The thought of Christmas brings a smile to our faces. After all, who does not wish to be presented with beautiful Christmas cards and invitations that bright up the festivities to a great extent!

But then, do you have any idea how it all started? How and when did people start the custom of sending cards on Christmas Day? The following paragraphs – evidenced from history, numerical facts and anecdotes – provide an insight into some interesting facts about these Christmas cards.

Ancient China was probably one of the first countries to have started the custom of sending messages of goodwill to near and dear ones. As per recorded evidence, Germans were producing cards as early as the 15^th century. However, the origin of Christmas cards is attributed to the young boys of England. Centuries ago, they used to make cards for their parents on Christmas Day.

In the year 1843, Sir Henry Cole commissioned the first commercial Christmas cards in London. A simple, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You" was found on the inside of each card, thereby indicating the onset of Christmas greetings in a new, innovative fashion at that time.

In the USA, the first commercial Christmas cards were produced by Louis Prang. In fact, he is regarded as the creator of the greeting card industry in the United States. As these cards grew in popularity, they became the preferred means of sending Christmas invitations to friends and family.

The White House, under the presidency of Eisenhower, issued its first official Christmas card in the year 1953. In the year 2005, the White House sent more than 1.4 million official Christmas wishes through greeting cards.

Christmas cards and invitations are by far the most popular cards of a season; they account for 60% of all card sales. Each one of us wishes to send a personalized invitation card containing a special message to our dear ones on the occasion of Christmas. Inviting Invitations is a renowned online portal that allows you to send your own