They are distributed by the hundreds as the holidays approach, carefully prepared for weeks beforehand. Christmas cards from politicians have become a real tradition. And when we fly over them, it is the whole evolution of society that parades before our eyes. No one embodies this phenomenon more than Pierre Elliott Trudeau, over the course of his fifteen years in power.
These cards, however, have been slow to become as festive as the occasion they celebrate. It took decades before the Prime Ministers of Canada and Quebec dared to show off themselves, dressed in a comforting woolen sweater, to wish their constituents a Merry Christmas. “The multicolored, joyful Christmas cards, they existed commercially since the end of the 19th century.e century. But politicians didn’t use them because it was considered in bad taste,” explains the curator of political history at the Canadian Museum of History, Xavier Gélinas, who had fun analyzing those of prime ministers for the account of Homework.
Mackenzie King therefore still sent in 1935 a simple black and white announcement, without signature or even a simple drawing evoking Christmas (photo 1). At most he addressed, in his word written in the third person, his “best wishes”.
The monotony of the Prime Minister’s cards was broken by the appearance of the wives, after the Canadian political sphere had resisted as much as possible “American-style presidentialization”. John Diefenbaker was the first to give in, posing all smiles with his wife, Olive, and their dog, in front of the fireplace (photo 2). In Quebec, Jean Lesage revolutionized the genre and did the same alongside his spouse, Corinne, whose name “young girl” was erased as was customary at the time (photo 3).
“We are moving from a society of writing to a society of images,” observes Alain Lavigne, professor in the department of information and communication at Université Laval.
The family redefined under Trudeau
Once this breach was created, at the turn of the 1960s, “the dam jumped”, comments Mr. Gélinas. “We saw the children, the dogs, and even the tie started to disappear. We descend into the abyss of familiarity. »
The proximity strategy was deliberate. “A bit like declaring a Christmas truce,” explains the historian.
The first of these children will have been Justin Trudeau. The baby of the time alone occupies his father’s card, signed The First Christmas from the father’s hand (photo 4). “The first marketing image campaign of the current Prime Minister”, notes Xavier Gélinas.
The Trudeau family will also embody, over the terms of the father, this new relationship of politics with the public. The young wife, Margaret Trudeau, is thus amply highlighted (photo 5). Other family photos will follow each year, presenting the other two children. Then comes the separation of the parents and now Pierre Elliott Trudeau presents himself alone, as a single parent, alongside his sons. A reality, divorce, which would once have been hidden.
This tradition of family photos still continues today at the federal level. In Quebec, Lucien Bouchard (photo 6) and Jean Charest, both from the federal scene, maintained it. But Mr. Charest will be the last prime minister to pose with his family, then as a duo with his wife Michèle Dionne (photo 7). His successors favored anonymous cards featuring works of art or photos of iconic buildings.
Good — and less good — shots
On a few occasions, Christmas cards have raised eyebrows or outright caused a little controversy.
Justin Trudeau, now an adult and MP for Papineau, sent one of his first cards in 2010 by photographing himself with his wife, Sophie, and their first two children, bundled up in coats and a coyote fur blanket (photo 8). Animal rights groups had risen up. The young politician defended himself and said he was proud to “defend Canadian products”.
The couple Jean Charest and Michèle Dionne caused a small scandal in 2009, because their photo – successful in their case – had been taken from the balcony of the Price building by Heidi Hollinger and had generated a hefty bill of 3406 dollars, including $150 from Photoshop.
Brian Mulroney had also presented a nice family photo, in 1985, with the parents and their four children gathered on the stairs of their residence. But when developed, the shot revealed a misplaced foot of Caroline Mulroney, which looked almost dismembered (photo 13).
In 2015, the candidate for the leadership of the Parti Québécois Bernard Drainville had, for his part, taken advantage of the tradition to denounce the fate reserved for politicians. “To all those who are looking for the opportunity to plant me, here it is”, we read on the card of the former PQ player who has since become minister of the CAQ. Inside was a sachet of balsam fir seeds with the injunction “Plant me!” (picture 10).
From Christmas to Hanukkah
Beyond the image, the wishes have also adapted to the times or have resisted them. Thus, the traditional “Merry Christmas” remains attached to the cards of Quebec prime ministers, despite the debate on secularism. “I see the word ‘Christmas’ on Philippe Couillard’s card, which was said to have very little identity (photo 11), observes Xavier Gélinas. And I see “Happy Holidays” on that of François Legault, who is nevertheless said to be the champion of identity (photo 12). Go try to understand! »
The CAQ head of government still wished “Merry Christmas” inside his cards. It is different on the federal scene.
“The word Christmas is becoming rare [à Ottawa], although the Christmasesque imagery remains,” explains Xavier Gélinas. This taboo expression was replaced in the 1980s by the generic “Best wishes”. Stephen Harper briefly brought back “Merry Christmas” by juxtaposing Jewish Hanukkah with it.
Quebec premiers also set themselves apart from their federal counterparts by their “message to the nation”. In 1994, Jacques Parizeau evoked the upcoming referendum on independence in this way: “Quebec approaches the new year with determination, assurance and confidence in its future”. The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Lucien Bouchard, goes even further by encouraging his recipients to talk about politics around the turkey. “Each of us will have, either with his family, his friends or his neighbours, to discuss the decision that we will have to make during the referendum. »
I see the word Christmas on Philippe Couillard’s card, which was said to have very little identity. And I see “Happy Holidays” on that of François Legault, who is nevertheless said to be the champion of identity. Go try to understand!
François Legault walks in the footsteps of his predecessors by evoking the pandemic of COVID-19. “I am so proud of everything our beautiful nation has accomplished this year,” he wrote last year.
The messages are much more succinct at the federal level, because they are aimed at a more heterogeneous population in terms of language, ethnicity and region, notes Mr. Gélinas. Add to that bilingualism. “It is a factor that encourages the authors of the maps to be brief in their speeches. »
Rare collections
Ephemeral in nature, politicians’ Christmas cards have attracted little attention from collectors. The Canadian Museum of History has only about sixty, compared to twenty for the library of the National Assembly, including those of private members.
One of historian Xavier Gélinas’ favorite cards ended up in the collection because its recipient had treasured it. Mackenzie King had sent a Christmas note to all prisoners of war during the Second World War, and it was a survivor who gave his 69 years later to Stephen Harper, who then entrusted it to the museum. “All of Canada unites in extending warm greetings and best wishes to you,” Prime Minister King signed by hand in 1943 (photo 14).
The absence of a date on other cards also complicates the work of a collector. “Louis-Alexandre Taschereau doesn’t even sign his card! exclaims Alain Lavigne. Conversely, Daniel Johnson Sr. stands out by writing his entire message in 1966 (photo 9).
The arrival of the automated signature makes these small personalized words rarer. Those that François Legault and Justin Trudeau take the trouble to write today testify all the more to the importance of the privileged recipient in the eyes of the head of government. At the time of this writing, The duty had still not received his Christmas card from the Premier of Quebec.