Victorian Christmas Cards – Exploring the History and Meaning Behind

Victorian Christmas cards were one of the first Christmas cards made to send love in December. Along with the classic pictures that reflect the period, these cards also have interesting facts you might not know!

The blog posts below will give you more information that makes Victorian Christmas cards so appealing today, including how they came to be and the popular styles. Don’t waste any more of your time; let’s find out now!

Victorian Christmas Cards: A Brief History

During the Victorian era (1837–1901), printed Christmas cards were popular because printing costs were low. Christmas cards came in many forms, sizes, and materials and were sent in huge numbers throughout the British Empire. 

Victorian artists painted famous scenes of holly, robins, sleighs, and snow-covered country roads with Christmas trees full of gifts. These scenes symbolize what we think a European Christmas should look like. From here, the Victoria Christmas card was born, and no family could do without it when this special winter holiday came around.

Merry Christmas Origin 

Years before the Victorians came up with the Christmas card idea, families sent Christmas wishes in various forms. It was in 1534 that the first recorded use of “Merry Christmas” was made. That wish was written in a letter and sent to Oliver Cromwell, Lord Commander of Britain, in the late 1560s.

Researchers believe that the thing was folded to make it easy to carry. This was back in 1611, some 200-plus years before the first Victorian Christmas card was invented. Why did it take so long for Christmas cards to come about? It’s even stranger to consider what people in the Victorian era did with them.

Royal families have made other Christmas gifts popular besides Victorian Christmas cards. King James I of England once received a large manuscript with a Christmas greeting. The paper was a broad folded item, and a picture of a rose was at its center.

Early Christmas Card Designs

In Victorian England, the robin on the Christmas card stands for the mailman who brought the card. Until now, this symbol has been seen on modern Christmas cards! It all began in the 1880s when Royal Mail postmen wore these sharp, eye-catching red coats. Red wasn’t just a color back then; it was royal and stood for the British flag and the Royal family. People lovingly called postmen “robins” because their coats were the bright color of the robin redbreast—a lovely bird.

The robin quickly became a sign of Christmas

Thought about how exciting it would be during the holidays! The “Robin” mailman brought lots of happiness through holiday greeting cards. In honor of this holiday custom, artists drew happy postmen in red jackets, bringing sweet messages to homes worldwide.

Artists went one step further and imagined a real robin with a beak full of Christmas cards. This cute twist became a hit right away! The custom spread quickly, like a snowball rolling down a hill, and the robin became an essential part of Christmas symbols.

People still love this cute Robin Christmas sign

Today, this cute robin image is still a beloved Christmas sign that makes us think of the happy bonds between family and friends. It greatly symbolizes the timeless magic of this winter season.

Creepy Victorian Christmas Card Designs

People liked the unusual in the Victorian era, including how they sent holiday messages. The Victorians were good at putting together things that were both fun and a little scary. It was like adding a little surprise to their Christmas wishes.

These cards often had creepy characters, like naughty imps, strangely ghostly figures, and even animals that looked like people doing really weird things. Victorians didn’t get used to the usual rosy-cheeked Santas and happy snowmen. Instead, they liked strange things that were, dare we say it, creepy and somehow abstract.

Creepy Victorian Christmas cards, unlike their traditional counterparts, depict joyful celebrations instead of serious and solemn scenes. Many of these original portraits are very humorous, but we can see that some of them have strange images, sometimes giving us goosebumps when looking at them.

Modern Christmas Card Ideas

Modern Christmas cards differ greatly from Victorian ones

After a long period, the Victorian Christmas card has become a global tradition since its popularity. By the early 1910s and 1940s, two global wars had broken out, raising the need for Christmas cards. For this reason, Christmas cards often featured troops in cold surroundings, far from the Victorians’ magical pictures.

Since 2008, the UK has sold about 700 million Christmas cards, more than half of all holiday greeting cards. Some modern Christmas cards are as strange as those of their Victorian ancestors, yet many still feature lovely wintry settings and cheery Father Christmas.

So, if you want to make your own modern Christmas card, you can immediately try these amazing ideas with tutorials! Let’s click HERE for your best DIY modern Christmas card idea.

Read More:

• Festive Christmas Card Drawing Ideas

• Heartwarming Christmas Card Photo Ideas

To Wrap Up

People may not often send Victorian Christmas cards, but there’s no denying that they are beautiful works of art that sometimes make fun of everyday life. Besides the historical elements, the uniqueness of Victorian Christmas design is an endless source of inspiration to make modern cards more beautiful and sophisticated, sometimes expressing abstract messages. Who knows?

Because of that, these vintage cards will always be a topic that people are curious and excited to hear about every Christmas. So, what fun facts does this famous card have? Share them the next time you see one. Along with maintaining traditional ideals that continue to attract people today!