Sunday, June 21st

Happy Birthday, Canada!


Canada Day, observed annually on July 1, celebrates the birthday of Canada as a united nation with parades, barbecues, lots of fun activities and fireworks. Here are some fun facts about Canada you may not know:

Prior to 1965, the Canadian flag reflected the country’s origins as a British territory. However, with the advent of Canadian independence, a new flag was needed to better represent the new country. The search began in 1925, but it wasn’t until 1965 that the current maple leaf design became official.

The national anthem, “O Canada” was written by Sir Adolphe Basile Routhier and Calixa Lavallée was originally sung in French Canadian. Various English language versions were sung until the official English lyrics were written by Robert Stanley Weir in 1908. Prior to this time, the most popular English anthem was “The Maple Leaf Forever.”

It took 17 years to choose Ottowa as the capital of Canada. Prior to 1857, the Canadian government had asked the Queen of England to choose the capital several times, but she failed to do so. Various cities had acted as the seat of government, but a permanent capital was needed. Finally in October 1857, the queen reached a decision and chose Ottowa.

Greeting Card Universe sends our best birthday greetings to Canada and you can too with unique Canada Day cards for everyone! Purchase on-line, add your special message and we’ll put your card in the mail the next business day. Or order on-line and get free, in-store pick-up, usually in 1 hour, at most Target and Bartell Drug Stores.

 

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Monday, April 22nd

5 Amazing Facts About Cinco de Mayo


Cinco de Mayo – literally, the Fifth of May – is embraced with enthusiasm by Mexican-American  communities in many US cities. Here are five things you may not know about this celebration of Mexican culture.

Battle of Puebla: The holiday commemorates the famous Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when the outgunned and outnumbered Mexican army took a last, desperate stand against invading forces from France and won. The against-the-odds victory is remembered each year on May 5th.

It’s Not Mexican Independence Day: In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo isn’t observed as a holiday except in the state of Puebla. The real Mexican Independence Day is September 16th, a federal holiday for the whole country. However, in the US, particularly among Mexican-Americans,  Cinco de Mayo is a more popular observance.

How Popular Is Cinco de Mayo in the US: With a population of 33.6 million residents of Mexican origin, the non-federal holiday is celebrated enthusiastically with parades, mariachi bands and music, fireworks, dancing, festivals, fun, and ethnic food. It’s been nicknamed “Mexican St. Patrick’s Day.”

When Did Celebrations Start in the US: In 1863, a Mexican businessman in southern California sponsored a Cinco de Mayo dance, which became a tradition. It took a while for the holiday to spread to other parts of the country. In the 1960s, Chicanos wanting to reconnect with their Mexican roots chose Cinco de Mayo as a perfect vehicle for teaching Mexican history and celebrating Mexican traditions.

Where Else is Cinco de Mayo Observed: Fifth of May celebrations also take place in parts of Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, and all over Latin America.

Greeting Card Universe joins your celebration with unique Cinco de Mayo cards that put plenty of sizzle in your holiday fiesta!

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Tuesday, March 12th

3.14159 Reasons to Celebrate Pi Day


Pi Day occurs annually on March 14, which also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday. On this day, math geeks, mathletes, professors, teachers, students, and anyone interested in celebrating mathematics come together to eat pie and pizza (and have pie eating contests), play games, party, sing songs, and tell jokes and stories about pi – the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day showcases the humorous side of math, often with tongue-in-cheek word play. The celebration has become an international sensation.

Greeting Card Universe offers unusual and unique Pi Day cards to send to your family and friends so they can join in the fun – to do anything else would be irrational! Need last minute cards? Order on-line, pick up at your local Target store usually in an hour or less – absolutely free!

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Tuesday, February 26th

National Pig Day


In the United States, March 1 is National Pig Day, a time to celebrate America’s  favorite barnyard animal – the pig! The holiday originated in Texas and quickly spread to include official celebrations in several Midwestern states.

Why do people love pigs? They’re pink and round, they make funny noises, sometimes come in spots, are the subjects of nursery rhymes and stories, and are as smart as dogs (some say smarter). Pigs are useful, too. Without pigs, we wouldn’t have pork chops, sausages, or bacon! And certain pig breeds are kept as pets including pot bellied pigs and miniature or micro pigs.

