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Holiday History

Englishman Henry Cole conceived the idea of Christmas cards in 1843. Too busy to write a personal holiday greeting, Cole hired well-known London artist, John Calcott Horsley, to design a card he could send to all his acquaintances.

Louis Prang, a German immigrant, is credited with bringing the idea of Christmas cards to America. In 1875 he printed a card that showed Killarney roses and the words “Merry Christmas”.

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