History of Holiday Cards

According to the Smithsonian magazine, the first Holiday card dates all the way back to Victorian England. Socialite Sir Henry Cole had the misfortune of having too many friends and could not keep up with all the letters he received. Considered very impolite not to answer mail, Cole came up with the ingenious idea of sending an illustration to thousands of his friends. This illustration depicting a family celebration is what became the first sent Christmas card.

Though Holiday cards date way back— they didn’t really start taking off in the United States until 1915. A Kansas City-based printing company started by Joyce Hall, and later his brothers—Rollie, and William published its first holiday card. The Hall Brothers became what everyone knows today as Hallmark. You may be surprised that even in the digital age, most people still enjoy sending and receiving Holiday cards. In fact, millennials are sending more holiday cards than any other demographic. Though much of our lives exist in the digital age, there’s something to be said about gifting and receiving physical holiday cards. So, this holiday season make Sir Henry Cole and the Hallmark bros proud and send your own holiday cards to family and friends! Stop by AOPA’s pilot gear store for a great selection for choosing.

FUN FACTS ABOUT HOLIDAY CARDS

• According to a 2021 Shutterfly poll, two in five Americans planned to send out Holiday cards.
• Women are more likely to send holiday cards
• The first official White House Christmas card was issued in 1953 by President Eisenhower
• There are more than 3,000 greeting card publishers in America
• Over 2 billion Christmas cards are sent in the US each year.
• The first recorded use of “Merry Christmas” was in a Christmas letter sent in 1534