Show Pagans Also Sent L New Years Year's Cards Here in America the popular and custom of exchanging New Years Year's greeting cards Is of fairly recent origin but actually the New Years Year's card antedates the themore themore themore more familiar Christmas card by several hundred years With Christmas our grea greatest est national national national na na- na- na holiday most of us are In Inclined inclined inclined in- in to think of New Years Year's as a sort of happy afterthought Th The fact facts Is s it is one of the oldest of festivals ls dating back to pagan times In certain certain certain tain countries of Europe where Christmas is observed as a purely religious festival New Years Year's takes the form of a real feast day and its celebration is marked by rejoicing and the exchange of gifts and greet greet- ings The earliest known New Years Year's greetings were medals marked with good wishes which date back to the reign of the Roman Emperor rt MM f li T w t APPY rr i i IL t eit t 50 1 7 r rr r d And while New Years Year's cards long have been a tradition in China where the technique technique tech tech- of printing was was' invented the first European New Years Year's card we have record of Is of German origin origin origin ori ori- gin dating back to the It depicts the Christ Child and a chest overflowing with good wishes Another Another An An- other card of the same period has hasa a treasure ship as its central design Our present day New Years Year's cards have an impressive history behind them With their festive confetti confetti- colors and Baby New Year Father Father Father Fa ther Time bells and balloons they serve as messages of the good will we feel toward our friends and neighbors and of our hope for A Prosperous and Happy New Year Yearl |