Just had to share this article on the BBC - really made me laugh:-
5 Likes
That’s hilarious! Perhaps someone on Folksy should revive the tradition 
i love them ! they are great - not sure about the dead robin though…
1 Like
I confess my partner and i get our cards printed with one of his photos and we rarely go for anything christmassy - this year its about as festive as we get with a shot of a penguin (no snow/ winter scene as a back ground as it was in New Zealand so about 20C and sunny). In previous years we have used abstract shots of sculptures or architecture and run a guess what it is competition but I shall have to get him to track down some murderous animals for next year…
I’d buy them! I particularly like the sinister clown creeping up on the unfortunate police officer!
Yes, that one is very sad. I wonder if it is to do with the rhyme/song “Who killed cock robin?”
Oh, I always like the ‘different’ cards best. One of our friends always sends a print of one of his paintings of the Welsh landscape - beautiful.
Horrid ideas, but quite like the illustration of the dead robin, although Id hate to receive it as a card.
I made some cards this yerar with a Victorian theme, eg black and white images of females in star dresses, wands. But not sure if theyd be popular. Better than a dead bird I guess.
They sound interesting! :o)
@FireHorseTextiles Here is a piccy. I like them but no sure if others would. The text on the left is Christmassy.
1 Like
I love them! You could always list them as ‘Alternative’ Christmas Cards next year. I’ll look out for them :o)
Yep, hopefully il get my act together by next Christmas,… just liked Id planned to do back in January for this Christmas.
1 Like
Love them. The Victorians are fascinating.
I spoke about my theory on the dead robin one to someone not long ago, it’s just my theory.
There’s a superstition that states that a Robin coming into your home is a sign that death is coming soon. They’re not seen as evil- more like angels, coming to tell you that your time is coming soon.
My nain absolutely hated receiving cards with Robins on them because of the superstition.
I wondered if the dead Robin was meant to be a comforting image- like… you’re safe over Christmas or something.
1 Like
Interesting theory - I hadn’t heard of that.
It’s quite likely the Victorians were not as squeamish about death as we are nowadays. They lived in an age when the majority of their children would not live past their fith birthday, so the experience of continually burying close relatives must have toughened them up a bit. I imagine that these were considered humorous in their day. I certainly had a good laugh at them, especially the lady popping out of the snowman’s belly. Very “Monty Python.”
Love Sam x
1 Like
Good point, Sam
I’m sure that they found them as funny as we do. I expect that we could find equally unlikely Christmas subjects on modern day cards.
Julia x
1 Like
…and I am also bound to say that many of the “snowman” ones are about Christmas defeating Jack Frost. I think that is also the theme of the one with the two ladies rolling the old man in a giant snowball. Winter must have seemed much harder and more terrifying with snow every December through to January and no central heating!
Love Sam x