Following a small bit of griping I came out with a few months ago about the wrong use of Charity on a few Charity Christmas Cards I was looking at a “Which” study today that had a go at the businesses that are using the word charity as a sales gimmick instead of a statement of intent. Dame Hilary Blume who directs the Charities advisory trust commented that unless at a mimimum 10% of a cards retail price is given to Charity, it shouldn’t be given the title of “Charity”. My own view is I think the quantity would be better being closer to 25% but Im not in a place where i have to be as guarded about my views.

A business in the best place to be charitable, “Harrod’s” came out at the bottom of Which’s survey providing the smallest quantity from their sales to charity. Of the products they were selling gave back as little as 3.9% to charity and the highest % per pack was 10% which from my point of view I believe isnt Charity at all. This bad decision in salesmanship led to Harrod’s being awarded the Annual Scrooge award by the charities advisory trust who checked different stores during the final week of October and the start of November.

46% of the products on sale gave less than 5% to charity with a whopping 82% of Harrods Charity Christmas Cards packs giving less than 10%. The Georgy Porgy award for Greed went to Cards Galore with the majority of the packs giving less than 10% and some giving as little as 4.7%. Charity exploiters beware we are onto you! And you may well be getting one of these scathing rewards if you don’t make ammends. Bah Humbugs!

To leave you on a positive note there is a bit of light on the horizon with some brilliant charities banding together to provide you with great Charity Christmas cards that return 79% of their earnings from every sale to the charities that really do need them. As with any findings like this, vote with your feet and have a look on the packs to see the amount you are giving to charity and if its not very much buy somewhere else (if they don’t tell you on the pack it may well be because they would rather you didn’t know.

For me, getting or sending happy birthday cards has always been an afterthought. I would pick up a happy birthday greeting card as I stopped by the drug store on the way to a friend’s birthday party, I would put my signature on it and maybe a little note, and tape it to the top of the gift that I had already bought. It never came to my mind that a happy birthday card could be anything but a cheap, basic greeting. It is really nothing more than a formality – something to prove that you had thought of your pal enough to give them your best wishes along with your gift. I never thought about the variety of birthday gift cards accessible, and the way some of them have been created.

That all changed when I fist received an happy birthday e-card from one of my friends. If you do not know what a birthday e-card is, it is basically a greeting card that you can transmit over the Internet to someone on his birthday. The very first one I received was in fact one of those animated happy birthday cards. It came with a whole flash animation, complete with a story. Basically, it was a character thinking about all the things that he wanted to get for his birthday.

However, all he got at the end was happy birthday cards. I believe that the gift that the character was offered was in fact supposed to be the happy birthday card that I was receiving at the time. I thought it was cute and funny, but more importantly, it made me understand I could be more creative with my own birthday greetings. Since then, I have tried all kinds of things with happy birthday cards!

By Vandana Rajesh

Christmas is all about ringing in the festive season, friendship, love and great times. Celebrated as the birthday of Lord Jesus Christ, Christmas is associated with spreading peace, happiness and love. Nature too joins in this great celebration. It is like nature has adorned the role of a fairy Godmother all dressed in white offering you a wonderful time.

Christmas for many is the connecting link with their childhood bringing back lovely nostalgic memories of their young days when they decorated their house along with parents, assisted mother with the grand meal. It has since ages been a time for family reunions. Christmas is a wonderful time for family reunions and having all those get togethers that you have been planning for long. Work hard to make it truly special for your family.

Start right from the beginning by decorating your house. Bring in all those evergreens, put up all those beautiful cards that you received from your near and dear ones and do up the home making it truly irresistible for Santa. You could use different types of decorations for making your home look very beautiful and be the focus of all attention. Do not forget the mistletoes. Bring out all the wonderful laced home linen that you have been storing for Christmas and turn your home into a beautiful space you and your family would enjoy.

It is a great time that kids look forward to. For the children Christmas is all about gifts and goodies and spending memorable moments with family. The children wait all year long for hanging up their stockings and hoping and praying that Santa decides to bring them lovely gifts.

Food is an important part of Christmas. It is time to make all those delicious dishes that you have been experimenting with for so long. A great time for entertaining, call over your friends and family and enjoy the Christmas spirit.  

The Christmas tree is an important decoration that is the pride of every home. Decorate your Christmas tree creatively. You could make use of your old decorations as well as try some new creative ideas. You could even hang up chocolates and other goodies wrapped in gold or silver foil making it attractive for the children. Make sure that you add that special personal touch while wrapping the gifts placed under the Christmas tree. 

