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Greeting cards

Traditionally, people have sent greetings cards to connect with friends and family, marking important life moments and celebrations such as religious festivals and events.

By collecting people’s greetings cards and stories of different religious celebrations we seek to better understand how people use the post to connect during these moments.

Below are details of our current projects. This work is part of a our wider commitment to collect materials and experiences reflective of the UK’s diverse communities and cultures.

Diwali card designed by The Card Wala Co. On the front of the card is printed 'A Social Distan-Singh / type of DIWALI'. The front of the card features a green background, against which three illustrated yellow and orange fireworks are exploding. In the bottom centre of the design is an illustrated face of an Asian man with a beard wearing a yellow turban. He is wearing sunglasses, in which are reflected two small oil lamps.
Diwali card designed by The Taste Buds and distributed through Thortful. The front of the card features an illustration of an anthropomorphised khandvi [indian savoury snack] with a sad facial expression, sat next to an oil lamp. The accompanying printed text reads 'Why khandvi / celebrate together / this year?'
Covid-19 Diwali Card, designed by The Taste Buds and distributed through Thortful. (2021-0017/4)
Hannukkah card depicting two Jewish children sitting at a table. The girl is lighting eight candles in a Menorah, which is decorated with the star of David in the centre. In the background of the scene are hills, trees and a moon. Message on the front reads: 'Just for you at Chanukah!'.
'Just for you at Chanukah!' Hanukkah Card, American Greetings Cleveland and Carlton Cards. (OB1995.671/2)
Hanukkah card depicting a blue background with six window scenes in pale blue, violet and yellow colours. Each window shows candles and sweets. Message on the front reads: 'To the whole family - Happy Hanukkah'.
'To the whole family - Happy Hanukkah' Card, American Greetings Cleveland and Carlton Cards. (OB1995.671/3)
Hanukkah card depicting a star of David in the centre, surrounded by heart shaped and circular patterns
'Happy Hanukkah' Card, Carlton Cards - Toronto, Ontario and American Greetings Cleveland. (OB1995.671/1)
Hanukkah card. Card has a white background and a gold border. At the bottom is a blue and pink sparkling circle with eight smaller white candles, and one larger white candle in the centre. Around the circle is the message: 'Happy Chanukah'.
'Happy Chanukah' Hanukkah Card, American Greetings, Cleveland and Carlton Cards. (OB1995.671/4)

Do you celebrate Ramadan, Diwali, Hannukah or other religious festivals?

Have you received a religious greetings card, postcard or letter? Perhaps you received a gift or ordered something for your celebrations that arrived through the post? If so, we want to hear from you.

To take part we would like you to suggest an object from your celebration sent or received via the post that you would like to donate to the museum. We are interested in:

  • Letters, greeting or postcards marking religious celebrations that you have sent or received.
  • Parcel packaging that contained items relating to your celebration.

We are interested in what the contents of these cards, letters or parcels have meant to you.

If you have an object or story you would like to donate, find out more about the process at the end of this page.

Why are you only collecting materials from certain religious festivals?

We currently have an extensive range of both Christmas and Easter cards, historic and recent, in our collection. We are hoping to expand our collections of cards and postal materials to be more reflective of the UK’s diverse communities and cultures.

Our current areas of collecting are part of a wider project to gather materials from a range of religious festivals and ceremonies that are celebrated in part through cards, letters and other materials sent via the post.

Do you have an object you would like to donate?

If you have something you would like to donate to us, please get in touch. Our Collections team will be in touch and will explain the process of donating an object or story, as well as our policies for contemporary collecting.

Get in touch