greetings card
noun /ˈɡriːtɪŋz kɑːd/
/ˈɡriːtɪŋz kɑːrd/
(British English) (North American English greeting card)
- a card with a picture on the front and a message inside that you send to somebody on a particular occasion such as their birthday
- Millions of greetings cards are sent at Christmas.
Culture greetings cardsgreetings cardsSpecialist greetings card shops, newsagents and department stores sell millions of cards every year to help people celebrate important events in the lives of their friends and family. Most people send birthday cards. They also send cards to celebrate engagements (= agreements that two people will marry), weddings, births, moving to a new house and retirement from work, to wish somebody good luck, or to express sympathy when somebody has died. In addition, there are cards for Christmas and Easter, and other religious festivals.Most greetings cards are folded and have a picture on the front and a poem or message inside. There are also many cards that are blank inside so that people can write their own message. Other cards say things like ‘just because I was thinking about you’, and are for people to send when there is no special occasion. There are also postcards printed with simple pictures and messages such as ‘Miss you’ or ‘You make me smile’. Some cards show famous paintings; others have country scenes, flowers, animals, etc. on them. Children's birthday cards often have a number for the child's age, and sometimes a badge (NAmE button). Some cards for adults have cartoons or rude jokes about getting old, or humour with a strong sexual content.A popular time to send cards is at Christmas. Christmas cards often have pictures of Santa Claus or winter scenes on them, as well as scenes from the story of Christ's birth. Until recently, many families would send over 100 Christmas cards each year, but the rise in popularity of social media (which allows people to keep in touch with friends and family members regularly), as well as the increasing cost of sending cards by mail, has led to a fall in the number of cards people send at Christmas. Older people often send cards to neighbours or people they work with, as well as to friends they see less often. Many people like to send charity cards (= cards sold in aid of a charity) because they want to do some good for others at Christmas. Business companies often send cards to their main customers, and some have special cards printed.Some special days are thought to have been invented by greetings card companies in order to increase their profits, for example, Father's Day, when children are expected to send a card to their father, and Grandparents' Day. Mother's Day (Mothering Sunday) is a much older festival which has its origins in the Christian Church. Another important date is St Valentine's Day, when people send cards to the person they love, sometimes without signing them, or signing them with phrases like ‘from a secret admirer ’. In the US, children sometimes give small Valentine's Day cards to everyone in their school class.