One of the great Star Wars traditions that Lucasfilm began in 1977 and continued with the various Lucas companies through 2013 was issuing company Christmas cards, frequently with Star Wars themed designs. These cards were made available to company employees and sent to members of the cast and crew involved in the production, marketing, and licensing of the Star Wars movies. In the early years, renowned conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie designed several cards based on Star Wars characters Yoda, R2-D2, and C-3PO. McQuarrie continued designing Lucasfilm cards through 1995. John Alvin's "Concert Poster" art was used for the 1978 US card while McQuarrie's shopping trip with the droids was used for the 1978 UK card.
In later years other artists created unique and clever Star Wars themed cards for the Lucas companies, and by the mid 1990's all of the Lucas companies (Lucasfilm, Lucas Licensing, Lucas Learning, Lucasarts, Lucas Digital/ILM, JAK Films) were issuing separate cards.
The Lucas companies merged their cards into a single company card starting in 2003, and this practice continued until 2013, which was the last year they made printed cards for company employees. Starting in 2014, Lucasfilm began using online cards in place of the printed cards from years past.
For quick reference to many of the Lucas company holiday cards, check out these entries on the Star Wars Collectors Archive:
1978 US Christmas Card (John Alvin Concert Art)
1978 UK Christmas Card (Droids Shopping by Ralph McQuarrie)
1979 Christmas Card (C-3PO Santa and R2-D2 with Antlers by Ralph McQuarrie)
1980 Christmas Card (Toy Workshop by Ralph McQuarrie)
1981 Christmas Card (Santa Yoda by Ralph McQuarrie, blue background)
1981 Christmas Card (Santa Yoda by Ralph McQuarrie, white background)
1982 Christmas Card (Santa Yoda on Sleigh by Ralph McQuarrie)
1983 Christmas Card (Ewok Santa by Ralph McQuarrie)
1984 Christmas Card (Ewoks watching Santa in the Sky by Ralph McQuarrie)
1985 Christmas Card (Droids and Ewoks Party by Ralph McQuarrie)
1986 Christmas Card (Ewoks building C-3PO Snowman)
1994 Christmas Card (Jawas with Presents by Ralph McQuarrie)
1995 Christmas Card (Cantina Band Snowglobe by Ralph McQuarrie)
1995 LucasArts Christmas Card (Death Star Ornament)
Lucas Licensing Christmas Card
1998 R2-D2 & C-3PO '...Trust A Strange Computer' Lucasfilm Internet Holiday Card
1999 Lucas Digital Christmas Card (Jar Jar’s Tongue Stuck to Pole)
1999 Lucasfilm Christmas Card (Caroling Pod Racers)
2000 Lucas Learning Christmas Card (Queen Amidala Christmas Tree)
2000 Lucasfilm Christmas Card (Sleds with Podracing Engines)
2001 Lucasfilm Christmas Card (Chewbacca with Kids)
2002 Lucas Digital Christmas Card (Yoda with Candle)
2002 LucasArts Christmas Card (Game Characters on Motorcycle)
2002 Lucasfilm Christmas Card (Yoda ‘No Two Alike’)
2003 Lucas Companies Christmas Card (Yoda looking at Costellation)
2004 Lucas Companies Snowflakes Christmas Card
2005 Lucasfilm Christmas Card (Golden Gate Bridge)
2007 Lucas Companies (Pop-Up Caroling Stormtroopers) Christmas Card
2009 Lucas Companies Ginger Clones Card
2010 Lucas Companies Darth Vader Dove Holiday Card
2011 Lucas Companies Jabba the Snowman Holiday Card
2012 Christmas Card (Retro Santa Yoda by Ralph McQuarrie)
2013 Christmas Card (Caroling Bounty Hunters)
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