Happy New Year’s Day!

Greeting Card Universe Happy New Year!

Likely the most celebrated holiday in the world, New Year’s Day (January 1), New Year’s Day is typically celebrated with parades, American college football games, European football games, and family time.

Food plays an important part in New Year’s Day, with some food taking on a special meaning.

Black-eyed peas are a symbol of money — coins, specifically.

Greens are also said to be a symbol of money, because of their green color.

Pomegranates and grapes stand for prosperity, and figs for fertility.

Pigs, being rotund, are considered lucky.

Noodles are a symbol of long life, and grains symbolize wealth.

Cakes, shaped like a ring, symbolize coming full circle.

General New Year’s Day Greeting Cards

A new year brings a fresh start, a new beginning, and never more so than when a life milestone coincides with the new year.

Baby’s First New Year’s Day – A baby’s first New Year Eve is probably as low-key as the celebration gets! And Mom and Dad are likely playing it cool, too, with a small family dinner and an early bedtime — baby, after all, has no understanding of the need to sleep in. But New Year’s Day can be special for baby and parents, providing a chance to catch up with family and friends you didn’t see during Christmas.

First New Year’s Day as a Couple – A new year is a chance to start new traditions. Have friends over for a nice brunch, or have a quiet day at home.

First New Year’s Day in New Home – Congratulate a loved one on their new home as they start a new year.

Birthday on New Year’s Day

Wedding on New Year’s Day  – A special day on a special day!

Join us at Greeting Card Universe’s First New Year Pinterest Board

And our New Year Greetings Pinterest Board

Here’s to a wonderful 2016 for you and your loved ones, recognizing that no matter what firsts were celebrated in 2015 we should all look forward to the promise of a new year starting with January 1, 2016.

Joyous Kwanzaa

Greeting Card Universe Kwanzaa Card

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African heritage, first celebrated in 1966, that is observed from December 26 to January 1. According to Maulana Karenga, the creator of the celebration, “Kwanzaa” means “first fruits of the harvest” and is a way for African Americans to connect with their African cultural heritage.

Kwanzaa allows participants to respect their traditions, to feel spiritually grounded, to respect their ancestors, connect to the environment, cherish their children, to feel spiritually grounded, and embrace the good of the world.

The 7 days of Kwanzaa celebrate 7 principles:

December 26 — Umoja (Unity)

December 27 — Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

December 28 — Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)

December 29 — Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

December 30 — Nia (Purpose)

December 31 — Kuumba (Creativity)

January 1 — Imani (Faith)

 

Greeting Card Universe Kwanzaa Card

 

This Kwanzaa card by Greeting Card Universe artist DerocherArt shows the 7 principles of Kwanzaa, one principle per candle. The colors and artwork perfectly depict this wonderful holiday.

The symbols of Kwanzaa that speak to the 7 principles are: crops, a decorative mat, a shared cup for beverages, a candle holder with seven candles, gifts, a poster of the seven principles, and a black, red, and green flag. It is also customary to decorate the house with colorful cloth, art, and fresh fruit.

While it was traditional at first to celebrate only Kwanzaa to avoid diluting the importance of the holiday, many families now incorporate other holidays, such as Christmas and New Year.

Greeting Card Universe Kwanzaa Cards

Join the Greeting Card Universe Kwanzaa Pinterest Board for ideas on celebrating this holiday.

We wish you a Joyous Kwanzaa!

Festivus for the Rest of Us!

Festivus card from Greeting Card Universe

Festivus is a made-up holiday that gets its origins from the Seinfeld Show. In an episode broadcast in 1997, it’s revealed that George Costanza’s family celebrates Festivus instead of Christmas. In his trademark gravelly voice, George’s father, Frank, explains that the holiday starts with the Airing of Grievances, and ends only when someone is pinned in the Feats of Strength. And, of course, there is the Festivus pole, an undecorated aluminum pole. It remains unadorned because Frank Costanza finds tinsel distracting. Frank invented the holiday as an antidote to the commercialization of Christmas.

