In 1831, a Spanish newspaper in Barcelona began to celebrate Christmas with its readers by printing pictures as a way of promoting lithography. As a result,it became customary to greet the holidays by sending lithographs, or engraved prints. The greetings provided a small space so that people could include a few words along with the picture. In 1870, the addition of color was credited with revolutionizing this form of Christmas greeting. The huge number of workers requesting these cards as part of their Christmas box forced most establishments to post notices declaring "No greeting cards." The Englishman Sir Henry Cole is credited with creating the first Christmas card. In 1843, when he was unable to keep up with writing greeting cards to all his acquaintances, he hired a printer to develop a card with the words: "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." The practice of using this type of card, bearing a likeness of Santa Claus as the central character, became commonplace after 1870.
Christmas baskets, bonuses, lotteries and raffles
Woven Christmas baskets, overflowing with food, are the most recent incarnation of the traditional Christmas box. They date back to the time when peasants used them to carry their Christmas gifts throughout the rural countryside. For many years, raffles have been used as a means of collecting money (asking for the Christmas box) during the Christmas season. In 1857, Spain decreed all raffles to refer to the winning numbers of the Lotería Nacional (National Lottery). Among the most famous special lotteries held every year are the Sorteo de Navidad (Christmas) and the Sorteo del Niño (Epiphany), dating back to 1812 and 1942, respectively. They have become staples of the holidays and it is common for businesses to participate in this activity. In 1526, emperor Charles V of Spain gave his stamp of approval to the lottery, which had existed since the 13th century. It Italy, a form of lotto has been around since 1448. In the Germanic states, lotteries were recorded during the 15th century. The great Elizabethan lottery of England was created in 1568. In some Latin American countries such as Argentina, the Christmas lottery has also become a tradition.
The Presents
With the traditional Christmas box as predecessor, today's Christmas presents have become the most popular part of the holiday, used as a way of transcending religious sentiment. Depending on the country, these presents, especially the ones for children, may be delivered by the Three Kings (Spain, Mexico), Santa Claus (Anglo-Saxon countries and parts of Latin America, such as Argentina) or by the Baby Jesus himself (Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Panama). Some countries (Santo Domingo) use one or more of these figures depending on the region. In many countries, it is traditional to light fireworks or set off pyrotechnical displays while opening presents. In Peru, the children gather in circles to offer a small prayer to the Baby Jesus before opening their presents; then they eat dinner. In Colombia, children receive presents from their godparents on January 6. In Ecuador, gifts are opened after Christmas Eve dinner. In El Salvador, gifts are opened on Christmas day. In Argentina, presents are placed beneath the tree on Christmas Eve at midnight.
Argentina | Brazil | Colombia | Costa Rica | Chile | El Salvador | Guatemala
