The custom of sending Christmas cards started in Britain in 1840 when the first 'Penny Post' public postal deliveries began. As printing methods improved, Christmas cards were produced in large numbers from about 1860. They became even more popular in Britain when a card could be posted in an unsealed envelope for one half-penny - half the price of an ordinary letter. 

Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious pictures - Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today, pictures are often jokes, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in past times.

    发送圣诞卡的风俗开始在英国１８４０年，当第一个"便士邮递"公众邮递系统启动.随着印刷技术的发展,到1860年圣诞卡已经生产很大的数量了.圣诞卡真正在英国受到欢迎是当用半便士就可以发送一张不用密封的信封里的时候.

圣诞卡是祝贺圣诞及新年的贺卡，传统的圣诞卡上面印着关于耶稣降生故事的图画以及宗教性质的照片，发展到今天圣诞卡有很多的各式各样画面图片，像一些幽默的图片，圣诞老人的图片，老式浪漫爱情的图片等等。