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The Conversation
The Conversation
Christopher Ferguson, Associate Professor of History, Auburn University

How nostalgia led to the invention of the first Christmas card

The first Christmas card with the words 'A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You." Artist John Callcott Horsley via Wikimedia Commons

It’s a common seasonal refrain: “Christmas just isn’t like it used to be.”

This is not a new complaint. History shows that Christmas traditions are just as subject to change as any other aspect of human societies, and when customs change, there are always some who wish they could turn back the clock.

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