The story behind the story is that this plot line was not the fruit of the creative minds on the Seinfeld Show; Festivus was created by Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe’s father in 1966. For the senior O’Keefe, an editor at Reader’s Digest, Festivus appealed to him because it wasn’t associated with politics or religion. Originally celebrated in February, Festivus is now observed December 23.

While the Festivus meal on the Seinfeld show is thought to be either meatloaf or spaghetti, the original meal in the O’Keefe family was turkey or ham, with pecan pie as dessert. Other Festivus traditions in the O’Keefe family included party hats and a sculpture-making competition for the children.

Will your family recognize Festivus this year? Will you participate in Feats of Strength? And the Airing of Grievances — hey, isn’t that what Thanksgiving dinner is for?

Greeting Card Universe Festivus Cards

Greeting Card Universe has set up a Festivus for the Rest of Us Pinterest board to help you find greeting cards, an aluminum pole, a sweater, or anything else you need to make your Festivus for the Rest of Us.

Baby’s First Christmas – Tips for a Special Season

Sometimes adults forget about the magic of Christmas and focus only on the chores of Christmas, setting a hectic schedule for themselves and missing out on the beauty. For adults, Christmas is about decorating, cooking, and shopping. With all the pressure to make a perfect holiday, it’s easy to forget about the magic of the season. But you only need to look at the face of a child to remember that this is a season of love, joy, and wonderment.

New parents can have fun starting Christmas traditions. Maybe these traditions are continuations of their own family’s traditions, or new ones started just for their family.

In some families, all members wear a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve. As the child gets older, you can add a snack and a Christmas movie or book to the tradition. A cuddle on the couch in new pjs and a good book — what could be better?

And, of course, everyone needs a stocking with their name on it! In some families, stocking gifts are opened Christmas Eve; other families wait until Christmas morning.

Remembrance ornament can serve as a wonderful keepsake. It’ll be the first ornament each child puts on the tree each year. And it can be the first ornament on their own tree once they’re on their own.

Many towns have Christmas lighting displays in their downtown shopping areas where merchants decorate with seasonal displays. Nothing reminds you of the magic of the season like watching it through the eyes of a child!

A visit to Santa is a must! Things to keep in mind trying for the best picture: go after your child’s nap, bring a toy to distract them, and bring a back-up outfit for baby in case of a spit-up accident.

Make sure everyone is able see what your new little one looks like by sharing your baby’s photo with family and friends with a Christmas photo card

Most important, relax and enjoy each and every day of the Christmas season! And here’s hoping that, with all the excitement and merriment, this Christmas season brings you at least one silent night!

Baby’s First Christmas

Check out Greeting Card Universe’s Baby’s First Christmas Pinterest board for ideas on making this first Christmas for your baby a special one!

‘Tis Always the Season for Greeting Cards

I’d like to share a personal response to this recent article, “It’s Time to Stop Sending Greeting Cards”. The title alone to me is like the sound of nails on a chalkboard.

Yes, it is that time again. We are in the thick of the holiday season frenzy and in addition to gift shopping, it’s Christmas card time. Each year more people are asking themselves if they will even send a holiday card.

There are many reasons why this is a growing trend. All reasons certainly having merit. Instead of discounting the reasons not to send Christmas or Season’s Greeting cards or any greeting card for that matter, I will share why you should send them.

Electronic communications and social media have made keeping in touch so easy it takes much of the thought and effort out of keeping in touch. It’s virtually effortless! That’s great for business and everyday matters. Woo hoo, we’re so productive, I love it! However we are bombarded on the daily with emails, text messages, posts, DMs, PMs, pokes and nudges and are becoming desensitized to personal communications. The “personal” is gone.


Happy Birthday, Social Media Thumbs Up, Humorous card

It’s a trend, an evolution of communications which will all look very different from how we’ve communicated before. Everyone will find a combination of communication media, personal and business, that “works” for them.

