One week for Christmas! It is great news for those who enjoy the associated traditions in a pagan or more religious way. Sending and giving christmas cards is one of such traditions.

It has always startled me the amount of card shops around. Christmas cards can actually be the most popular of them all.

Some interesting facts about their history in UK as follows. Good infographic below too.

• The first Christmas cards as we know them were made in the fourteenth century.
• It is thought that the first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole, the first director of the V&A museum in London.
• Early Christmas cards favoured flowers, fairies or were humorous, rather than religious or winter scenes.
• `Official´Christmas cards in UK began in the Victorian era, when the population was increasingly mobile.
• Today, it is estimated that 45% of all cards sent during the year are Christmas cards.
• 1.5 million Christmas cards were sent in UK only in 2010, despite the digital era.
• Only 15% are actually bought by men.
• It is estimated that 50 million pounds is raised each year for charities in UK.

By Moo