Monday, November 23rd

Thanksgiving — Missing You

Miss You at Thanksgiving CardThanksgiving Day, celebrated in the US on the fourth Thursday in November, is a day of family and friends gathering together for good cheer and fellowship. It is estimated by Waze that 46.3 million Americans will be driving more than 50 miles this Thanksgiving, and Airlines for America predicts that 25.3 million people will travel on U.S. airlines.

But some people don’t make it home for Thanksgiving. It might be because of work or school schedules, lack of funds, or military service. For those people, perhaps Skype, FaceTime, or the cellphone is the closest they’ll get to connecting with friends and family. But, whether near or far, we can let those we love and care for know that we’re thinking of them on Thanksgiving. Maybe send them a special food item that they associate with the holidays, or a “Remember when …” note in a greeting card. Did your siblings and you put olives on your fingers while “helping” Grandma in the kitchen? Did all guests take a turn at saying what they were thankful for? Was the oldest grandchild allowed to light the candles on the table? Let your far away loved ones know that, even though they aren’t with you, you still share the special memories of Thanksgiving. It will help them feel less lonely.

Greeting Card Universe has the perfect card for those you’re missing on Thanksgiving.

Missing you on Thanksgiving Greeting Cards

For those who won’t be with family for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving is an option.

Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving Day feast for and by friends. It’s a way to celebrate the holiday with the “family” you’ve made where you live.

GCU has put together a Friendsgiving Pinterest Board

Friendsgiving Invitations

We here at Greeting Card Universe are thankful for our friends and family, and we send good wishes to you for a happy Thanksgiving.

Greeting Card Universe allows you to write a personal message on the inside of the card, and we will even mail it for you! It’s easy and quick.

Wednesday, November 5th

All the Trimmings: The Thanksgiving Turkey


Thanksgiving in the United States, declared a national holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln,  is celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday in November. Traditionally, Americans sit down to a feast featuring turkey (or another protein), stuffing, side dishes such as mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato, corn, etc., and often enjoy pumpkin pie for dessert.

These days, turkeys have been bred and reared to provide as much breast meat as possible. Our ancestors, however, hunted wild turkeys for the dinner table. The turkey is native to the American continent, so when early European travelers encountered this strange new species, they quickly adapted it as the fowl of choice for holiday celebrations. The turkey was  large enough to feed an entire family.

To the colonists, domesticating the wild turkey made sense. The birds fattened up nicely, the meat was flavorful, and killing a turkey for the table was a better option than a chicken since hens were more valued for their eggs. When turkeys were brought to England in the mid-1500s, they became people’s preferred feasting food, supplanting the customary goose.

The number of farms breeding turkeys increased in the 1940s, eventually leading to the white feathered, large breasted turkey familiar to modern cooks. In fact, the turkey carried by most supermarkets is the Broad Breasted White. As its name suggests, this bird was bred to supply lots of delicious white breast meat and can weigh as much as 50 pounds!

Greeting Card Universe helps you celebrate the holiday (and the delicious turkey on your table) with unique Thanksgiving cards designed by our  community of talented artists. And you won’t leave anyone out of your family feast with our one-of-a-kind Thanksgiving Dinner Invitations.


What Are Happy Shoppers Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“Love, Love, Love the cards @ Greeting Card Universe!! It’s such a time saver for me. I can go online, review the cards, add my personal greeting & with a few clicks, my card is on it’s way! I send a lot of cards & frequently rec’v a discount which is great. It all helps! Highly recommend GCU!!” – Janae – November 4, 2014

Monday, November 25th

Across the Miles at Thanksgiving


For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the United States, Thanksgiving is a celebration of family and friends, of coming together to share not only a glorious feast, but also the well being and warmth that come from togetherness.

But for some, joining a Thanksgiving family gathering isn’t possible. Celebrating Thanksgiving far away from home can be difficult when someone only has memories to go with the turkey and stuffing. Here are a few ways to get a little holiday cheer when you’re far away from home.

Share a Meal: Many local restaurants offer special Thanksgiving menus. If you don’t like eating alone, let the hostess/host know you don’t mind sharing a table with strangers. Who knows? You could make new friends!

Pamper Yourself: Hotels often offer special Thanksgiving activities like spa treatments, wine tastings, tours of local landmarks, sports like golf, etc. Check around and schedule something fun to do.

Make the Best of What You’ve Got: American expatriates often find it hard to locate favorite Thanksgiving ingredients in other countries like turkey, cranberries, cornbread … even pumpkins. Sometimes, you need to start from scratch with raw ingredients instead of using conveniently canned food. Check for recipes before you give up. And should certain foods be impossible to come by, make the best of what you’ve got and enjoy the celebration.

