Victorian Christmas Greeting Card with Turkey & Child, 1890s

Dressed in a pale blue outfit and matching bonnet, this suspiciously calm child sits beside a full-grown turkey who has apparently taken it upon himself to present a December 25th calendar — a turkey cheerfully advertising the date of his own inevitable demise being precisely how one conveys 'God Bless Your Christmas'. The bird's magnificent fanned tail dominates the right side of the composition while the child leans casually against what appears to be an autumnal cornucopia situation on the left, completely unbothered by the existential horror of the scene. A small dark dog lurks in the background, presumably the only witness sane enough to look alarmed. The whole tableau reads as a fever dream collaboration between the Thanksgiving and Christmas lobbies, sealed with holly berries and the unshakeable confidence that this is fine.