Take a cue from major retailers, many of whom are re-incorporating the mailing of traditional printed catalogs in an effort to be seen and heard above the electronic “noise”. (Remember that massive Restoration Hardware catalog? No way to ignore that!)

And talking about trends, what could be trendier than Taylor Swift? Taylor values the importance of giving birthday cards so much that she keeps some in her purse, just in case. Go Taylor!

So the bar has been raised. The saying “it’s the thought that counts” doesn’t really hold true anymore. Now more important than just the “thought” is the action – it’s the thought AND the action that count. Anyone can think about it, but to act on the thought – exert some real effort and DO something, something personal – that’s what really counts. Sometimes the more effort someone puts into something the more appreciated it is. Like it or not that’s the way it is. Maybe there’s a mathematical equation for this. Appreciation Factor = (Thought x Effort) + Personal Touch. Yes, there is, I just made it up!

1. Remember the event or occasion – there’s the thought

2. Buy or make a personal card – there’s the action and the more personal the better

3. And wait for it … mail it – perhaps the toughest part, takes a lot of effort especially if you are not organized (get that address, not their email address, not their user id, their MAILING address, you can do it!)

Birthday, Christmas or any little occasion – the effort and the paper are not lost, not wasted, even if the card does go in the recycling bin or trash (gasp!) after being enjoyed. It’s a pretty wonderful feeling to receive something in your mailbox, especially a special greeting card – it’s a timeless delight!

Elizabeth Perkins of Omaha agrees! A dedicated card lover, she puts thought, effort and a personal touch into her daily routine to let others know that she is thinking of them.

Card sales on our site www.GreetingCardUniverse.com are strongly on the upswing. Ordering online removes much of the effort by helping you a) search for the perfect card b) personalize it and c) conveniently mail it. People are finding the pleasure in making it personal – really personal. So much so that a unique and personalized card can serve as a gift in itself, and maybe even make it to the mantle for a spell.

Popular cards this week:
Thinking of You on your First Christmas Alone

Get Well Bone Marrow Transplant

Happy New Year’s Eve Birthday

Merry Christmas School Bus Driver

Happy 1st Birthday Great Nephew

Happy Holidays Daughter & Wife

 

Lil hippo says it so well:
38th Birthday - Humorous, Whimsical Card with Hippo card

I don’t think it will ever be time to stop the tradition of sending paper greeting cards, certainly not for me. As one of life’s little pleasures, it’s just too special and so worth the extra effort. Do the math 😉

Hanukkah, The Festival Of Lights

Greeting Card Universe Hanukkah Card

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, lasts for 8 days and is a celebration of light over dark. This year, Hanukkah starts December 6 and ends December 14. The symbols of Hanukkah include menorahs, dreidels, and foil-covered chocolate coins.

Hanukkah is commemorated by lighting the candles of a menorah, a 9-armed candelabra. Each night an additional candle is lit. The extra candle, which is used to light the other candles, is called a shamash and is situated in a distinct location on the menorah, either above or below the other candles. After blessings are recited, the candles burn for at least half an hour after darkness falls

Dishes traditionally associated with Hanukkah include latkes, braised brisket, noodle kugel and chocolate babka. The custom of eating food cooked in oil stems from the miracle of a small amount of oil keeping the flame in the temple lit for eight days.

It’s traditional to invite family and friends to Hanukkah dinner to enjoy the fellowship, good food, and fun games. Please see our Hanukkah Festival of Lights Pinterest Board  for recipe, home decor, craft, DIY and greeting card ideas.

In each of the years of his presidency, President Obama and family have had a special menorah take center stage. Some special menorahs included a 90-year-old menorah in 2012 that survived Hurricane Sandy and in 2013 the menorah was from the Jewish Museum in Prague. (More information available at Help Us Find Menorahs for the White House Hanukkah Receptions

We at Greeting Card Universe wish you and your family Hanukkah Sameach!

Hanukkah Greeting Cards

Hanukkah Invitations