Birthday cards have a long history and the tradition of sending people birthday cards can be traced back to ancient China and Egypt. Birthday cards online, although a modern creation – predate the invention of modern means of communication making them extra special and evoking a feeling of nostalgia in both the sender as well as the receiver. In fact, research has shown that receiving handwritten cards and letters is more impactful than receiving messages over social media.
At the start of the century, when social media sites were just taking off, many prophesied that greeting cards and handwritten letters would lose their importance. But if anything, they have gained all the more important because it’s a very personal way of telling someone that you care about them. Here are the reasons why Birthday Greeting Cards are never going out of style and are more important today than they’ve ever been:
Makes People Feel Special
Today everything is digital – birthday reminders, birthday posts and with the advent of the pandemic even birthday celebrations. There is so much incoming digital overload on birthdays that even special messages and posts lose their meaning. Receiving a physical card on their birthday is a reminder for most people that someone was planning for their birthday even before that notification popped up and that someone cares enough to do something more than simply send a message. Birthday greeting cards make your message stand out.
Adds a Personal Touch
Sending a card is a great way of reminding the person about an inside joke that you share with them or an important memory and even about a time when they made you feel special.
Sending a card is like sending joy in an envelope. And you can rest assured, that in this age of constant notifications and emails receiving a physical greeting card will be pleasantly surprising for absolutely anybody. There are very few things that humans value more than good memories and personalized reminders of how much they are loved.
Builds Morale
Whether you are sending a birthday card to your employee or your boss or your colleague, it helps build that special bond and loyalty among the members of the team. It is a reminder that you were thinking about them and/or you appreciate the work they do. Praises and appreciation can go a long way in boosting employee morale. Moreover, years down the line no matter where you are, they’d think of you fondly and vice versa.
Makes Good Memorabilia
Years later, if someone is looking back on their birthday memories, greeting cards are a great reminder of how much they’ve been loved throughout the different stages of their life. Cards from friends who’ve parted ways or cousins who live in different states, or grandparents who aren’t around anymore can be so special that no number of expensive gifts can replace them. When you send someone a card, you automatically also give them a memory, and future happiness.
Conclusion
Although birthday greeting cards might feel so simple, they are a grand and great way of letting people know that they are loved. And the beauty of the internet age is that you do not have to browse stores or settle for a mass-produced design. You can search for greeting cards, select a design that you love, a message that is personal and send it to a person no matter where they are in the world.
Soccer lover, dreamer, music blogger, Eames fan and typography affectionado. Doing at the intersection of modernism and sustainability to craft experiences that go beyond design. I’m a designer and this is my work.
