Greeting cards at New Year's

French have for habit and tradition to send out greeting cards for the new year. They rarely send Christmas greeting cards, but rather these "cartes de voeux" (voeux meaning wishes).

Traditionally, the French would go and visit friends, neighbors, family, business associates, even the poorer folk in the village during the first 15 days of January. As people moved more and as businesses set up branch offices all over the country, people started to send their personal "cartes de visit" around during January. These business or personal cards slowly developped into decorative cards. This trend started in the 17th Century in France.

Now it's acceptable to send cartes de voeux up through the end of January. Most people send e-cards but older people appreciate getting cards in the mail.

Here are some examples of early cartes de voeux.

Embroidered



A favorite from the 50s. Click to enlarge.




The growing use of greeting cards in January started to happen during the last years of the reign of Louis XIV, as shown by the poet La Monnoye in this ode to a carte de voeux. (the translation is my poor attempt in making this poem accessible to you all.)


Often, however light, I leave with the person who carries me,
Just a word in my own way is worth a long speech;
I have started to use, under the Great Louis,
those thin, long, flat, narrow cards of a delicate tissue.

The fingers of the less wise treat me badly;
calling me a thousand different names, I appear every day;
to surprised gentlemen I'm a great help;
Le Louvre (the king's palace) never sees my face at its door.

A rude, rough hand comes most of the time
to take from my hand to the most honnest people.
Private, administration, I'm born for the city life.

In the hardest of winters, I always have a naked back
And, however useful, as soon as they've seen me,
I'm neglected and I become garbage.