Our local mail carriers risk back pain and black ice to deliver warm greetings from afar. Cards pushed through the mail slot fill receivers with delightful anticipation.
In America, Louis Prang printed the first Christmas cards in 1875. In 2008, more than 2 billion holiday cards were exchanged. Nationally, 85 percent of Americans mail out greetings, and the average number of cards sent per household is 26, according to The Greeting Card Association.
Yet it seems that more people are e-mailing virtual cards to friends and family. Now maybe it’s my age, but I prefer to slice open an envelope to a burst of red, green and gold. My fingers love to slide over the glitter of snowy scenes. Nativity scenes, smiling Santas and red-nosed reindeer are strung across my doorways. You can’t do that with e-mail greeting alerts!