A Christmas Card:The Gift Within

A Christmas Card: Historical Facts and Personal Touch

Do you know there is a gift within a Christmas card? I ask this question because during the holiday season, people mention what they want for Christmas. 

Small children wish for the latest doll, action figure, or toy-related to something that piques their interest. 

Teenagers request money, gift cards, books, trendy clothes, new sneakers, makeup, cell phones, and video games. 

Adults may drop hints about wanting a new car, clothes, or product that will make their daily lives more pleasant.

No matter the item, gratitude is commonplace as recipients are thankful someone thinks enough of them to purchase a present. 

While many rejoice over goods under the Christmas tree, how many people appreciate the gift within a Christmas card? No, I am not referring to cash, gift cards, or checks, but something much more significant money cannot buy.

5 Historical Christmas Card Fun Facts 

1. The first Christmas card was a 33×24 letter written in 1611 for King James 1 of England and his son with a rose with an uplifting holiday message around it.
2. In 1843, Sir Henry Cole and John Horsley created the first Christmas cards and sold each for one shilling.
3. In the late 1800s, many Americans could not afford Christmas cards, so Louis Prang started creating cards in mass production to make them more affordable.
4. Greeting card company Hallmark was established in 1915 by John C Hall and his brothers.
5. Annie Oakley created the first personalized Christmas cards in 1891 with a picture of her in Glasgow, Scotland. 

 A Personal Touch

If you’re like Annie Oakley, a Christmas card allows you to add a personal touch that embodies your relationship. 

You can include remarks that: 

• Highlight the impact an individual makes in your life. 
• Acknowledge a positive quality you like about the recipient.
• Reference playful comments or inside jokes only you two share.
• Contain a few sentences with traditional holiday well-wishes. 

The Gift Within 

Love, Encouragement, and Hope  

Whatever approach you choose, the motives behind the words in Christmas cards should involve love and encouragement. Scripture proves this when asking believers to encourage and build each other up (Ephesians 4:29; Hebrews 10:24-25).

Putting a little adoration in a Christmas card also helps Christians love others the way Jesus Christ loves them and validates their faith (John 13:34-35).

Beyond human efforts to demonstrate compassion and uplift others, the greatest gift within a Christmas card is the hope that can only be found in Christ. One way to ensure readers find hope in Christ through your card is to incorporate scripture or get cards with verses already inside. 

This may seem like an insignificant gesture, but it’s important for two reasons. 

First, it can help readers not get caught up in the business and commercialism of the holiday season. Reading a verse like John 1:14 will help Christian recipients meditate on the true meaning of Christmas and make the holidays feel more significant.

Second, an encouraging passage such as John 8:12 may allow someone in a dark situation to find the peace and salvation that comes from the good news of the Gospel. 

The Readers Responsibility

Cherish and Save a Christmas Card

So when you receive a Christmas card, cherish it knowing the giver genuinely cares about you no matter the amount of words they write inside.

I also advise you to save the cards as a keepsake. Store the cards in a safe place and then go back and read them on a random day when you need encouragement. I promise it will uplift your spirit even if it’s just for a few moments.

Saving Christmas cards will also preserve the words of the writer should they transition from this life. This may not fill the void of their absence, but it will be a way to keep their memory alive and help you reflect on the good times you shared.

So when you open gifts today, be just as excited about the expression of love within Christmas cards as you are about other presents.

“She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger” (Luke 2:7, New Living Translation). 

     Do you appreciate the gift within a Christmas card? Do you have a favorite one you’ve kept for many years? I’d love to hear your story. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!