Aubrey Vincent Beardsley
British (1872 - 1898) Primary

Christmas Card - The Savoy

1896

4 x 5.75 in. (10.16 x 14.605 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• Christian holidays - Days of celebration observed by followers of Christianity.
• Christianity - Refers to the world religion and culture that developed in the first century CE, driven by the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Its roots are in the Judaic tradition and the Old Testament. The tenets include a belief in the death and redemptive resurrection of Jesus. The religion incorporates a tradition of faith, ritual, and a form of church authority or leadership.
• Christmas - Refers to the Christian feast and festival observed on December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Its observance is first documented in Rome in 336. The practice of celebrating on December 25 began in the 4th century in the Western church as a Christian replacement for the pagan festival held on the winter solstice to celebrate the birth of the unconquered sun. The East originally gave the date of January 6 for the nativity but the date of December 25 was generally accepted by the 5th century; the Armenian Church, however, still celebrates on January 6. Christmas took on the festivity (i.e. decorations and gift-giving) of the Roman Saturnalia and other pagan festivals of that time of year. Christmas has continued to accumulate traditions over the centuries; many of the customs associated with the holiday are of non-Christian origin. Evergreens, for example, are symbols of survival and have been associated with Christmas ever since the European Middle Ages. Christmas is traditionally regarded as a festival of the family and of children. In many countries presents are exchanged in the name of or in the spirit of the holiday's patron, Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus.
• Christmas cards - Greeting cards that are sent or given as expressions of goodwill at Christmastime. The first Christmas cards were made in the 1840s in England. The tradition is followed in all English-speaking countries and the practice is growing in many others.