Christmas in July - The History of Christmas Cards

During the 1840s England, one custom at Christmastime was to send out the Christmas letter to all your friends. It had to be delivered between December 25th and New Year's. Thanks to a recent expansion of the British postal system, the sender could mail a letter or card anywhere in the country by affixing a penny stamp to the correspondence--and many people were doing just that.

Sir Henry Cole - Wikicommons

Sir Henry Cole, who traveled in the elite social circles of early Victorian England, had the misfortune of having too many friends—and this was a problem. As the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and an enthusiastic supporter of the new postal system, Sir Cole was a busy man.

As he watched the stacks of unanswered Christmas correspondence piled up and he fretted over what to do. In Victorian England, it was considered impolite not to answer mail. He simply had to figure out a way to respond to all of these people in a timely manner.

Cole hit on an ingenious idea. He asked artist friend, J.C. Horsley, to design an idea that Cole had sketched out in his mind. Cole then took Horsley’s illustration—a triptych showing a family celebrating the holiday flanked by images of people helping the poor—and he had a thousand copies made by a London printer. The image was printed on a piece of stiff cardboard 5 1/8 x 3 1/4 inches in size. At the top of each was the salutation, “TO:_____” allowing Cole to personalize his responses, which included the generic greeting “A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To You.” At the bottom was a "From" line where he could sign his name—and the first Christmas card had just been created.

Henry Cole sounds like a practical and clever man.

Since it's still July, and I'm talking Christmas in July, I thought I'd share one of my heart-warming Christmas stories with you.

As a Union sniper, killing has become easy for Captain Christmas “Chris” Haley. After four long years of fighting against his own countrymen, the once naïve farm boy is now a war-hardened soldier whose faith in God is shaken. Chris is ready to set aside his rifle and return to his Kansas farm. But will his family accept the man he’s become—angry and unsure if he still believes in God? His mother's pretty caregiver catches his eye and begins to give him a reason to go on each day. In spite of his bitterness, his heart is softening. But what happens when he learns the secret Hannah is keeping?

Available on Amazon / Free KU

Vickie McDonough is the CBA, EPCA, and Amazon best-selling author of 50 books and novellas. Vickie grew up wanting to marry a rancher, but instead, she married a computer geek who is scared of horses. She now lives out her dreams penning romance stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie’s books have won numerous awards including the Booksellers Best, OWFI Best Fiction Novel Award, and the Inspirational Readers’
Choice awards. 

Christmas Trivia and giveaways!

Debbie Lynne Costello here with a few questions for you. Who out there loves Christmas? Do you consider yourself a pretty good expert on things about the Christmas holiday? We all love a little trivia, right? I've put together some fun Christmas trivia to test you knowledge. So grab a pencil and a piece of paper and write down your answers. When you finished you can continue to scroll down for the answers. Good Luck and no googling! LOL!!

Let me know how you did and which ones surprised you or stumped you. I'm giving away a copy of SWORD OF FORGIVENESS, and a glass Christmas ornament. Share on FB and/or twitter and let me know for an extra entry. After 10 people leave comments I'll add another Christmas ornament for every 5 new commenters. I'd love to give away 5 or more ornaments! Don't forget to leave your email address and let me know if you shared. Giveaway ends 12/12.

Public Domain By Gerard van Honthorst - Google Art Project, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45542035

1) What year did December 25th become the official date for Christmas?

2) Who was the person responsible for making December 25th Christ's birthday?

3) What is the earliest known Christmas tree decoration?

4) This country's Christmas trees had mass destruction of their trees. So people could still celebrate the holiday with a tree they made the first artificial Christmas tree out of dyed goose feathers. What country was this?

5) What year were Christmas trees first sold in the US?

6) What was the first state to recognize Christmas in 1836?

7) When did December 25th become an official United States holiday?

8) What was the last state in 1907 to declare Christmas a legal holiday?

9) How many days is the Yule Log burned?

                                              PUblic Domain Wiki By Robert Chambers - The Book of Days 

11) Who outlawed Christmas celebrations and carols in England from 1649-1660?

12) There are two claims to what president put the first tree in the White House. Who are those 2 presidents? 

13) What environmentalist president banned the Christmas tree from the White House? 

14) What was invented and commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in 1843?

15) Why was December 25th chosen for Christmas?

16) How much did it cost to send a Christmas card within the same city early in the Victorian era? 

17) What country created eggnog?

18) What automobile manufacturer was born on December 25th, 1878?
 
19) What country did Joseph, Mary, and Jesus go to after they left Bethlehem?

20) What year were flashing Christmas lights introduced? 

Now some less historical but fun trivia.

21) What shone out of the darkness in the song, "Go Tell it on the Mountain"?

22) What two words were used to describe Santa's beard in "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause"?

23) In "Frosty the Snowman", what are the hills made of?

24) In "Little Town of Bethlehem", what kind of souls will receive Him (Christ) still?

25) In the last verse of "Jingle Bells", the writer tells the young men to get a certain type of horse, that can go a certain speed, and to hitch him to your sleigh and you will lead the way. What is the type of horse and how fast can this horse run?

26) What was the last thing that Frosty said?

27) What does Alvin the chipmunk want for Christmas?

28) How many wisemen were there according to the bible?

29) In the song "Silver Bells", what is dressed in holiday style?

30) Where is everyone dancing and prancing in the song, "Jingle Bell Rock"?

31) What is the biggest selling single song of all time?

32) In "The Night Before Christmas", which reindeer was never mentioned?

33) What was Scrooges deceased business partner's name?

