Thanksgiving Card History

Celebrating Thanksgiving is one of the most beloved traditions of the year in the United States. The holiday invites individuals to come together with their loved ones, neglect their diets for a day, enjoy the small pleasures of watching parades and football games, and stop to recognize all that they have to be thankful for. Over the years, sending Thanksgiving greeting cards has turned into a wonderful way of expressing appreciation to your family, friends and business associates.

It took some time for Thanksgiving customs to root themselves into the American tradition. Beginning with the Plymouth, Massachusetts harvest festival among pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621, the holiday was recognized only occasionally in the following years. The first official proclamation was issued by President George Washington in 1789 but celebrations were popular mainly in the New England states through the 1800s. But not until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday, did Thanksgiving spread to other parts of the country.

In addition to the usual activities of reuniting with family, attending church and cooking turkey dinners, exchanging greeting cards began to make their way into the rituals of the holiday. There is evidence of Thanksgiving cards from the late 1800s; however, this type of card did not rise in popularity until the early 1920s. In recent years, sending Thanksgiving greeting cards has become much more widespread for personal and professional use. Whether given to parents and other family members, or to fellow employees, vendors and clients, Thanksgiving cards evoke the warmth and gratitude that are in tune with the meaning of the holiday.