Hello, everybody! Gosh, can you believe that it's time for Christmas again? Welcome to our 25 Days Of Christmas, and today we're talking about something everybody knows about but probably hasn't thought about much--Christmas cards!
The first commercially produced Christmas cards were commissioned in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole of London, and showed a family drinking wine and celebrating. Because there was a small child in the picture, this was considered controversial, but the idea 
caught on. The price was right, too--one shilling each! But most early Christmas cards, however, didn't show winter or religious scenes, or even Santa Claus. Instead they showed scenes of fairies or flowers to remind everyone of the oncoming season of Spring. Even more popular were humorous scenes of animals and children, as well as very elaborate shaped and decorated cards. In 1875, Louis Prang introduced Christmas cards to America, and they caught on quickly.
Throughout the 20th century, Christmas cards proved to be very profitable for many stationery manufacturers, and card design continuously evolved with changing tastes and new printing techniques. During the World Wars, many Christmas cards were patriotic in theme. Nostalgic, sentimental, and religious themes are still very popular, and even today, many people who want to send old-style Victorian and Edwardian cards, like the early 
Christmas cards, can still do so.
Today, technology has changed the Christmas card somewhat. Many retailers such as Hallmark offer a line of e-cards that can be sent through email, and these often have animated images and little video games. Some websites even offer such cards for free! But the Christmas card made of paper that is sent in an envelope still continues to be popular; in 2005, 1.9 billion cards were sent in the U.S.!
So the next time you see a Christmas card, think about sending a few out. If you're raised on technology, it might seem silly, but as we monsterkind know, sometimes "Zer Old Vays" do turn out to be the best! Merry Christmas, everybody!
See you tomorrow for more of The MonsterGrrls' 25 Days Of Christmas!
Sincerely,
Frankie Franken
POST-MORTEM: Our images are from Emotions Greeting Cards, who have webpages about the history of Christmas cards and several galleries of old-style cards for all holidays, including Christmas and Halloween! Click here to view and read!
Howdy, y'all! This here's Petronella Nightshade, but if you's new to comin here, most everbody calls me Punkin. Well, I swan if we ain't busy now doin MonsterGrrls' 25 Days Of Christmas, and y'all are most welcome. Some folks is concerned about us bein monsterkind and doin Christmas and such, but we are gettin on fine. Christmas is a happy time for most, and durin the winter when the trees is all bare and everythin's cold, folks need somethin to pick them up.
Today I am here doin a review of a Christmas 
TV show called Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. This show was based on a storybook by Russell and Lillian Hoban, and it was made by Jim Henson, who is the feller what made up the Muppets, and everbody in this show is some kind of Muppet or another. This show has been put out on DVD, but they ain't done it right. It was narrated by that Kermit The Frog, who was Mr. Jim Henson's alter-ego or some such, if you believe in that sort of thing, and the first part of it had old Kermit ridin down the road on a bicycle. But this DVD don't have that in it, and folks writin reviews on Amazon.com has made boocoo noise about this, so I am hopin that they will do one where all that's put back in. It's kinda somethin to see a frog ride a bicycle. You know since their legs is long they could probly get them up some good speed, but all that don't mean nothin until you actually see it.
The story of this show is that Emmet Otter is a little otter feller who lives in a place called Frogtown Hollow and is scrapin up a livin with his widowed Mama, doin odd jobs while she takes in sewin and laundry. Christmas is comin and it's lookin like Emmet and Ma ain't gonna have much celebration cause they can't afford no gifts, until they hear about a talent show in which first prize is fifty dollars. Both Ma Otter and Emmet want to enter the contest and win the money so's they can buy the other'n a nice present for Christmas, but they got to make some hard decisions. Ma needs to get herself some material for a dress, so she goes out and hocks Emmet's tool chest, while Emmet has got to put a hole in Ma's washtub to make a washtub bass so he can play in a jug band with his friends. It's a tough situation when you got to do such as that, and it ain't helpin that there's a gang of bad fellers from Riverbottom playin in the show too, or that Emmet and his band got to change oars in midstream when some other feller plays the song they're goin to play.
Now, I know this don't sound like no pick-me-up show, but it got an uncommon happy endin, so I am thinkin that it is a good Christmas show. Both Ma and Emmet are tryin to do somethin nice for the other, so that is all right cause that is in the Christmas spirit, but it's still kinda hard to watch when Emmet puts a hole in that washtub. The music for the show was writ by Paul Williams, who is a singin and songwritin type feller. The sets and scenery on this show is really somethin to see, and there's all kind of Muppet puppetry goin on, from regular old Muppets to some Muppets up on strings, and most of the other fellers who are always workin with Mr. Jim Henson are here. All in all, even if this DVD done been cut up, what is here is a crackerjack and I am thinkin it is nice for Christmas, but since it ain't got the frog ridin the bicycle, you might want to try to get it as cheap as you can.
So I am done here, and hopin you will turn up tomorrow for the next MonsterGrrls' 25 Days Of Christmas, cause we are doin first one thing and then another just like we was round Halloween time. Blessed be to you all, and Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Petronella Nightshade
Hello, everybody! Gosh, can you believe that it's time for Christmas again? Welcome to our 25 Days Of Christmas, and today we're talking about something everybody knows about but probably hasn't thought about much--Christmas cards!
caught on. The price was right, too--one shilling each! But most early Christmas cards, however, didn't show winter or religious scenes, or even Santa Claus. Instead they showed scenes of fairies or flowers to remind everyone of the oncoming season of Spring. Even more popular were humorous scenes of animals and children, as well as very elaborate shaped and decorated cards. In 1875, Louis Prang introduced Christmas cards to America, and they caught on quickly.
Christmas cards, can still do so.
