Chain letters have this name because in the past they were used to send religious messages with the suggestion to recite prayers in honor of Saint Anthony. However, the name chain of letters is used only in Italy, in other countries they are simply called “chains of letters”. Although they already existed before the advent of the internet and mobile phones, they have spread especially in recent decades because the development of telecommunications has made the circulation of messages rapid and cost-free. Most often the chains are just a nuisance, but sometimes they can contain scams or misleading messages.
What is a chain letter
The chain letter is a system for spreading messages. It consists of sending the message to a recipient, inviting him to transmit it in turn to one or more people: the message thus “becomes viral”, in the sense that it spreads like a virus. In this way, it gets widespread circulation, until the recipients stop forwarding it and the chain “breaks”. Originally, chain letters were developed by ordinary mail but currently, thanks to technological advances, they circulate mainly electronically: telephone messages, emails, social media.
Why they are called that: the origin of the name
The name Catena di Sant’Antonio derives from the fact that in Italy the first messages of this type had a religious function and bore the indication “Recite three Hail Marys to Sant’Antonio”. According to some sources, the chains bearing this message spread already at the beginning of the 20th century, according to others only after the Second World War. What is certain is that the letters, in general, promised great fortunes to those who forwarded the message, while they threatened misfortune for those who, by receiving it and not forwarding it, broke the chain.
The name Catena di Sant’Antonio is used only in Italy. In other languages they are known simply as letter chains: chain letters in English, chain of letters in French, cadena de mensajes in Spanish, etc.
Message chains for ordinary mail
The chains already circulated by ordinary mail, since the first years in which national postal services were established, despite the fact that at the time it was necessary to copy messages manually and pay the postage of letters. As we have seen, the first chains were of a religious nature, and spread not only in Europe, but also in the Islamic world. Furthermore, during the First World War the sending of prayers for peace became habitual, but it was opposed by military commands and governments because it was considered a form of defeatist propaganda. In the 1930s the chains experienced greater success. In 1934, sending letters inviting people to copy a message and forward it became popular in Italy, promising great fortunes to those who did so. The chain, however, was blocked by the police, who prohibited the transmission of the messages. In the same years, in the United States, “send-a-dime letters” became popular, inviting people to send a dime (dime) to a person and add their name to a list of possible recipients. After the Second World War similar letters also spread to Italy.
Over the years, organizing chains became easier, in particular due to the spread of photocopiers, thanks to which it was no longer necessary to copy the message by hand.
Chain letters in the age of the internet and mobile phones
The real boom in chain letters has occurred in recent years thanks to the spread of new telecommunications systems. Sending messages, in fact, is now much easier and cheaper than in the past: text messages, messaging applications such as Whatsapp, e-mail and social networks allow you to send messages at no cost and with minimal effort. As a result, chain letters became enormously popular. Sometimes these are simple well-wishing messages (“send this message to five other people and in two hours you will receive a great fortune”, or something like that) which, although useless, are essentially harmless. Their only negative effect is to fuel the circulation of unwanted messages. In some cases, the chains promise the receipt of money. For example: “Today Whatsapp turns 10 and gives you a gift. Send this message to 10 people and you will receive 100 euros”. Such cases are hoaxes rather than frauds. However, on other occasions chain letters are real scams: an example are the fake humanitarian appeals for non-existent emergencies, which invite not only to forward the message, but also to donate money. In other cases, they are used to convey false information, sometimes making people believe that alleged “strong powers” hinder the information of the truth: for example, “vaccines kill. Get it out there before pharmaceutical lawsuits censor”, and similar nonsense.
