sophie's fair

By the 1850s, the greeting card had been transformed from a relatively expensive, handmade and hand-delivered gift to a popular and affordable means of personal communication, due largely to advances in printing and mechanization.
This trend continued, fuelled by new trends like christmas cards, the first of which appeared in published form in London in 1843 when Sir Henry Cole hired artist John Calcott Horsley to design a holiday card that he could send to his friends and acquaintances. Technical developments like color lithography in 1930 propelled the manufactured greeting card industry forward.
-- Wikipedia

greeting cards are great voice-overs. they say what we feel without distorting the words. personally, i love getting a greeting card -- whimsical or sentimental, it's always an unexpected source of joy to open one. it is also an excellent way to open up to someone (without feeling geeky or awkward), bridge (communication) gaps and enhance relationships.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Every December, Zack and Hilary Rudman used to send out nonsectarian cards with winter scenes and generic holiday greetings.
Now, however, Zack Rudman, a Kansas City lawyer, has found a variety that seems to better suit a Jewish man and an Episcopal woman with two young children as familiar with the menorah as with a manger scene.
These cards proclaim: "Merry Chrismukkah!"
"I'm all for holiday cards but I want to make sure when we send something it respects both sides of our family," Rudman said. "I always like to deal with religious differences with humor. These were right up my alley."
-- Mark Sedensky, AP Writer

Happy Chanukah to my Jewish friends!

Twas the first night of Hannukah and all through the house
Pleasure was spreading, as quick as a mouse.
The children played dreidle and ate with such glee,
Oh latkes, and donuts, a pleasure to see!
-- The Night Before Hannukah ("A Visit from Judah Maccabee") by Melinda Bell. Based on a classic poem by Clement C. Moore.