America’s First Christmas Card
New England Legends Podcast
Jeff Belanger
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2022
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In Episode 279 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the Roxbury section of Boston, Massachusetts, searching for the factory that produced America’s first Christmas cards. Back in 1875, Louis Prang took a chance that Americans might want to send Christmas cards like they do in Europe. His risk paid off. Within a few years 5 million cards per year were leaving his Roxbury factory, and sending holiday cards became an institution. Jeff and Ray wish you the happiest of holidays!
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-279-americas-first-christmas-card/
Listen to our past holiday specials:
Episode 227 - Christmas Witch Sheep of Narragansett - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-227-christmas-witch-sheep-of-narragansett/
The Mistletoe Bride - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/holiday-extra-podcast-the-mistletoe-bride/
Episode 175 - Boston's Christmas Tree - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-175-bostons-christmas-tree/
Episode 122 - New England's First Christmas Tree - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-122-new-englands-first-christmas-tree/
Episode 70 - The Ghost Who Saved Christmas - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-70-the-ghost-who-saved-christmas/
Episode 18 - The Jingle Bells Scandal - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-18-the-jingle-bells-scandal/
Episode 17 - When Boston Banned Christmas - https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-17-when-boston-banned-christmas/
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, Ray, what's you up to? |
| 0:06.8 | Just writing out some Christmas cards. |
| 0:08.7 | Really? I mean, writing actual cards to people? |
| 0:11.8 | Okay, I'm signing the family photo card that we had printed in bulk online. |
| 0:16.2 | Okay, I get it. You know, some people don't even do that. |
| 0:19.2 | They just let the online service print the card, stuff the envelope, print the address from a spreadsheet right on to the envelope, add the stamp, mail it, boom, outsourced holiday cheer. |
| 0:28.4 | Well, it is the thought that counts, right? No, it actually is. And if you can take a break from signing your autograph of that stack of cards there, we need to take a road trip into Boston. |
| 0:37.9 | All right. Where are we going? We're heading to the Roxbury section of Boston to find America's |
| 0:42.8 | first Christmas card. |
| 0:52.2 | Hello, I'm Jeff Belanger, and welcome to episode 279, the Christmas special episode of the New England |
| 0:58.0 | Legends podcast. And I'm Ray Ozier. Thanks for joining us on our mission to chronicle every |
| 1:02.3 | legend in New England one story at a time. We're a community of legend seekers who are always on |
| 1:07.1 | the hunt for the weird and unusual. And we're glad you're with us. We are. If you'd like |
| 1:12.3 | to send us a holiday gift, how about hitting the subscribe button wherever you get your podcast? |
| 1:17.3 | Post a review for us and tell your friends about our show. Now, before we go searching for |
| 1:21.9 | America's first Christmas card, not just New England, all of America, we want to take just a |
| 1:27.0 | minute to tell you about |
| 1:27.8 | our sponsor, Nuwadi Herbles. Now this week, Newadi Irbles founder Rod Jackson has a message for us. |
| 1:33.6 | Take it away, Rod. As another year of successful partnership between Noadi Erbles and New England |
| 1:39.3 | legends draws to a close, we want to wish everyone the gift of good health and happiness this holiday |
| 1:45.5 | season. Merry Christmas from the Nuwati team to all the loyal New England podcast listeners and their |
| 1:52.6 | loved ones. We appreciate Rod, Kimberly, and the whole Nuwati Herbal's team for all their support. |
... |
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