34) What is Tiny Tim's Father's name?

35) In "Winter Wonderland", where can you build a snowman?

36) In Miracle on 34th Street, Kris Kringle tells a shopper that the rival store, Gimbels, has better what?

37) Which Ghost did Ebenezer Scrooge fear the most?

38) In A Charlie Brown Christmas, how much does Lucy charge for her psychiatric advice? 

39)  How many gifts would you receive if you received all the gifts in "The Twelve Days of Christmas"?

40) How many times was Santa Clause mentioned in "The Night Before Christmas"?

And now your answers to see how you did.

1) 350 AD
2) Pope Julius I
3) Apples
4) Germany
5) 1850
6) Alabama
7) 1870
8) Oklahoma
9) 12 days
10) 4th century, Turkey
11) Oliver Cromwell
12) President Franklin Pierce and President Benjamin Harrison
13) President Teddy Roosevelt in 1901
14) The Christmas Card
15) Because pagans were exalting false deities on that date and the church leaders thought to steer them to the One and True Deity. The Christ.
16) It was delivered by servants
17) England
18) Louis Joseph Chevrolet
19) Egypt
20) They were introduced in 1930
21) A heavenly light
22) snowy white
23) snow
24) meek souls
25) bobtailed bay, 42 is his speed
26) I'll be back again some day.
27) A hoola-hoop 
28) The Bible doesn't say
29) sidewalks
30) Jingle Bell Square
31) White Christmas
32) Rudolf
33) Jacob Marley
34) Bob Cratchit
35) In the meadow
36) Skates
37) The Ghost of Christmas yet to come
38) five cents
39) 364 gifts
40) None!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

When her father died, she had promised herself no man would own her again, yet who could defy an edict of the king? After the death of her cruel father, Brithwin is determined never again to live under the harsh rule of any man. Independent and resourceful, she longs to be left alone to manage her father’s estate. But she soon discovers a woman has few choices when the king decrees she is to marry Royce, the Lord of Rosencraig. As if the unwelcome marriage isn’t enough, her new husband accuses her of murdering his family, and she is faced with a challenge of either proving her innocence or facing possible execution.
Royce of Hawkwood returns home after setting down a rebellion to find his family brutally murdered. When all fingers point to his betrothed and attempts are made on his life, Royce must wade through murky waters to uncover the truth. Yet Brithwin’s wise and kind nature begin to break down the walls of his heart, and he soon finds himself in a race to discover who is behind the evil plot before Brithwin is the next victim. 
 
 

Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was about eight years old. She studied journalism at Heritage University. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children's Director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland Sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, she and her husband take pleasure in camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.






Pictures are courtesy of Wiki.

19th Century Christmas Cards

By Carla Olson Gade

Sending Christmas cards first became popular in England over 150 years ago. In the 1840’s John Calcott Horsely was a curator at the royal museum. He was late sending his usual holiday letters to his friends and relatives for Christmas so he asked the artist, Sir Henry Cole, to design and hand-color 1,000 cards. Horsely wanted the card to show people being fed and clothed to remind his friends of the needs of the poor during this season. 

Cole’s card depicted a happy family raising their glasses to toast the season. “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You” was printed on that first card. Horsely had a thousand copies of the card made and sent them to his friends. But in 1843 the cards went on sale and caused quite an uproar when the public thought that the scene on it encouraged the immoral behavior.

Artist's proof of first Christmas card.

Some people disliked the idea of sending holiday greetings, thinking it was foolish. At first, cards were not signed or mailed. They were hand delivered by a messenger with a calling card that had the sender’s name on it. Postage was only afforded by the wealthy, but when the Penny Post was invented in 1840, which carried mail by railway, people could buy a stamp for one cent. Cards were handmade, embossed with gold leaf and printed on expensive paper, many people could not afford to buy them either. By the mid 1850’s commercial printing made the cards cost less and soon people were sending cards around the world.

More artists began creating beautiful cards. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s other card designers became popular. Many of them were female artists and children’s illustrators. The cards were often decorated with fringe, silk, and satin. Early Christmas cards were less likely to show classic Christmas themes, but instead birds and flowers were common.

1878 Louis Prang Christmas card

Americans had to import their greeting cards from England and Germany. Then in 1875, Louis Prang, a lithographer from Prussia, came to the U.S and opened a shop publishing the first line Christmas cards in America. He is considered "the father of the American Christmas card." By 1881 he produced more than five million cards each year until the 1890's when inexpensive Christmas postcards from Germany took over the market. The Christmas penny postcard remained popular in the U. S. until the outbreak of WWI which closed off the market of German imports.

During the first 70 years of the 19th century it was common for Christmas and other greeting cards to be recycled by women’s service organizations who collected them and removed the pictures, to be pasted into scrap books for the entertainment of children in hospitals, orphanages, kindergartens and missions. This was before the time where many children’s picture books were printed.

Do you send Christmas cards? Do you keep the ones you receive?


A Christmas surprise giveaway for one of our commenters from Carla: Two book set of A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Vol. 3 & 4 (see description below)!

Carla Olson Gade's publications include three Christmas books that you might enjoy reading this season including "'Tis the Season" in bestselling Mistletoe Memories. "Upon a Christmas Tree Schooner" is included in the Vol. 1 & 2 set of A Cup of Christmas Cheer from Guideposts Books. Carla's story "The Memory Shop" is featured in this year's Vol. 3 & 4 set of A Cup of Christmas Cheer. You may connect with her online at Adventures of the Heart.

From Carla's heart to yours, Merry Christmas!