What would Sir Henry Cole think if he could see us sending our social greetings to one another via social media? Sir Henry is the chap who sent the first Christmas card in 1843 and kicked off the tradition, selling his creations for one shilling a piece (that's 5p or 8 cents to you and me!). When the cost of sending these fabulous creations became affordable for the masses in 1870, the tradition spread and it is only in the last few years of this century that we are starting to see a decline in Christmas card sending. Why? Because of the internet - and more specifically, social media. How easy has it become to wish a happy Christmas to everyone we know - all at the same time? Even sending personalised messages has become much more simple with the advent of social media. Just a few taps of the keyboard, a click of the mouse and your greetings are with their recipient, awaiting an instant response.
Perhaps this simply means that we are lazier than we were 5 years ago, or maybe there is simply an expectation that this is how things are done these days. Either way, there is no disputing the evidence. In the study depicted in this infographic, LoveMyVouchers have found that their newsletter subscribers are definitely sending less Christmas cards, and friends are the most likely group of people to receive social media messages as opposed to traditional cards.
