by Poppy, age 8, asks who invented Christmas cards, about the Thames Estuary, and Big Ben’s symbolism
Dear Santa,
Hello again from London. My name is Poppy and I am 8 years old. My gran makes me sit down every year and write out proper Christmas cards for the whole family, in my very best handwriting, and I always wonder who on earth thought of sending a little card with a picture and a wish inside in the first place.
My first question is: who came up with the idea of sending Christmas wishes on a card?
My second question is geography: what is the River Thames like at its widest point in London?
My third question is from school: why is Big Ben such an important symbol of London?
I left you a mince pie and a small glass of sherry, gran’s recipe, obviously.
Love, Poppy, age 8, London, England
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Poppy, gran’s mince pie recipe is a proper classic, thank you both. Now, to solve the mystery of the Christmas card, and your other questions.
Who came up with sending Christmas wishes on a card?
Credit for the very first Christmas card usually goes to a man named Henry Cole, right there in London, back in 1843. He was a very busy man who wanted a quick, polite way to send holiday greetings to friends and colleagues, so he commissioned an artist to design a printed card showing a family celebrating together, with the simple wish, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, printed inside. He had a thousand copies made and sold, and the idea caught on so well that Christmas cards soon became a beloved tradition across Britain and eventually the whole world. So every card you write in your very best handwriting traces back to one busy Londoner looking for a shortcut.
What is the River Thames like at its widest point?
Near the Thames Estuary, where the river finally meets the sea, it stretches remarkably wide, several kilometres across in places, a very different sight from the narrower, bridge-lined stretch that flows through central London near you.
Why is Big Ben such an important symbol of London?
Big Ben, and the clock tower it sits within, has chimed reliably over London since the 1850s, surviving wars and enormous changes to the city around it. Its steady, familiar bell has become a symbol of dependability and tradition, instantly recognised around the world as a shorthand for London itself.
Keep writing those cards, and I shall see you very soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
