Short Stuff: Christmas Cards

This special Christmas episode dives into the surprisingly fascinating history of Christmas cards, tracing their invention back to Sir Henry Cole, a busy Victorian gentleman who needed a clever way to send holiday greetings to his large circle of friends and acquaintances. The hosts explore how Cole partnered with an artist to create the first Christmas card in 1843, and then follow the tradition as it evolved through penny postage, American printers like Louis Prang, and eventually mass-market giants like Hallmark, all while touching on some eco-friendly alternatives for today's card-sending folks. It's a perfect blend of holiday cheer and surprising historical tidbits that explains why a simple idea from a stressed-out Brit over 180 years ago is still clogging up our mailboxes every December.