Newsroom for JournalistsNewsroom Home
Current News
Holidays & Occasions
Products
People Behind Our Products
Multimedia Library
Media Contacts
E-News Alerts
Sign up for Hallmark email news alerts, holiday facts and more.

Products

Christmas Cards



Facts
Christmas is the largest card-sending holiday in the United States – approximately 2.2 billion cards are sent annually.
Hallmark provides more than 2,600 Hallmark Christmas card designs, including about 1,900 individual Christmas cards, more than 400 boxed-card selections, more than 100 Mahogany Christmas cards for African-American consumers, and more than 300 Sinceramente Hallmark cards for Hispanic consumers.
Hallmark introduced its first Christmas cards in 1915, five years after the founding of the company.
According to Hallmark research, nearly three-fourths of consumers who send holiday cards do so because they know how good it feels when they receive a holiday greeting.
Among the various reasons for sending Christmas cards, 69 percent of people do so because it helps them stay connected with their family and friends, according to Hallmark research.

E-Cards & Paper Cards

  • Industry-wide, 2.2 billion Christmas cards will be sent this year, which remains the same as years past. Several years ago, there was a slight increase from 2 billion to 2.2 billion.

  • Hallmark views e-cards as a complement to traditional paper card sending. People of all ages have adapted technology and embraced its ease of use for communicating with people. In many cases, email helps people expand their circle of friends.

  • Annual e-card volume industry-wide is, by Hallmark's estimates, around 300 million – a fraction of the 6 billion paper cards exchanged each year.

  • Through ongoing research, consumers tell Hallmark that, while technology helps them manage their lives, it doesn't help them manage their relationships. People report using email primarily for business-type communication (making plans, sending a quick update, keeping in touch), rather than for more personal communication. When it comes to letting others know how much they care, people still want to share a tangible expression of emotion, and that's when they turn to greeting cards. Email and e-cards just can't replace the greeting card, which people can display, read over and over again, and save for years to come.

  • Hallmark research shows 20 traditional cards are purchased for every e-card sent. While there has been some trade-off primarily related to last-minute forgetfulness, electronic communication also has increased the circle of people consumers keep in touch with, which expands the potential for traditional card sales.

2007 Product News

  • Following the success of Cards With Sound, Hallmark introduces new Cards With Motion Christmas cards this year. Each of the 30 cards will present a fully animated scene using 48 photographic frames taken in sequence – having the effect of a two-second video clip. Six of the motion cards also feature sound.

  • Hallmark expands its popular Cards With Sound line this Christmas to include six trendy money/gift-card holders that play popular Christmas songs.

  • 49 Cards With Sound feature popular Christmas songs with CD-like sound quality, as well as clips from favorite holiday movies and TV shows.

  • Hallmark builds on its partnership with UNICEF with the introduction of 25 individual cards in addition to the boxed cards that debuted last year. Hallmark pays a portion of the net sales of the cards to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

  • 63 percent of the designs in Hallmark’s boxed Christmas card line and 40 percent of individual Christmas card designs are new this year.

  • Many Hallmark gift-card holder greeting cards now feature designs that reflect the types of gifts, stores and services associated with the most popular gift cards such as dining, theater or music.

  • More than two dozen photoholder boxed card designs come in a variety of styles accommodating a range of photo sizes and enable families to share holiday photos.

  • Hallmark.com offers the opportunity to create personalized photo cards online by uploading your favorite photos and creating a personal message. More than 500 designs are available beginning in late October, including 100 holiday designs.

  • Licensed properties including Thomas Kinkade, Peanuts, Disney Princesses, Precious Moments, and Marjolein Bastin are featured throughout the line.

  • Hallmark offers a card for just about every sending need, from active military personnel to the doctor, postal carrier, school bus driver or hairdresser.

  • Mahogany offers more than 100 individual Christmas cards, plus 15 boxed cards designed for African-American consumers. The line includes traditional, religious and humorous designs, as well as money holders that are gift-card compatible.

  • Sinceramente Hallmark offers more than 300 individual Christmas cards, plus 14 boxed cards for Hispanic consumers. The cards include Spanish editorial with English translations on back, bilingual messages, money/gift-card holders, and cards that feature sound or lights.

Holiday History

Englishman Henry Cole conceived the idea of Christmas cards in 1843. Too busy to write a personal holiday greeting, Cole hired well-known London artist, John Calcott Horsley, to design a card he could send to all his acquaintances.

Louis Prang, a German immigrant, is credited with bringing the idea of Christmas cards to America. In 1875 he printed a card that showed Killarney roses and the words “Merry Christmas.”

In Stores

Available at Hallmark Gold Crown® stores nationwide. Use the store locator on Hallmark.com to find the nearest Hallmark Gold Crown store.

» other products