This post marks the beginning of the Holiday Series 2018, here on FAE. Every Monday for the remainder of this year we’ll get around a couple of topics regarding Christmas and the holiday season.

Christmas is fast approaching and if you’re like me, you’ve already started to think about the festivities and plan your course of action for the holidays. One of the items on my to-do list has to be made in time in order to be received in time, namely to prepare and send out Christmas greeting cards.

Greeting cards are illustrated messages that express either seriously or humorously, affection, good will, gratitude, sympathy, or other sentiments.*

An Ancient Egyptian Greeting Card.png — The history of greeting cards

dates back to the ancient Chinese who exchanged messages of goodwill to celebrate a New Year, and to early Egyptians who used papyrus scrolls to send greetings.*

First Christmas Card.jpg — Recognized as the first Christmas card

is published in London (1843) when Sir Henry Cole hires artist John Calcott Horsley to design a holiday card for his friends.*

After the “definition” of the greeting card and a little history lesson let’s see WHY we still send Christmas greeting cards.

Tho technology would make it a matter of seconds to send an electronic greeting card, not to mention expense free, (everybody knows they are out there, you might have even sent or received one or two yourself), still, we prefer to buy or handmade one and send it by post to our intended recipient. I think it’s simple, really. The positive feelings we get by sending and receiving a greeting card (of any type, but handmade ones take the glory for me) are good for our health and well-being. As a recipient, it shows us how much the sender cares, as senders we express and communicate our feelings toward the recipient. Writing a greeting card takes time, to craft a handmade one takes time and effort and because those are the most precious things we have to give, people will feel valued and loved.

I can only urge You to make an effort to send out more greeting cards this coming (and every other) Christmas, especially to people that are alone, ill or battling mental health issues, because (as cognitive neuroscientist Dr Lynda Shaw says)

…receiving cards increases self-esteem, helps to stave off feelings of loneliness and isolation and even wards off the early stages of depression. **

In my own words, cards are palpable carriers of love and caring. They are displayed to be a reminder that someone cares and took the time to buy or make, write and send it. That is why I always try and send out hand-crafted cards for all occasions. Here you can see my first attempts at making Christmas cards. My card-making has evolved a bit more now, so It is in my plans to offer card kits in the future for you to send to your loved ones. These are some of the new cards.