Fun Stuff > Legends and Oddities > Greeting Cards Legends And Oddities

GREETING CARDS LEGENDS AND ODDITIES

The Greeting Card
A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card usually featuring a message of greeting or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent on 'non-occasions' to say 'hello' or 'thank you'. Greeting cards, usually packaged with an envelope, come in a variety of styles, are manufactured and/or hand-made by hundreds of companies big and small.

Greeting Cards Description
Greeting Cards are illustrated, folded card usually feature a message of greeting or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent on 'non-occasions' to say 'hello' or 'thank you'. Greeting cards, usually packaged with an envelope, come in a variety of styles, are manufactured and/or hand-made by hundreds of companies big and small.

Greeting Cards History
The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, who exchanged messages of good will to celebrate the New Year, and to the early Egyptians, who conveyed their greetings on papyrus scrolls.

By the early 1400s, handmade paper greeting cards were being exchanged in Europe. The Germans are known to have printed New Year's greetings from woodcuts as early as 1400, and handmade paper Valentines were being exchanged in various parts of Europe in the early to mid-1400s. By the 1850s, the greeting card had been transformed from a relatively expensive, handmade and hand-delivered gift to a popular and affordable means of personal communication, due largely to advances in printing and mechanization, as well as the 1840 introduction of the postage stamp. The first known published Christmas card appeared in London in 1843, when Sir Henry Cole hired artist John Calcott Horsley to design a holiday card that he could send to his friends and acquaintances. Although the first known valentine card can be traced back to 1415, it wasn't until the early 1800s and the Penny Post that they became popular and affordable. Esther Howland, a young woman from Massachusetts, was the first regular publisher of valentines in the United States. She sold her first handmade valentine in 1849, eventually establishing a successful publishing firm specializing in the elaborately decorated cards.

Check "Cowgirl" Cartoon to view Western Birthday Cards!

The American Greeting Card
In America sending greeting cards to friends, family and business associates is a tradition that goes back over 200 years! Louis Prang, a German immigrant who started a small lithographic business near Boston in 1856 , is generally credited with the start of the greeting card industry in America. Within ten years of founding his firm, he had perfected the color lithographic process to a point where his reproductions of great paintings surpassed those of other graphic arts craftsmen in both the U.S. and Great Britain. In the early 1870s , Prang began publishing deluxe editions of Christmas cards, which found a ready market in England. In 1875, he introduced the first complete line of Christmas cards to the American public. Prang's cards had reached their height of popularity in the early 1890s , when cheap imitative imports began to flood the market, eventually forcing Prang to abandon his greeting card publishing business. Between 1890 and 1906, there was a marked decline in U.S. greeting card production. In the years immediately following 1906 , the domestic business climate for greeting cards improved, and a number of today's leading publishers were founded. Most of the cards by these fledgling U.S. publishers bore little relation to Prang's elaborate creations. The expressed sentiment was the predominant element; the illustrated portions were incidental. Following World War I , new publishers continued to enter the field and healthy competition produced important innovations in printing processes, art techniques and decorative treatments for greeting cards. In the early 1930s , publishers increasingly adopted the use of color lithography, a move that would propel the U.S. greeting card industry toward continued growth and expansion. During World War II , the industry rallied for the war effort, helping the government sell war bonds and providing cards for the soldiers overseas. This period also marked the beginning of its close relationship with the U.S. Postal Service. By the 1950s , the studio card – a long card with a short punch line – appeared on the scene to firmly establish the popularity of humor in American greeting cards. During the 1980s , alternative cards began to appear – cards not made for a particular holiday or event, but as a more casual reminder of our connections to one another. The popularity of “non-occasion" cards continues to swell. Explosive growth in electronic technology, and burgeoning consumer use of the Internet, gave birth to the electronic greeting card or E-card in the late 1990s . The development of this entirely new medium for card-sending served to further expand the industry, producing new E-card publishers as well as E-greeting product offerings by traditional publishers. Today there are Paper cards in all sizes, Singing cards, Digital Postcards, Electronic Postcards, E-cards, E-Greetings and even Netogram's!

Emotional Benefits of Greeting Cards
A greeting card in the mailbox not only brightens our day, but can instantly connect us emotionally to friends and family. That special bright-colored or hand-written envelope stands out among our piles of bills and magazines and serves as a reminder that someone has taken the time from their day to reach out to us and show us they care. Whether because of an annual holiday or an unexpected gesture, greeting cards keep people connected, benefiting both the sender and receiver.

Characteristics of Greeting Cards

• Makes the sender feel like a better person!Builds connections and relationships!Can "make someone's Day"!Is never sent in anger!Is sent by caring people!
• Is invited in for special moments and milestones!

Things Greeting Cards Can Do

• Adds a personal touch to special occasions and holidays!Turn a bad day into a good one! Make a loved one feel special! Keep the chain of friendship and family alive!Provide comfort to someone and make sad times less painful!Boost emotional well-being through reaching out to others! Provides a tangible keepsake to document special moments in our lives!Helps us put our emotions into words! Connect across people, time and distance, creating memories!Preserves memories of connections with friends and family! Connects and shares laughter!Creates a memory that changes someone's life!Creates a special romantic moment!Reaches out and connects with new friends!Brings families together!Help us reach across generation, gender and cultural communication gaps! Inspires, encourages and congratulates! Will show someone you care! Will show someone has taken the time to send a special message!
• Connects us to all different types of people including co-workers, teachers, family and friends!

Click "Funny Artist" Cartoon to view Funny Greeting Cards!

Guide to Staying Connected
Today's busy schedules often leave little time for enriching people's lives – our own included. But, carving out time to reach out to loved ones and strengthen our personal connections helps to boost our emotional well-being. Connecting with friends and family doesn't have to take a lot of effort and it is often the simple, small gesture that has the most impact when it comes to showing someone how much you care.

Sending a greeting card is one of those simple gestures that reminds people someone is thinking about them. Making someone else feel special can also have the effect of making the sender feel good too. With all of the stress in people's lives today, that small oasis of contentment is something we need now more than ever.

A recent survey by the Greeting Card Association found that almost nine
out of 10 Americans believe they are as close or closer to their friends
and family than they were one year ago and 66 percent of Americans
are regularly reaching out to their immediate family for love and support.

Connecting with friends and family can occur because of a sense of obligation to recognize important life events or it can simply result from an impulsive desire to reach out. Sometimes one person connecting with another will set off a boomerang effect of reaching out!

Sixty-two percent of people feel inspired to send someone a
card if they receive one from that person.

Follow these simple tips to stay connected with friends and family and boost your own sense of emotional well-being:

• Set aside an allotted amount of time each day to reach out to others. Reaching out doesn't take a lot of time, but it can be very meaningful to those we touch. A simple phone call, e-mail or card reminds our loved ones how much we care.Take time to reflect on what is important and of value in your life. You can start a gratitude journal and write down everything and everyone you are grateful for. Writing down things of importance help us to remember the most special personal connections. Don't wait for a reason to connect. Life is too short to hold back when it comes to connecting with friends and family. Sending a “thinking of you” or “just because” card can be one of the best ways to show someone you care.Reflect your own personality when reaching out to loved ones. Whether it's a romantic note on a pillow or a humorous card in the mail, connections with friends and family should showcase your own attitude and sentiment.
• Hold on to your personal connections through tangible memories. One of the best ways to keep our connections top of mind is by holding on to a physical memento or keepsake. Reflecting on old letters and cards helps us to remember our most special connections.

Click "Christmas Cards" Cartoon to view Funny Christmas Cards!

Personalizing Greeting Cards
Nine out of 10 Americans look forward to receiving personal letters and greeting cards. Adding a personal touch to your greeting cards can make them even more special to the receiver.

Here are some tips for personalizing greeting cards:

• Decorate the outside of the envelope with drawings and stickers. Adorning the outside of the card adds more pageantry to the thoughtfulness inside.Write the person's name or nickname on the inside of the card. Personalizing the card reminds them this card was sent just for them. Underline, circle or highlight the phrases that apply or hold special meaning. This is a great way to signify how the card personally applies to your loved one. Write a heartfelt note inside the card. If you are not especially eloquent, write something simple, such as, “I am not always great with words, but when I read this card, I thought of you.” The most personal cards are honest and heartfelt. Enclose a meaningful photo. A special photo could be of the two of you or of someone or something else unique to your relationship. Enclose confetti inside the envelope. This simple surprise is easy and fun and will make the receiver feel extra special. Add a small gift inside. If your card is for a holiday or occasion, you can add a small gift certificate to a favorite store, a CD of your favorite music or special jewelry to make the card a gift in itself.
• Make your greeting cards a part of an ongoing conversation. Create a sequence in which each card you send tells part of a story and together they answer a question or reveal a hidden message.

Click "Old Cowboy" Cartoon to view Texas Cards!

Click Greeting Cards" to view Caddylak Graffix Retail Stores!

Click below Categories to view Funny Greeting Cards on Web Site:

Lots of Greeting Cards choices, huh?

Send Funny Greeting Cards to spread Greeting Card Cheer to those you care about!

All the above Greeting Cards information was educational and entertaining but if you want to view Caddylak Graffix Funny Greeting Cards for laughs or for your Greeting Cards shopping needs, then click this Greeting Cards navigational link.

"Thank you to all who submitted Greeting Cards facts, legends and funny stories. Keep sending us this Greeting Cards information and we'll keep putting it up on this Greeting Cards Legends & Oddities page and give you the credit!" -Says, Caddylak Maxy

Sources: Netogram.com, Greeting Card Association and the usual gang of idiots at Caddylak Graffix Caption Writing Studio!

Click "Easter Bunny" Cartoon to view Funny Easter Cards!

Be sure to visit our "Fan Mail" by viewing our Testimonials Page!

Greeting Cards Legends And Oddities are constantly being updated.
Check back often for updated Greeting Cards Legends And Oddities !
Last Update: Friday June 20, 2008 11:38 A.M.

Visit Funny Birthday Cards!