One of the holiday traditions brought to you by the Victorian era is the Christmas card. Apparently, Queen Victoria herself sent the first official Christmas card, according to The Postal Museum. In 1883, Sir Henry Cole commissioned the first commercial Christmas card.

The designer was John Callcott Horsley, and the initial print run was for 1,000 cards. Cole used as many as he needed, and sold the rest using a pseudonym. His advertisement read: “Just published. A Christmas Congratulation Card: or picture emblematical of Old English Festivity to Perpetuate kind recollections between Dear Friends.”

The card depicts two acts of charity and a family party with three generations. Even the children were drinking, which was frowned on by the burgeoning temperance movement.

Amazingly, 21 of the cards are left, one of which is at the Postal Museum. Christie’s offered a first-printing edition of a card up for auction in December 2020. Expected to fetch $6,300 to $10,100, the card sold for $17,408. (Image: Christie’s)