Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre & City of Wetaskiwin Archives

Nothing ‘says’ Christmas like a card filled with well wishes and holiday dough! It wasn’t until 1843 that the first Christmas Card made its way to the “Penny Post” in Victorian England. Henry Cole was the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and being a renowned socialite, he had a few too many friends! Whether friendly, knotty, or otherwise, his many acquaintances were on his Christmas letter list and thus a solution to the seasonal writing hand cramp was born – the Christmas Greeting Card! Although Henry designed, what was to be, a family enjoying libations and people helping the disenfranchised, an artist and friend named J.C. Horsley was commissioned for the illustration. Over one thousand copies were made on approximately 5×3 inch cardboard through a London printing press. Their intent was to spread merriment, however their images created somewhat of a ‘stir’ due to the artist portraying young children indulging in a glass of wine during an impeding temperance movement. In contrast, the most popular Christmas card to date was published by Hallmark in 1977, which depicted three cherubic angels with the phrase “God bless you, keep you and love you…at Christmastime and always.” So, in the words of the first Christmas card and from our Heritage Family to yours, ‘A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You!’