Greeting Card Universe offers pig lovers plenty of pig themed greeting cards for many different occasions.  Stock up on cards for your family and friends – buy 5+ cards, get FREE SHIPPING in the United States! And orders ship the next business day, or you can pick up your order, usually within 1 hour, at most local Target stores.

Go hog wild!

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Monday, February 18th

Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About Presidents Day


In the United States, Presidents Day – the third Monday in February – is a federal holiday which used to be called Washington’s Birthday, and originally celebrated the birthday of  the first American president, George Washington. Today, Presidents Day honors all U.S. presidents, although Washington and Abraham Lincoln (who also has a birthday in February) are the most commonly used symbols.

In the spirit of this patriotic American holiday, here a a few lesser known facts about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

George Washington, Poet: As a teenager in love, Washington tried his hand at an acrostic – a type of poem in which the first letter of each line spells a word, or in this case, the  lady’s name. He didn’t quite complete it. Since only two poems authored by him have survived, this is a rare example of his romantic side. You can read both poems here.

Booth Saved Lincoln … Sort Of: In 1864. Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s son, fell off a train platform directly in the path of an oncoming locomotive. He was pulled to safety by a famous Shakespearean actor named Edwin Booth. Does the surname sound familiar? A few months later, Edwin’s brother, John Wilkes Booth, would assassinate President Lincoln in Ford’s Theater.

Washington Had a Temper Like Well Aged Dynamite: George Washington was famous for his temper. His contemporaries remarked upon his “ungovernable passion” and he was known for his outbursts of cursing when irritated or frustrated. Afterward, he would become calm.

Lincoln Enjoyed a Good Cockfight: At the time, cockfighting and other blood sports were considered normal, socially acceptable  entertainment for gentlemen. While he clearly enjoyed his family’s pets – which included dogs, cats, and a turkey – Lincoln received his nickname “Honest Abe” not for his political honesty, but because he was an honest referee in the cockfighting ring.

Greeting Card Universe offers fun and unique Presidents Day cards for you to exchange with friends and family, some featuring representations of Washington and Lincoln.

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Monday, January 21st

Tu B’Shevat


The New Year for Trees, Tu B’Shevat, begins in 2013 on the evening of January 25 and ends the evening of January 26.  This is a period when, according to Jewish tithing law, the age of fruit trees is calculated.

Tu B’Shevat is also known as the Jewish Arbor Day. It’s become the custom in Israel and other countries to plant trees. The festival generally includes eating fruits like pomegranates, figs, dates, grapes, and olives, or dried fruits.

“And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal. And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.” — Leviticus 19:23-25

Greeting Card Universe offers unique Tu B’Shevat cards in traditional and modern designs to let you celebrate nature’s revival in beautiful ways with all your family and friends.

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Saturday, August 25th

Better Late Than Never!

September 5th is National Be Late for Something Day, a holiday embraced by procrastination societies and people who believe in putting off today what they can do tomorrow.

Some folks have trouble sticking to a schedule, remembering special occasions and dates, and showing up on time. This is the holiday for them! It should be noted that to even things out, September 6th is National Fight Procrastination Day.

“Better late than never, but never late is better.”
Folk Saying

Unfortunately, despite our best intentions, sometimes time gets away from us. Modern men and women lead busy lives, full of work, family, and leisure activities.  We’ve all forgotten someone’s important occasion, and had to scramble to send a greeting card after the fact.

Greeting Card Universe takes the sting out of forgetting and reminds you that it’s never too late to send a friend or relation your very best wishes by choosing from a collection of unique and customizable Belated Birthday, Belated Wedding Anniversary, and Belated Holiday cards.

And f you’re running behind but haven’t actually missed the occasion yet, you can save time and headaches by ordering cards conveniently on-line and picking up your order at most local Target stores, usually within 1 hour!

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Saturday, August 18th

National Kiss and Make Up Day

August 25 is National Kiss and Make Up Day, a day of forgiveness and reconciliation.

“Forgiveness is the economy of the heart…
forgiveness saves the expense of anger,
the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.”
Hannah More

National Kiss and Make Up Day is the time to end a spat, a tiff, an argument, a grudge, a misunderstanding or feud, and resolve your differences with someone else, even if only to “agree to disagree.” Make an apology for something you’ve said or done to a family member, loved one, friend, colleague, or co-worker. Or graciously accept someone else’s apology.

