Thursday, December 11, 2008

Tradition Trivia: The Custom of Sending Christmas Cards




The custom of sending Christmas cards started in Britain in 1840 when the first 'Penny Post' public postal deliveries began. Helped by the new railway system, the public postal service was the 19th century's communication revolution, just as email is for us today.

As printing methods improved, Christmas cards were produced in large numbers from about 1860. They became even more popular in Britain when a card could be posted in an unsealed envelope for one half-penny - half the price of an ordinary letter.

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