Stay in Touch: Family members and friends who know someone who can’t join everyone around the Thanksgiving table this year can help by staying in touch. A phone call and a unique Thanksgiving Across the Miles/Far Away card from Greeting Card Universe will make a huge difference to a loved one feeling alone during the holidays. Need a card last-minute? Order on-line, get free in-store pickup, usually in 1 hour, at most Target and Bartell Drug Stores.

From our family to yours, wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

What Are Happy Shoppers Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“I have never been disappointed with any card I have ordered. I have had people I sent the card to ask me where did I find such a beautiful card. Greeting Card Universe is where I go for cards for the special people in my life.”- Randall, November 24, 2013

Monday, November 18th

Thanksgivukkah!


Thanksgivukkah – Thanksgiving + Hanukkah – is an occurrence of the two holidays that won’t happen again for more than 70,000 years.

Jewish families who typically celebrate Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and Hanukkah will be able to combine the  holidays this year. Since both center around the themes of thankfulness and gratitude, many see no conflict in a twin celebration.

What does that mean? Sufganiyot stuffed with cranberry jelly or pumpkin pie. Sweet potato knish. Latkes stuffed with a challah-based dressing. When two cross-cultural holidays collide at the feast table, imagination comes into play.

Greeting Card Universe offers unique Thanksgivukkah cards for your double holiday needs. For those who prefer to keep their holiday celebrations separate, check out our large collections of Thanksgiving cards and Hanukkah cards for every member of your family, your friends, co-workers, and everyone else on your holiday list.

What Are Happy Shoppers Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“I am very satisfied and well pleased with the greeting card, particularly the photo which I uploaded into the card. I have received high praise and great responses to previous greeting cards mailed to family members and friends with a photo uploaded into them as well. I have found that a personalized message in addition to a personal photo to family members and loved ones makes a greeting card from Greeting Card Universe truly unique, one of a kind, warmly received and much appreciated.” – Diane – November 13, 2013

Friday, November 16th

5 Things You May Not Know About Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
—–Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the United States, Thanksgiving falls annually on the fourth Thursday in November. The celebration of family usually includes a traditional feast of turkey with the trimmings, although in recent years, alternatives to the Thanksgiving turkey, such as vegetarian options, have become more popular.

Here are five things about the history of this American holiday.

Thanksgiving Becomes Official: While arguably the first Thanksgiving dinner took place in 1621 (remember the story of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans you were taught in school?), the holiday was celebrated on different dates by the individual states until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be observed each November.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Other parades may march the streets of cities across the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day, but the parade sponsored by Macy’s is the second largest in America and watched by over 50 million people on TV, and 3.5 million spectators in New York City. The first Macy’s Day Parade took place in 1924. The famous giant helium balloons were added in 1927, and the spectacle continues today.

Don’t Be a Turkey: This is not a good time to be a plump, delicious turkey. Eighty-eight percent of Americans consume nearly 46 million turkeys  at Thanksgiving. Annually, each American eats an average of 13.3 pounds of turkey – hopefully not all on the same day!

What Was on the Menu for the First Thanksgiving Feast? Venison, geese, swans and ducks, shellfish, lobster, and pumpkins, though not in the form of pies. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc. came much, much later to the American dinner table.

“Franksgiving”: During the Depression in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to move the date for Thanksgiving back a week to the third Thursday in November, hoping to increase retail sales to boost the struggling economy. People hated the idea and began calling the holiday, “Franksgiving.” It wasn’t a compliment. Finally, in 1941, Roosevelt bowed under pressure and signed a bill officially naming the fourth Thursday in November as the official date for the holiday.

Greeting Card Universe offers nearly 14,000 unique Thanksgiving cards in many themes and in 64 categories for all your friends, coworkers, business associates, and every member of your family. Need last minute cards? Order online and get free in-store pick up at Target stores

SPECIAL: Order 5+ cards, save 20%! Use code 2012NOV20 at checkout

What Are People Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“I have been ordering cards from Greeting Card Universe for almost 2 yrs. now and have never been disappointed. I always find the perfect card and I love the fact that you can personalize them if you wish. They show great detail and I get lots and lots of compliments! But the BEST feature is….I never have to leave my house. : )”- Debora, November 14, 2012

Monday, November 21st

Giving Thanks to You!

The fourth Thursday in November marks the annual celebration of Thanksgiving in the United States, a family oriented holiday saturated in Thanksgiving myths and y.

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway –
Thanksgiving comes again!
—–Anonymous

Greeting Card Universe wishes all our artists and customers happiness and good times as they make heart warming memories celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends!

What Are People Saying About Greeting Card Universe?
“This is the easiest and quickest way to send a card. Sign up, pick a card, write what you want and they send it. What could be easier. Once you put in an address it stores it for future use. Best little website!!!” – Fred, Rancho Mirage, California  – November 17, 2011

© Copyright 2000-2014 Greeting Card Universe Privacy Policy