![]() ![]() Greeting cards also become more decorative, with scenes and art now more commonly added. It was at this time that greeting cards became popular for many occasions. The major change occurred in the late mid-19th century, when at that time innovations in mechanized printing and mass production, along with better postal routes and cheaper postal rates, made sending greeting cards affordable. However, greeting cards continued to be made, although the volume was generally low and sometimes they had small drawings as part of the card. Despite this change, greeting cards were still considered too expensive and difficult for most people to have. In fact, Margery Brews, in 1477, is considered to have composed the oldest known Valentine's Day love letter and card to her fiancé (Figure 2). One of the first periods used outside of New Year was in celebration of St. Copy of one of the first mass-produced Christmas greeting cards.īy the mid-15th century, greeting cards had moved from mostly a New Year formality to something being exchanged in other periods. In the 14th century, most greeting cards were the privilege of the upper class, as handmade cards were generally expensive. By the 14th century in German states, personal greeting cards more similar to today had developed, which resemble our handmade cards that were written with short wishes for good fortune in the New Year. Sometimes this would be done in personalized wood carvings or what became common was using paper. Worries about the harvest or coming year led people to write well wishes to each other. In the Medieval period, in Europe, New Year also became a time for people to reflect and think about the year ahead. The use of personalized messages became also popular in the new medium as the use of paper spread to other cultures along the Silk Road and utilizing sea routes. Īround 100 CE, the paper was invented by the Chinese. For Chinese traditions, New Year was generally around January/February, where the tradition follows a lunar calendar. For Egypt, the calendar would begin with the rising of the star Sothis, or our star Sirius, sometime around August/September. The idea was to send personalized greetings in the New Year, in a way similar to Chinese New Year culture, but rather than warding evil spirits the idea was to wish someone well and celebrate the beginning of the new life cycle that would begin in the New Year. In Egypt, among the earliest personalized greeting cards have been found, where named individuals wishing well to other named individuals have been found. The presence of evil spirits and the wishing away of evil in the Near Year is still part of celebrations of the Chinese New Year.ģ0 Easy Birthday card Ideas | DIY | Handmade greeting card Cards would be given at the beginning of the year and the cards were intended to have luck or power to help ward off the evil spirit for the entire year, with the tradition renewed each new year. In China, the idea was to send messages to ward off the evil spirit Nian, who would terrorize people at the end of the year. In fact, this is the origin of New Year greeting cards. In Bronze Age China and Egypt, these societies show evidence of personalized messages sent to others celebrating the New Year or providing well wishes at the end of the year (Figure 1). Already in ancient Sumerian culture in the 3rd millennium BCE, clay tablets have been found with greetings that maybe have been sent as a card of well-wishing. Greeting cards have their origin perhaps soon after the invention of writing. The oldest known Valentine's Day love letter and form of greeting card known in the English language is from Margery Brews dated to 1477.
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