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to examine the relationships in your life, from friends to relatives. Appreciate the good and forgive the bad. Don’t let unresolved hard feelings get in the way of your personal growth. Kiss and Make Up Day is the perfect moment for you to make the first move toward reconciliation.

Greeting Card Universe has 2,500+ one-of-a-kind ways to say “I’m sorry” in our collection of Apology greeting cards. Customize the inside with your own message or a photo. You can easily opt for convenient, in-store pickup at select Target stores, too, usually within 1 hour.

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Friday, August 10th

Left Handed but Always Right

Left Handers Celebrate the Right to Their Own Day:
August 12, 2012 is National Left Handers Awareness Day

As a right handed person I don’t feel the pain of trying to function in a world optimized for righties.  But for one day, August 12 – National Left Handers Awareness Day – I’d like to imagine what it’s like, try to really understand their feelings of discrimination, and realize how much I take for granted.

My southpaw brother, Brit

I’m one of four children. We are all righties except for one, my oldest brother Brit.  He was, and still is a big guy – tall and broad, an early bloomer too.  Being a bit shy didn’t help matters either.  Or was he shy because he was a lefty and things didn’t come so easily?

I thought he was a bit of an oaf; big, bulky and oh, so clumsy.  Always breaking things and making a mess.  A bull in a china shop like we called my Dad (like father like son), but that’s a whole other story.

Growing up, he didn’t have an athletic bone in his body, although with his size he could have been quite intimidating and used his left handedness to his advantage over right handed opponents.  Most sports equipment, however, is ill suited and awkward for lefties.  Being more mechanically than athletically inclined, I can only imagine the challenges he has with tools and equipment (especially power tools and sharp objects like chain saws – yikes!).  Adding insult to injury, left handed tools and equipment are relatively hard to find and typically more expensive.

A Video Interview with Brit

My brother and his team - Brit is in the back row, far right

I recall other daily challenges that I had little patience or compassion for.  If the answer to, “What’s for dinner?” was “Steak,” there was a stampede to the dinner table to get a “good” seat to his right.  None of us wanted to sit to his left during any meal that required cutting – too much elbow bumping.

Kind of a handwriting snob, I’ve never been a fan of his penmanship. Come to think of it, I’ve never even seen his cursive as very legible – imagine writing left to right, with hand contorted, having to drag your hand across the page  smudging the pen or pencil resulting in a filthy hand … what a pain!  Cutting anything with scissors?  Forget it!  You might as well have given him a butter knife.  And let’s not even talk about zippers on trousers.

So brother Brit, here’s my official apology to you for not understanding or being sympathetic to the challenges you faced and for assuming you were simply a big klutz!  Despite being a southpaw (or maybe because of it) you’ve done good, actually great!  I am so very proud of you – a respected leader in your field, a hero of the environment and the U.S. wildlands, taking pride in everything you do, and a trusted friend and family member bursting at the seams with integrity.

To celebrate the day I’ve sent a special card your way.  I think, unfortunately, you were also born with two left feet. Sorry, no special day or greeting card for that.

To all my left Handed peeps – Happy Left Handers Awareness Day (see, you weren’t left out!)

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Sunday, July 22nd

Friendship Day

International Friendship Day occurs annually on the first Sunday in August (August 5 in 2012) and is celebrated around the globe, particularly since the advent of the Internet, social networking, and cell phones have made it much easier to celebrate this special holiday with friends no matter where they may be in the world.

“A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.”
—Elbert Hubbard

First proposed in 1919, Friendship Day had largely been abandoned by the 1940s in the United States, but Asian countries like Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia continued to celebrate this special day for friends. With the rise of digital communication, Friendship Day became more popular in many other countries, including the U.S. and South America.

People celebrate Friendship Day by exchanging cards, gifts, flowers, and most recently, hand woven and creative  friendship bracelets.

In 2011, the United Nations proclaimed an International Day of Friendship.

Greeting Card Universe offers more than 200+ ways to tell someone, “I’m glad to be your friend” and “thank you for being my friend” with our customized Friendship Day greeting cards.

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