One of the many ways to wish a person well for a special occasion or festival is by sending greeting cards. Greeting cards bring joy to recipients because it brings the reassurance that the sender is thinking of them and wishing them well. They are not only sent for occasions but also to express feelings between two individuals.
The earliest known tradition of sending greetings using paper was in ancient China. The ancient Chinese sent greetings on the Chinese New Year Day. There are also records of ancient Egyptians sending greetings to each other for important festivals and occasions on papyrus scrolls. The tradition of sending greeting cards gained impetus in Europe after the invention of the printing press. The Germans were not only the pioneers in mass producing books but also in mass producing cards with messages to greet people on many occasions. The first Christmas cards were first printed personally by wealthy people to be sent to friends family and business associates. Later these cards were available commercially and the tradition of sending Christmas greetings continues to this day.
There are many different types of greeting cards. Standard greetings are mass produced with a message inside. These are usually produced by not for profit organizations like the UNICEF. Later the photo greeting card where senders could insert their photo and send greetings was introduced. Some senders send a musical card that plays a greeting song when opened or a pop up card where a card cut out pops up when the greeting is opened.
The internet ushered in a new form of greeting. The electronic greeting card made greeting friends loved ones and business associates easier. One could schedule sending an e greeting one year in advance ensuring that the recipient will hear from them on the important occasion. E cards can be sent one hour before the important occasion and will be delivered instantly to the recipient making it convenient for busy or forgetful senders. As technology advances sending greetings also has become hi tech. Today one can send greeting cards from their mobile phones a few minutes before an important date.
Greeting cards in all forms have the magical capacity of putting a smile on the face of the recipient.