Christmas Cards ; Holiday Trappings Have Changed, but Spirit of the Season Hasn't; Cause for Celebration

Summary

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The custom of exchanging Christmas cards with faraway friends and relatives was boosted during World War II.

While cards produced during the Depression of the 1930s demonstrated the hard times of that era, with Santa appearing with holes in his boots and pack, World War II brought patriotic messages to the fore.

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Extract

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Christmas Cards ; Holiday Trappings Have Changed, but Spirit of the Season Hasn't; Cause for Celebration

Cards showed Santa Claus and Uncle Sam carrying flags. Messages like "Missing You" and "Across the Miles" were created especially for servicemen fighting overseas.

During the Vietnam War era, days the American soldier again made an appearance on holiday cards in khaki Army fatigues. During the next decade, signs of peace predominated.

Peace was also a theme on holiday cards during the latter half of the 1990s, following the Persian Gulf War.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, cards incorporated traditional holiday images like wreaths and snowmen wrapped in red, white ...

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