I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. – Charles Dickens

Sending greetings in the form of painted pictures and phrases at the time of Christmas is a centuries old tradition. Christmas Greetings in the present shape of Printed Christmas Cards can in to existence from early 1840s. Since then millions of cards with beautiful illustrations and images are sent globally each year. In this edition of Design Inspirations we are revisiting some of the designs and illustrations that where in existence in the vintage era of Christmas Greeting cards.

All the Christmas Greeting cards showcased here are from a bygone era and we are thankful to those net users who have painfully digitized and stored them on the Internet so that coming generations can enjoy these classic pieces of artwork.