Christmas would be just another festival but for the importance that you give it. Your efforts to make it a wonderful time for your loved ones is what the Christmas spirit is all about. It is time for sharing and caring. A time for making others feel special. It is a time for expressing your love and affection. The Christmas spirit is all about understanding others, their difficulties and helping them in the best possible manner. The holiday season offers you the time and ambience for making the most and enjoying with family and friends. Come together and spread happiness this Christmas making it an occasion that you and your loved ones would cherish all their life

Christmas cards are big business; in fact, nearly 2 billion holiday cards are purchased, addressed and mailed each Christmas season.  This is because virtually everyone is caught up in the holiday card frenzy.  However, just like with any other type of correspondence, there are a few rules of etiquette that apply whenever you are sending out holiday greetings.

Christmas Cards for Friends and Family

Even if you are using preprinted holiday cards, you still need to sign your name and write a small handwritten note inside them in order to make the recipient feel as though you have truly thought about them this holiday season.  If you are signing the card for the entire family, you should begin by writing the father’s name, then the mother’s and finally the children.  Whenever Christmas cards are being sent to either a couple or a family that has two different last names, you should always address the card to both people.

Christmas Cards for Business Associates

Unless you have met your business associate’s spouse, their Christmas cards should always be sent to their office.  Regardless of where the card is sent, you should always write in a more formal and secular style. You should never sign your spouse’s name unless the recipient has met them in a social gathering.  You also do not want to ever send your personal family newsletter to your business associates.  Even if you are sending out hundreds of Christmas cards to a variety of business associates here, you should never use bulk mail. Always send your Christmas cards first class.

Christmas Cards for Special Circumstances

Every time that you send out a holiday greeting, you mean well. Unfortunately, sometimes your good intentions may be misunderstood.  Therefore, in order to avoid any etiquette slips there are two important tips that you need to remember. 

First, whenever sending Christmas cards to people from a different ethnic or religious background, choose a more secular card that is free of religious undertones.  Even a winter scene card with a basic Season’s Greetings, Happy Holidays or message of Peace is appropriate here.

 Secondly, if you know that your recipient is grieving the loss of a loved one this year, take special care to find a card that specifically deals with holiday grief.  They will appreciate your extra thoughtfulness in assuring them that their loved one has not been forgotten this holiday season.

The large majority of us love to receive Christmas greetings in our mailboxes once the holidays roll around. This is why so many people will take time out of the hustle and bustle of the season to send out their own personalized Christmas cards. This tradition has become a popular way to keep in touch with friends and family members that you might not otherwise converse with very often throughout the year. It is an effective way to track who has gotten married, who has had a new baby, and where those folks have moved to. However, when it comes to sending out those personalized Christmas cards, there are a few etiquette rules that you should follow.

For Family

If you are sending your personalized Christmas cards to family and close friends, you will want to sign your greetings with your first names only. It is also a good idea to take the time to actually sign each of your cards, even if you have your names printed directly on them. It is also a nice touch to put a personal note next to your signature. Some people also like to add a holiday letter that will give a brief synopsis of the news of the year for the family. These can be printed off on the computer, preferably onto a Christmas stationary that will be fun and festive for your recipient. It is also common for families to include current photos of the kids for everyone to see.

When you are addressing personalized Christmas cards from your entire family, you can sign the first name of the parents first, followed by the name of each child or simply, “and family.” When addressing the cards to the people that you are sending to, it is proper to include the children’s names with families that you are close to. Many people also like to address cards to “The Smith Family,” which is also considered proper. It is always preferred to write out the addresses of your family and friends by hand as well, since computer printed greetings tend to look less personal.

For Business Associates

If you are going to send personalized Christmas cards to business associates, make sure that you purchase a high quality card that will let your client know that you “care enough to send the very best.” Sign your name and include a short, handwritten message, even if your name is printed directly on the cards. It is not appropriate to sign your spouse’s or children’s names to the cards, unless your client has met or knows them. In the case of personalized Christmas cards for business associates, it is considered okay to run the envelopes through the printer if you have a large number to send out. Otherwise, a handwritten address is always nicer to receive.

 Personalized Christmas cards are the perfect way to send your holiday greetings and news to friends, family and business associates. With a few tips, you will ensure that your greetings go out the proper way.