17/02/2022
It may surprise you to know that two ancient civilizations were the first to use greeting cards.
In distant times, people in China celebrated the Chinese New Year with written messages of goodwill given to one another. The early Egyptians also created greeting cards. These were written on papyrus, an early writing surface similar to thick paper, and rolled into scrolls.
The next record of cards being made and exchanged is actually many centuries later. Historians confirm these were made in Germany around the year 1400. They were printed using woodcuts, a relief printmaking technique where the artist carved the card's design into a wood-block surface. These cards were used to send New Year's greetings.
A short while later, the use of handmade greeting cards started to spread right across Europe. Interestingly, during the 1400s it was mainly Valentine's Day cards that were exchanged. The British Museum has in its collection what is believed to be the oldest existing Valentine card. It was created in 1415 by a French nobleman. Charles, Duke of Orléans, was captured by the British during the Hundred Years' War and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He wrote a love poem for his wife that begins, 'I am already sick of love, My very gentle Valentine'.
