Who received the first Christmas card? How much did it cost and how many Christmas cards are sent each year?

For nearly two hundred years, the humble Christmas card has been a festive staple in our homes.

Hundreds of millions of cards are sent each year with people even sending them to their pets!

But who received the very first Christmas card and how many of them are sent in the UK each year?

Who received the first Christmas card?

Christmas cards started in the the Victorian era with the first card being sent and received in 1843.

The first Christmas card was received by Sir Henry Cole who set up the Public Record Office which became our modern day Post Office.

They were designed by his artist friend, John Horsley, who was given the idea of creating Christmas cards by Cole, to help encourage more people to use postal services.

The first card depicted a family celebrating and enjoying a Christmas feast.

However, there was some controversary surrounding it, as the children Cwere depicted drinking wine.

The tradition took off and now millions of Christmas cards are sent in the UK and around the world during the festive season.

How much did the first Christmas card cost?

The first Christmas cards were sold for 1 shilling each, which would be around 11p nowadays, which although not much in our money was a

How many Christmas cards are sent each year in the UK?

It’s estimated that around 900 million Christmas cards are sent in Britain every year, with homes on average sending 16 cards each.

How did Christmas cards start in the USA?

Louis Prang, a German immigrant in Boston is credited with bringing Christmas cards to the United States in 1875.

The very first Christmas card he printed depicted a painting of a flower and said 'Merry Christmas.'

How many Christmas cards are sent each year in the USA?

In the USA it's estimated that 2 billion Christmas cards are sent every year.

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