Have you ever wondered where greeting cards come from? Yeah, the kind you buy at Hallmark and send to your dad for Father’s Day. Believe it or not, these nifty sheets of paper have a longer history than you might think. See if you knew these greeting card facts.
Origins of the cards:
o In the early 1400s (before Columbus sailed across the blue ocean) paper greeting cards were given to friends and family in Europe.
o In Germany, greeting card makers used wood for these unique creations.
o The first Valentine’s Day card was exchanged in 1415, but it did not gain notoriety until the Penny Press era (mid 1800s).
o The first Christmas greeting card to be delivered during the holidays was in England in 1843.
Greeting cards in the US:
o A Boston lithograph owner named Lois Prang is credited with inventing the first American greeting card.
o After World War I, the printing industry took off and greeting cards improved in style and quality.
o Greeting cards were given to soldiers who fought overseas during World War II. Talk about patriotic!
o In the 1980s, cards were printed for many holidays and expressions. Forget finding only the major holiday cards in stores. Greeting cards like “Thank you” and “Saying hello” flourished.
o Nearly 8 billion greeting cards are sold each year, increasing revenue for greeting card companies.
Like most industries, even greeting cards have turned into net sales. 6StarReviews.com reported that American Greeting is a service that offers some of the best greeting cards online. Customers receive fun perks like adding digital photos, text, and sound to their online greeting cards. Sure beats carving woodcuts into homemade greeting cards!
