The first commercial Christmas card is generally agreed to have been the one illustrated above.  The card had a hostile reception from some people because:

The card was the brainchild of Sir Henry Cole, a leading cultural light in Victorian England who was later to become director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, among many other accomplishments.  The card was painted by John Calcott Horsley.  It depicts a family feast, under which appear the words, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You".  Side panels illustrate Christmas charity - feeding and clothing the poor.