A Children's Christmas card from the Edwardian period with a pop-up surprise. Rats and mice often featured on Christmas cards and quite often dead animals too. I suppose death wasn't so much of a secret 100 years ago.
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| From my book 'Christmas Fare' by Judith Holder and Alison Harding. Published in 1981. Judith had a collection of old Christmas cards (and others were from a museum that was in Barnstable) and used them to illustrate the book, which is all about the history of various Christmas Food. |
Finally got my Christmas cards out of the Christmas drawer to write the ones I need to post in the Scout Post box on my once-a-year trip to Ipswich. I found all of this years cards in charity shops in their January sales or at boot sales. I always choose cards to send that I would like to receive myself which probably isn't the right way to do things but never mind and buying them in the January sale is possibly not in the true spirit of Christmas either - Oh well.
The owl ones are my favourites - might keep one for myself!. I've also got some special family cards (Grandson, Son and DiL etc etc) this year, I don't always but found some on offer at 3 for the price of 2. A proper cheapskate!
I've received my first Christmas card here - very early but it was lovely to receive it. It was from one of Col's cousins who I bump into now and again as she lives in the same village as son and DiL.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
It's amazing how macabre, to our eyes, the early greeting cards were. I have kept many cards over the years, I should get them out to compare the changes over the past 60 years.
ReplyDeleteI love your cards with the sheep.
ReplyDeleteIt's an official snow day here, so I'm going to make good use of it and get my Christmas cards written. Xx
Lovely cards and what an interesting book.
ReplyDeletexx
I always used to buy Christmas cards in the January sale. Till one year I didn't and spent the first week of December turning the house upside down while searching for them.
ReplyDeleteAll our cards were purchased last January, I love to send a decent card, always better if it was half price.
ReplyDeleteI also love to send and recieve card. I like th old vintage cards, Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI make my cards as we now only give cards to that we can deliver. After Mum died, I sent cards for years to her friends but sadly they are all gone now too. Need to make the family ones soon as I like to think about what I will make-this year I have spent too long thinking and not enough time making. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI wonder how long this tradition will last. Businesses like to send cards to customers and clients. Half my family sends cards, the other half do not - it's very odd. Thank you letters are also dying out, I find.
ReplyDeleteI also love the card with the owl. But all of your choices are very nice.
ReplyDeleteI think buying cards in the sales is a good frugal idea. I've made the decision this year that we won't be making and posting cards, there are aspects of it that I'm sad about and I will have to email/message quite a few folk which will be time consuming but I've probably got more time than ready cash so that's that! Oh dear, I do sound like The Grinch 😉
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
I was interested in what you wrote about rats and mice often on Victorian cards. It made me think of the pink sugar mice that were often on sale at Christmas time, I wonder where that tradition came from. Jean in Winnipeg
ReplyDeleteI also love a nice card and buy them in January. Your owl, sheep and fox cards in a snowy scene are very nice finds. I buy cards the same way I buy presents and would never buy something for someone that I would not love myself. I also like high quality and usefulness in anything I buy.
ReplyDeleteI buy my cards at the end of the season past as well. The greeting never tires, does it? The goodwill never fades!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty owl card...still hoping to make some cards...silly me...I can see it ending badly! x
ReplyDeleteDefinitely keep one of the owl cards for yourself, they are so sweet.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
My eye was also attracted by the owl card - we have a visiting owl in our garden so it seems quite timely. We send "new years" cards hopefully with a whole family photo, fewer every year it seems. The custom seems to be dying out here in the US.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Ceci
I like the owls and the foxes. My sister has a fox that visits sometimes and when I was there last year I peeked over the garden fence and saw it in her neighbour's garden. Made my day!
ReplyDeleteI choose cards the same way and I think it is perfectly fine! Love the ones you shared.
ReplyDelete