Before
the postcard was invented in 1869, the only commercial cards available were
for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. These were expensively produced and therefore
were not available to the majority of the population. However, towards the end
of the 19th century the potential of the postcard was recognised and a wide
range of them were produced as greetings cards for many different celebrations.
These were an instant success as they were attractive and affordable.
This card with a unusual image of ‘cabbage babies’ was published by M Ettlinger & Co. Ltd. It is a well-known firm that produced postcards from 1902 to 1916.
Did you know?
Easter is the most important date in the Christian calendar. It is the time when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This year Easter Sunday will be celebrated on 31 March. Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 20, the nominal date of the Spring It can fall on any date from March 22 to April 25. Easter gets its name from Eastre (Eostre), the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and dawn.
Her festival was celebrated at the Spring Equinox. As the festival of Eostre was a celebration of the renewal of life in the spring it seemed logical to make it the time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The theme of new birth and growth provided the origins of the Easter symbols of eggs, chicks and rabbits. It was believed that the goddess Eostre could transform herself into a hare. Hares were associated with the moon, with women and with fertility. This is where the origins of the Easter Bunny come from. The modern name for the female hormone oestrogen is also derived from the word Eostre.