
