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| Christmas Carnivals » Christmas Cards |
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Christmas Cards |
Christmas cards are one of the best ways to connect with loved ones during the holiday season. Whether you are staying near your loved ones or far away from them, greeting them with the cards is a nice gesture. You can send an e-card to anybody and wish them a Merry Christmas. All you have to do is select the one you want to send.
It is the magic of Christmas, which makes everything around you colorful during the holiday season. Homes and cities are decorated with the best accessories to give a festive look to the whole area. People can be seen traveling to various places, to be with their families. Some of them can be seen rushing to the stores for buying gifts for their loved ones, while you can see some families decorating their homes. Christmas is the time to be happy and be thankful for all the good things we have in life..
History of Christmas Cards
Sir Henry Cole, the Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, is credited for inventing the first commercial Christmas card. In the year 1843, he commissioned the cards, which were designed by John Callcott Horsley, a popular artist of that time. The card had an image, which showed a happy family, embracing each other, drinking wine and enjoying the celebrations. The image drew lots of criticism, as the image of kids drinking wine was considered to be morally corrupting. A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you’ was the message printed in that card and since then, this message has been used many times to greet people on this occasion.
The earlier cards where very unlike the cards, which we can find these days. They were secular in nurture, containing images of flowers, fairies, snow and springtime scenes among other things. Gradually, the image of animals and children were used in the cards and in the present days, you can find both secular and religious themes in the images used in the cards. The cards have evolved a lot, since the day they were first used for greeting people.
Christmas card Text
Words say a thousand of things, so it is important to choose a card, which contains the meaning that you want to convey. Whether you are choosing E-cards, paper card or think of making handmade cards, you must choose the wordings carefully. Some E-cards have wordings printed on them, while some of them have the option of letting the user edit the wordings and come up with their own version. For this one can also choose the quotes, given by famous personalities, about the various things related to Christmas. If and when you use the quotes, do not forget to give them credit for that.
Christmas card Designs
The most popular color during Christmas time is red, green and white. These colors represent the different aspects of the celebrations. For instance, red symbolizes the blood and fire; white signifies the hope for eternal life; while green represents vibrancy, youth and nature. If you notice, you will find that these colors are extensively used in Christmas card designs. Some of the themes that are commonly used in the cards are Santa Claus, holly, mistletoe, wreath, candles, stockings, winter season, reindeer, cakes, gifts, elves and nativity scene among others. For the E-cards animated images can also be used, based on the various themes.
Using gifts and invitation images is also very popular. Other images used are baked cookies, cakes, candies, roasted turkey, snowmen, reindeer, penguins, Santa riding a sleigh etc
Christmas cards for children
Saint Nicholas, as he is known in some places or Father Christmas is a popular figure for children. When it comes to cards, you will find that most of the kids choose the ones, which contain the image of their favorite Santa Claus. For kids, he is the figure that fulfils all their promises, and makes their dreams come true, besides teaching to behave properly with everyone including their parents, siblings, friends and teachers. So, when they have to greet somebody they want to wish them by using this figure. They also want to express their thanks to Santa, for fulfilling their wishes.
Personalized Christmas Cards
Adding a personal touch to the card, you send to greet your dear ones, is a nice gesture. If you are sending an E-card you can do this by uploading personal photos, videos and also by writing down personalized messages. If you are thinking about paper card, then the handmade cards, also known as do-it-yourself cards are a good option. In these cards, you can explore your creativity to the maximum, and come up with interesting ideas. One can draw the images on the card or use downloaded images from the web. Writing some personal messages inside the card, should be pretty easy for you.
Popular Themes for Christmas Cards:
Some of the dominant themes of Christmas cards are Santa Claus, Holly, Christmas carols, candles, stockings, winter season, reindeer, cakes, gifts and invitations.
Carols are common themes for Christmas cards. Carol which is a joyous narrative is used for expressing the spirit of joy for the season. While most Christmas carols are on the themes of Old Saint Nicholas, the town of Bethlehem, holy night, and the glory of Christ, others are on the Christmas tree, bells, angels, enjoyment, gifts, winter, and celebration of Christmas. The idea is to create a festive mood and make every one a part of the Christmas celebrations. Some of the Christmas carols that are frequently used in cards are Festival Time is Here, Do You Hear What I Hear, God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen; Good King Wenceslas, Frosty The Snowman, Jingle Bells, Silent Night Holy Night, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, Holly Jolly Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claus, Silver Bells, The Wassail Song, Sweet Little Jesus Boy, Three Kings Of Orient, and Twelve Days Of Christmas.
Saint NicholasTheme:
Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas, a prominent theme of Christmas cards is always seen with a sack of gifts and a few gifts. He represents the theme of prosperity, joy, and wish fulfillment in Christmas. While children all over the world hang stockings in the hope of getting gifts from their dear Santa, the idea also find a place in many Christmas cards. Santa Claus is sometimes the angel who fulfills all our dreams. Children wish each other happiness and joy for the season. Sometimes, cards on Saint Nicholas themes are sent to parents, uncles, aunts, and grandparents by children. The recipient for them is Santa in disguise, in terms of goodness of soul. Kids want to thank them for being the Santa in their lives, who fulfilled all their demands, made all their dreams come true and taught them to be good.
Winter Season in Christmas Cards:
The winter season with snow flakes, sledge rides, snow man, reindeer and penguins is another popular theme for many Christmas cards. In some cards, the theme is the beauty of winter with snow flakes falling all over. Silent night with twinkling stars is another well known Christmas theme. It is a mingling of the religious theme with the romantic theme. The idea is to portray the story of the three kings, the guiding stars and the birth of the holy soul. It also brings the concept of togetherness and warmth, enjoying the cozy moments beside fireside. This kind of theme is mostly used in movie cards or flash cards which contains a story through a series of incidents. You can send this kind of Christmas theme cards to your beloved and dear ones.
Winter activities like ice skating, building ice castles, making snow angels are also popular themes for Christmas cards. People like to make the most of their winter season by going for skiing or enjoying snow ball fight with friends and family.
Reindeers and sledge cars in Christmas cards:
Reindeers and sledge cars are old favorites for Christmas cards. Both represent the traditional spirit of Christmas. People love to receive Christmas cards with pictures of a beautiful reindeer or kids riding on a sledge car. These are especially suited for people who love to cherish the nostalgia of having gone to a sledge ride with a friend or a family member.
Invitation and Gift Themes in Christmas Cards:
Invitation and gift theme is one of the most commonly used Christmas card themes. Images of oven baked cookies, candies, and sweets project the idea of Christmas dinner and invitation. Gifts project the theme of celebration and sharing, which is one of the most important Christmas celebrations. These Christmas cards are sent to friends, relatives, neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, and business associates.
Personalized cards for Christmas:
You can also add a personalized touch to your e-card. This can be done by uploading photographs, audio or video clips, and personalized messages. Personalized cards for Christmas can also be in the forma of do-it-yourself cards that can be created or painted online and then uploaded with a personal message.
Penguins and snow men are top themes for the current year. Game cards and do-it-yourself cards are among the preferred choices for cards. The users are supposed to click on penguins or snow men to play games. These cards are a hit with youngsters in their pre-teen, teen, and tween years.
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Last Updated :- 4 December, 2011
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