CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
Saludos por Navidad
by
Mary Hunt Webb
Posted Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Long before there were laptop computers, I bought this metal box to help me keep track of my Christmas card list. Although I keep a list on my computer, I still use this box and its cards. [Photographer: Mary Hunt Webb*.]
Until I was 12 years old, I relied on my mother to send out greeting cards at Christmas. However, that changed when I entered a six-year high school.I don't remember what motivated me to start sending out Christmas cards in my own name to my friends. Perhaps it was because I received a card from a classmate. Or, perhaps the influence of older students caused me to think that I should act maturely. I do remember that my mother didn't push me to send them. No matter what motivated me, I remember sending Christmas cards to some of my fellow students and signing my own name on them. Even at the young age of 12, I understood that in order to receive Christmas cards, I had to send them out.
Sending out Christmas cards can start young people on the road to writing and sending out correspondence through traditional post offices. [Photographer: S.V. Klimkin. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
What I didn't understand is that sending greeting cards tells others that I am thinking of them and that I remember them even when I haven't otherwise had recent personal contact with them. This is in keeping with the Apostle Paul's admonition in Romans 15:5-6, "5) May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6) so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ". (NIV)
I've been sending out Christmas cards ever since - even when I was a university student and studying for exams.
The practice of sending greeting cards at Christmas began in the United Kingdom in 1843 when it was the custom to send personal letters to friends and acquaintances. However, as the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Sir Henry Cole received so many letters that he knew he could never return their correspondence in a similar manner. He came up with the idea to hire an artist, J.C. Horsley, to design a card expressing his Christmas greeting. In addition to showing a family celebrating the holiday, it also showed others helping the poor. He then took the design to a London printer with a request to print a thousand copies.
This reproduction of the very first known Christmas card by J.C. Horsley shows a family celebrating the Christmas holiday along with others helping the poor. [Illustraton courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine.]
As often happens with good intentions, he received criticism because it appeared to show children imbibing wine along with their elders. Because there was a temperance movement in England at that time, critics believed the illustration encouraged drinking among minors. The criticism did not prevent others from copying Cole's timesaving idea.
The custom has so progressed that many people that do not believe in Jesus Christ as God's Son still send greeting cards at Christmas. While some have converted their annual greetings to electronic versions, envelopes containing Christmas cards still delight the hearts of those that receive them. Cards fly all over the world between believers and non-believers alike. For those that do not believe in Him, I try to find cards that are culturally sensitive but still reflect the caring aspect of the season even though I know that they are aware that I am a Christian.
Although Christmas has become more secular and commercial for many, the birth of Jesus Christ remains the reason for the season.
The birth of Jesus Christ remains the reason that we celebrate Christmas. [Photographer: Michelle Scott. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.]
BIBLE VERSE USED IN THIS POSTING
Romans 15:5-6 — 5) May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6) so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)
Romanos 15:5-6 — 5) Pero el Dios de la paciencia y de la consolación os dé entre vosotros un mismo entir según Cristo Jesús, 6) pata que unánimes, a una voz, glorifiquéis al Dios y Padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. (Reina-Valera 1960)
* Please do not use our original photos without our permission. These include photos by Mary Hunt Webb, Morris Webb, Jr., Morris Webb, Sr., C.B. Hunt, and Jennifer Aguirre. Thank you.
It is our hope that you and your loved ones have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! [Source: Ars Vivendi.]
