A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional
celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of
sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season. Christmas
cards are usually exchanged during the weeks preceding Christmas Day
by many people (including some non-Christians) in Western society and
in Asia. The traditional greeting reads "wishing you a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year". There are innumerable variations on this
greeting, many cards expressing more religious sentiment, or
containing a poem, prayer, Christmas song lyrics or Biblical verse;
others focus on the general holiday season with an all-inclusive
"Season's greetings". The first modern Christmas card was by John
Calcott Horsley.A Christmas card is generally commercially designed
and purchased for the occasion. The content of the design might relate
directly to the Christmas narrative with depictions of the Nativity of
Jesus, or have Christian symbols such as the Star of Bethlehem or a
white dove representing both the Holy Spirit and Peace. Many Christmas
cards show Christmas traditions, such as seasonal figures (e.g., Santa
Claus, snowmen, and reindeer), objects associated with Christmas such
as candles, holly, baubles, and Christmas trees, and Christmastime
activities such as shopping, caroling, and partying, or other aspects
of the season such as the snow and wildlife of the northern winter.
Some secular cards depict nostalgic scenes of the past such as
crinolined shoppers in 19th century streetscapes; others are humorous,
particularly in depicting the antics of Santa and his elves.The first
recorded Christmas cards were sent by Michael Maier to James I of
England and his son Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1611. It was
discovered in 1979 by Adam McLean in the Scottish Record Office. They
incorporated Rosicrucian imagery, with the words of the greeting â€"
"A greeting on the birthday of the Sacred King, to the most worshipful
and energetic lord and most eminent James, King of Great Britain and
Ireland, and Defender of the true faith, with a gesture of joyful
celebration of the Birthday of the Lord, in most joyand fortune, we
enter into the new auspicious year 1612" â€" being laid out to form a
rose. Christmas card Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter