Month: December 2013

The horrible holiday question rears it’s head: did you forget to get a Christmas card for a friend? Family member? Teacher or coach? Co-worker?

Oh, no!

It’s Christmas Eve.

The stores are packed with last-minute shoppers.

The selection of Christmas cards left on the shelves has lost most of its glitter or the designs  just aren’t what you’re looking for, but you don’t have the time or the inclination to battle the holiday hordes through more shops searching for the perfect card.

Don’t worry! Greeting Card Universe has you covered with two simple steps to renewing your seasonal cheer.

1. Check out our huge collection of unique  Christmas greeting cards and place your order on-line.

2. Pick up your order, usually in 1 hour, at most Target and Bartell Drug stores.

That’s it!

Choose from Photo Cards, relationship specific, birthday on Christmas, anniversary, design themes like beach or reindeer, state specific, and a whole lot more.

Greeting Card Universe sends our warmest wishes to you and your family this holiday season!

What Are Happy Shoppers Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“First, I want to thank you for your prompt delivery. It’s difficult when ordering on line you can’t see the item in person. But the cards were absolutely gorgeous, more than I expected. I will certainly order more cards from GCU.”- John Salatino, December 23, 2013

One of the great traditions of Christmas is the stocking “hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there” according to the 1823 poem attributed to Clement Moore. Today’s Christmas stockings aren’t the kind you wear, but over-sized creations decorated for the holidays. Where and when did the custom originate? Check below to find out the answers to five common questions about Christmas traditions.

1. What’s the Deal with “Figgy Pudding?”
In the song, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” the carolers demand “figgy pudding.” What is it? “Pudding” in this case refers not to a sweetened, thickened dairy dessert, but an English-style steamed cake. A figgy pudding contains dried figs, dates, and raisins. If you want to try making this classical holiday treat, here’s a recipe.

2. Why Hang Up a Stocking?
The truth is, the origins of the traditional Christmas stocking are shrouded in myth. Prior to the mention of the custom in the 1923 poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, there’s no written record of hanging stockings at Christmas time. In other countries, children put out their shoes to receive small treats like candy, a piece of fruit, and/or toys.

3. Who Invented Eggnog?
Love it or hate it, eggnog — a holiday drink made with eggs, milk, sugar, and spices like cinnamon and eggnog, and which may or may not contain alcohol — began as “posset,” a hot beverage enjoyed by the medieval English which was made from heated milk curdled with ale or beer. Later, eggs were added, but the drink became less popular until early settlers in Jamestown in early 17th century America rediscovered the brew and deemed it delicious. Even George Washington had his own special recipe for a boozy eggnog.

4. Why Do We Sing Carols at Christmas?
Traditional Christmas Carols like God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen have their origin in the 19th century, when Christian folk music, old church hymns, and new Christmas-themed music began to merge in Britain. Music publishers picked up on the trend, allowing people to combing visiting friends and family with singing the popular songs, creating the custom of caroling at Christmas-time.

5. Why Do We Hate Fruitcake?
Fruitcake is the butt of many holiday jokes, but the truth is, a good homemade fruitcake is a mouth-watering delicacy stuffed with dried and candied fruits and moistened by rum or brandy. Since the Middle Ages, people have enjoyed making and eating variations of fruitcake. Why did the Christmas staple decrease in popularity? The blame can likely be placed on mail-order bakeries which sprang up in the 20th century to feed the demand for convenience. Unlike homemade treats, these commercially produced fruitcakes were often dry, dense, lacking flavor and fruit, and just plain terrible, which caused fruitcake’s reputation to decline.

Greeting Card Universe’s collection of one-of-a-kind  Christmas cards help you celebrate your own traditions in your own way with thousands of unique, customizable designs for everyone on your list. Need cards at the last minute? No problem! Order on-line, get free in-store pickup, usually in 1 hour, at most Target and Bartell Drug stores.

What Are Happy Shoppers Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“The cards that I ordered were very tasteful and easy to order. I found that there was a great selection of cards to chose from and I intend to continue to order cards from Greeting Card Universe. I just referred a friend to this site and I know that she will be able to find what she is looking for. The price is reasonable and saves me a lot of time shopping for that special card. Brenda M.” – Brenda, December 16, 2013

December 12 is Gingerbread House Day, celebrating the creativeness and joy that comes from baking, building, decorating, and finally eating a gingerbread house during the holidays. Gingerbread houses take their inspiration from the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel—see many examples of this delicious and beautiful art on Pinterest. For your delight, here are some interesting little tidbits about this treat.

5 Fanciful Facts About Gingerbread

1. Gingerbread can be a crisp cookie or a soft cake. Both products are flavored with ginger and other spices like cinnamon and cloves, and both products are sweetened with molasses (treacle).
2. The original European gingerbread was a paste of bread crumbs, ground almonds, ginger, sugar or honey, and rosewater pressed into an elaborate mold with the details of the finished product picked out in gilt or royal icing. The recipe for these popular presents changed around the 16th century to include eggs and flour, turning it into a baked product more like a modern cookie or cake.
3. Queen Elizabeth I of England is credited with being the first monarch to present gingerbread man cookies to foreign emissaries to her court as well as her courtiers. The cookies are said to have resembled the nobles themselves.
4. The idea of the edible gingerbread house — or lebkuchenhaeusle — was carried to America by German immigrants, who had themselves been inspired by the story of Hansel and Gretel in Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
5. One of the largest contests for gingerbread houses is the National Gingerbread House Competition held in Asheville, North Carolina, which has been held more than twenty years.

Keeping with the holiday spirit, Greeting Card Universe offers gingerbread themed Christmas cards in unique, colorful, imaginative designs so you can with a Merry Christmas and send your season’s greetings with style.

Need cards in a hurry? Order on-line, get free pick-up – usually in 1 hour – at most local Target and Bartell Drug Stores.

ORDER 5+ CARDS, GET FREE SHIPPING IN THE U.S.!

What Are Happy Shoppers Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“I was extremely pleased with my cards, the best thing about it, is that your in complete control of what the end product is going to look like, and they give you the opportunity twice to review the end results before you close your order. The quality of the cards are superior.” – Jacqueline, December 2, 2013