Christmas Card History and Tree Traditions

• The first commercial Christmas card was produced in England in 1843
• The first Christmas card as we know it came into being in the 1860's
• The founder of the American Christmas card is said to be Louis Prang of Boston
• The popularity of Christmas cards grew in the 1880's and many prominent artists of the time had their work reproduced in this form
• The tradition of decorating a tree to mark winter celebrations dates back hundreds of years to Roman times
• Artificial trees were invented in the 1880's in a bid to try and stop some of the damage being caused to real trees due to people lopping the tip off large trees
• Laws had to be brought in to prevent people having more than one tree in Germany.

Test your knowledge of the history and traditions surrounding Christmas cards and tree decorations. Explore the origins, developments, and influential figures associated with these festive customs.