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<v Steve>Hi, this is Steve Webb, your OG Godcaster.

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<v Steve>You're about to hear the LifeSpring Advent Calendar, which was recorded in 2006.

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<v Steve>It's a daily show which will run right up to Christmas Day,

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<v Steve>so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

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<v Steve>Now, the story of Advent and Christmas is a timeless story, so it doesn't age.

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<v Steve>However, the links and the phone numbers mentioned on the podcast have all changed but one.

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<v Steve>WhyChristmas.com is still current and active,

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<v Steve>and it's the best Christmas information website on the Internet.

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<v Steve>LifeSpringPodcast.com now forwards you to LifeSpringMedia.com.

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<v Steve>And the phone number you'll hear on the show is changed to plus 1-951-732-8511.

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<v Steve>Hello and welcome back.

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<v Steve>I'm Steve Webb, your host, and this is the LifeSpring Advent Calendar, and it's day number four.

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<v Steve>Now, let's see what's behind this door.

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<v Steve>Well, it's an audio Christmas card.

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<v Steve>Hey, someone's organized. Let's see who it's from.

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<v James>To Steve, Leanne, and all the family,

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<v James>I hope you're enjoying doing the Lifespring Advent Calendar with me.

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<v James>Thanks for all your hard work, and happy Christmas.

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<v James>This is James from whychristmas.com.

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<v Steve>Well, thank you, James. That's really nice.

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<v Steve>You know, it's not really work, though. This is fun.

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<v Steve>And there's 21 more to do after this one.

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<v Steve>So, James, you sent this great audio Christmas card.

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<v Steve>Can you tell us about the origins, why we exchange cards at this time of year?

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<v James>Christmas cards are a relatively recent addition to the Christmas festivities,

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<v James>and there's some discussion among Christmas scholars, and yes there are such things,

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<v James>about who sent the first Christmas card.

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<v James>But many, including me, think it was Sir Henry Cole.

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<v James>Sir Henry was a government worker during the early Victorian period,

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<v James>who was very interested in this newfangled public post office over here in Britain,

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<v James>and wondered how it could be more widely used by the general public.

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<v Steve>When was this?

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<v James>The post office was first opened to widespread use in 1840,

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<v James>with the introduction of the penny post stamp.

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<v James>This meant that ordinary people, like you and me, could afford to use the post.

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<v James>Before the introduction of the penny stamp,

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<v James>the post office was really only used by the very, very rich,

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<v James>because it was so expensive.

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<v James>But railways were also becoming more widespread during the UK at this time,

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<v James>and it allowed for much faster postal services.

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<v James>Cards could be posted in an unsealed envelope for only half a penny,

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<v James>and so were very popular in the new post office.

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<v Steve>Okay, so that was 1840.

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<v Steve>When did Sir Henry send the very first card?

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<v James>In 1843, Sir Henry, who also founded what's now the Victorian Albert Museum in London,

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<v James>together with his artist friend John Horsley,

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<v James>designed the first Christmas card and sold a thousand of them for one shilling each.

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<v James>That's about five pence over here, or about three cents in the US,

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<v James>but in Victorian times, a shilling was worth an awful lot more than that.

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<v Steve>Do we know anything about that first card?

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<v James>The first card was made up of three panels, and it caused quite a controversy at the time,

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<v James>as the main centre panel showed a family at a rather lavish Christmas party

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<v James>with young children drinking wine.

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<v James>And the two side panels showed the Christmas spirit,

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<v James>with the poor being fed in one and clothed in the other.

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<v Steve>So did the idea take off right away?

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<v James>Christmas cards became widely produced from the 1860s as printing methods improved,

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<v James>and by the early 1900s the custom had spread throughout Europe

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<v James>and become particularly popular over here in the UK and in Germany.

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<v James>Early cards often featured scenes from the Christmas story

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<v James>and snow scenes were also popular

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<v James>as they'd had a very hard snowy winter over here in 1836.

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<v James>The snow scenes often depicted this winter

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<v James>and you could say it was really the first Christmas nostalgia.

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<v James>However the Victorians also had some very strange tastes in Christmas cards

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<v James>including summer scenes, cards with crosses of them to remind people of Jesus' death as well as his birth,

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<v James>dancing cats and even frogs.

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<v Steve>Frogs? Huh.

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<v Steve>So what about today? Any statistics on how many cards are sent?

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<v James>In the latest US Census, it says that over 1.9 billion, that's billion,

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<v James>season's greetings cards are sent and received in the USA alone each year.

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<v James>Now that's an awful lot of stamps to lick.

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<v Steve>Well thankfully we have self-adhesive stamps here now.

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<v James>With such a large number, it makes me want to get mine sorted out extra early this year.

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<v James>Now where did I put that list?

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<v Steve>This has been day number four of the Lifespring Advent Calendar and I'm Steve Webb.

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<v Steve>The music today was Doug Bolt with Here We Come A Caroling.

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<v Steve>God bless you and remember to get those cards written and in the mail.

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<v Steve>Now I've got to go hang some Christmas lights outside.

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<v Steve>See you tomorrow.

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<v Music>To be loved the whole year through

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<v Music>Let this one gift last forever

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<v Music>It's a love that I get from you

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<v Music>It never gets old

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<v Music>It's a love I need