Image from https://www.meisterdrucke.ie/fine-art-prints/English-School/839025/A-Victorian-Christmas-Card-of-an-Insect,-Stag-Beetle-and-Scroll-on-Which-is-a-Christmas-Message.html

Dear Readers, when the Christmas card was first invented it was quite the novelty: the first ones were sent out in 1843 (commissioned by Sir Henry Cole, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum) but they became really popular by the 1870s. These were the days when you could expect to receive 5 postal deliveries in a day: Dickens could write a letter in the morning, and get a reply by the afternoon. Almost as good as email! But the Victorians really embraced the Christmas card, and it’s nice to see that our insect friends got star billing in a way that seems rather macabre to us today. The happy stag beetle and cheery dragonfly in the card shown above date back to 1880.

Stag beetles dancing with a frog while a fly plays the tambourine? Why not? Plus there are hosts of mayflies in the background. Often frogs suffered a grisly end, but let’s hope this particular beach dance ended happily for all concerned.

From the scrapbook of Mary Cowden-Clarke – University of Leeds Library https://leedsunilibrary.wordpress.com/2021/12/15/the-changing-styles-of-christmas-cards-from-the-victorian-age-to-the-early-20th-century/

Nothing says ‘Christmas’ more than a cicada about to be eaten by a praying mantis, with a quote from Othello in the top corner.

Dung Beetle carrying a sprig of holly

Here, a dung beetle gets into the festive mood by shouldering a huge sprig of holly through a snowstorm.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1272459714706148&set=pcb.1272460281372758

And here, a poor gnome is ambushed by a giant stag beetle. It seems that the Victorians were much more familiar with stag beetles than we are, because they seem to be something of a favourite Christmas insect.

And how about these infants terrorised by a giant hornet/bee hybrid? Tis the stuff of nightmares! Happy New Year to you too!

I know a lobster isn’t an insect, but it is an invertebrate, so here’s a mouse riding a lobster…

And this one, finally, is pretty rather than macabre, with a warning to all those ‘bah humbug’ types who look askance at merry-making. I do wonder whether this particular card was ever sent to some dyspeptic uncle, or miserable Scrooge-like cousin? Or maybe to a much-chastised, boisterous niece or nephew? I fear we will never know.