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Cards For Every Occasion (Cards)

08.25.2011 · Posted in Shopping and Fashion

These days it can sometimes seem as if there is a card shop on every corner, or a card for every occasion. Whilst some people absolutely love and adore the chance to choose a card for Valentine’s Day, Fathers Day, or even one of the more obscure occasions such as pets day, others dismiss it as a modern invention that just eats up their time and money.rnrnIn fact, the idea of a card for every occasion is actually one with extremely strong historical roots. The idea of sending a greetings card has been researched by historians and can be linked right back to the era of the ancient Chinese. In those early days of civilisation, people gave each other warm messages of good luck to mark the coming of each New Year.rnrnThe ancient peoples of Egypt also got in on the act, using papyrus scrolls to serve as one of the very first manifestations of what has become known today as a greetings card. Cards manufactured out of handmade paper had really come into their own by the advent of the 15th century and were, by this time, being frequently presented to friends and family right across Europe.rnrnGermans, in particular, were fond of sending a card and historical records show that they used wood cuts, pieces of wood with messages engraved and carved upon them, to send a greeting to their loved one from as soon as the year 1400. Valentine’s Day, too, has its historical significance, despite being a thoroughly modern affair these days. Cards celebrating St. Valentine’s Day were being given to romantic sweethearts even during the mid 15th century. The oldest remaining example of such a card can be seen today housed in the British Museum as a prized exhibit.rnrnLater on, a whole industry grew up around the idea of using a card to convey a heartfelt and loving message to a dear friend and they were regularly used in a variety of social circumstances. By the 1850s many people were beginning to rely on versions of a hand crafted greetings card which could be handmade either be yourself, or by a third party (at a fee) and then hand delivered to the intended recipient. It became a more and more popular way of expressing best wishes and was only helped to grow further by the advent of the modern day printing presses and ongoing improvements in the technology available to produce Cards.rnrnOnce the postal service was thoroughly established and the postage stamp was in general circulation things only got better and better. Now, instead of having to hand deliver a card, or pay a servant to deliver it for you, you could purchase a pre made card and then post it anywhere it needed to go in order to serve its purpose.rnrnThis vast increase in the ease with which people could send Cards is largely what led to the development of trends such as the sending of a Christmas card. The very first Christmas card was apparently produced in London and appeared in the year 1842. The sender, Sir Henry Cole, had bought the assistance of an artist name John Calcott Horsley and commissioned him to work up a template for a card he could issue to all his contacts as a means of celebrating Christmas.rnrnLater on, Cole’s idea would be seized upon by industrial manufacturers and greetings card companies such as Marcus Ward and Co began to spring up. Since then, card sending seems to have gone from strength to strength, assisted by ever more useful and efficient technology, ever more cost effective production methods and ever more affordable designs.rnrnNowadays, it is not so much about hand crafted originality, but it is still nice to choose personalised gifts when possible. Sending a personalised card that has a picture of the recipient, or a Star Struck card, where the person’s name appears in lit up fireworks, or on a banner at a football match, can really wow the person who is on the receiving end and help your card stand out from all the rest.rnrnLikewise, a funny card that allows you to personalise the card with your very own joke can go down a treat. In some ways, choosing a card such as this, or even adding a mug with a photograph on or a personalised spoof newspaper article using the date of a loved one’s birthday, is a way of combining the best of both worlds.rnrnIt takes the old fashioned element of using something handmade and bespoke, something that shows the time and thought that has gone into the card or gift, but couples it with the wonders of modern technology to produce a gift or card that really is that little bit more unusual or unique than most of the greetings that get sent these days.

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