Make your day - send a greeting card!

Can anyone guess what the worst punishment in the world is? Some brave heart might venture out and say “Death penalty”. Great answer let me throw a googly.

What is the worst punishment that can be given to a person who is on a death penalty? The answer might come as a shocker. It is solitary imprisonment. There is nothing more cursed than being alone.

Aldous Huxley had once remarked “No one is an Island”. We want to socialise and notice and get noticed. During my college days a person’s popularity was measured by the number of greeting cards he/she received on his/her birthday.

More the merrier. This is the sentiment that was cashed by premier greeting card companies like Hallmark worldwide and Archies in India.

Youngsters happily spent many hours poring over cards agonising about the best card to choose with the limited budget. Somehow, I miss those days.

Now electronic greeting cards are dime a dozen and they are all free. Free, free, free. Frankly the charm is lost and I am sure that even the recipient too is not very excited.

They know that wonderful cards can be sent at a press of a key stroke. No pain at all! And we all know, no pain no gain.

A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or any other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, festivals like Christmas, Diwali, Ramadan, or celebrating New Year day or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feelings.

The sending of greeting cards had reached a stage where there are occasions for father’s day, mother’s day, Grandparents day, Pet’s day, get well cards, and what is touted as the ultimate marketing gimmick no occasion day. One can send a card, Chumma (Simply like that) – without any occasion.

Some occasions have become popular mostly due to the greeting card companies. For example Valentine’s Day was a celebration of love before it was turned into a mega celebration and a spree of card and gift giving, all courtesy –a greeting card company, Hallmark.

Greeting cards are usually packaged with an envelope and come in a variety of styles. They are both mass-produced as well as handmade versions that are distributed by hundreds of companies large and small.

Hallmark Cards and American Greetings are the largest producers of greeting cards in the world. An Indian company called Archies does excellent work in India.

Many people traditionally mail or post seasonally themed cards to their friends and relatives in December. Many businesses also send cards to their customers in this season, usually with a universally acceptable message such as "happy holidays" or "seasons’ greetings".

Types of greeting cards
Standard Greeting Cards:
A standard greeting card is printed on high-quality paper and is rectangular and folded, with a picture on the front. Inside is a preprinted message appropriate for the occasion, along with a blank space for the sender to add a signature or a handwritten message. A matching envelope is given free with the card.

Photo Greeting Cards:
In recent years, photo greeting cards have gained widespread popularity and come in two main types. The first type is a photo insert card in which a hole has been cut in the center. The sender’s photo slides in just like a frame. The second type is a printed photo card in which the photo is combined with artwork and printed, usually on a high-end digital press, directly onto the face of the card.

Personalised Greeting Cards:
Websites use special personalisation technology that allows consumers to personalize a card which is then printed and sent directly to the recipient.

Musical Greeting Cards:
Musical greeting cards play music or sound when they are opened. Musical birthday cards can play traditional celebration songs such as “Happy Birthday to You”.

Electronic Greeting Cards:
(also called e-cards) are greeting cards can be sent electronically. Flashbased cards can be sent by email, and many sites such as Facebook enable one to send e-greetings. More recently, services have been launched which enable the sender to send greetings to a mobile phone by text message.

Two Greeting cards that I remember:
(Both were pranks that were played out by my classmates). The greeting card says “You are a legend”. The recipient excitedly opens the card. Inside it is written “In your own eyes”

The second card says “Eat shit” Shocked by the profanity the recipient opens the card to find a message that says “25 trillion insects eat shit as food, why don’t you?”

A greeting card is a very personalised way of greeting someone. So greet a friend with a physical card and make his/her day and make your own day better!