Rise of the e-cards
How many Christmas cards did you send this year? And may we also ask, how many did you receive -by post that is?
A greeting card is considered an excellent way to spread seasonal cheer. When we receive a card, we feel glad to have been remembered and the more sentimental amongst us, may even be in the habit of keeping them. The custom of sending greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese. Back in history Egyptians conveyed messages in papyrus scrolls. Europe introduced handmade Valentine greeting cards in the early 1400s and Germans printed greetings on woodcuts.
Cards remind us of our connections with the people in our lives. Every year hundreds and thousands of greeting cards are sent by people to celebrate something. A card is not just a piece of decorated paper; it carries heartfelt wishes, greetings and messages.
To get back to our question, did you perhaps find that you received fewer cards by post this year? We did. The card culture still exists but technology is taking over. The massive growth in electronic technology and use of the internet in the late 1990s, introduced the electronic greeting card or the E-Card. It’s cheap and a fun alternative.
The e-card is created using digital media instead of paper. These cards are made available by publishers on internet sites. You can choose from a catalogue and personally send it to your friends and loved ones via e-mail and those who get your greetings can save it on their computers or other electronic communicating devices.
With people running around the city of Colombo to finish their seasonal shopping we asked them what they think about traditional cards and e-cards. We found many still in favour of traditional greetings. “I think it is sad that people send e-cards. It makes a person feel unimportant. How hard is it to write a few words and post it? Sending greeting cards shows that you spend a few moments of your life for someone. Why leave every single thing to computers? Life could lose its sentimentality all together,” says Ursula Bastianz.
As we walked into a shopping mall, Talal Jabeer, who was shopping for gifts gave us a practical view. “E-cards are very useful for people who live long distances apart. But traditional cards would be the best way to send a greeting. Some might say e-cards may diminish the value of personal relationships, but I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.”
A salesperson at an eco-friendly greeting card shop Priyangani Gamage is not impressed by the e-card invasion. “Traditional cards mean a lot to those who receive them, more than e-cards. In previous years tourists used to buy cards in bulk from us for to the value of Rs. 10,000 or more. This year there were no such big sales. The invasion of e-cards could be a reason for this -in my opinion there is no better way of conveying feelings and wishes than through traditional cards,” she added, also highlighting the fact that the cards sold at this store are handmade by underprivileged young girls in a village in Negombo. “It provides them a sustainable income, and is a loss to the girls when the sales are low.”
“I think e-cards are fast, easy to send, cheap and have won the hearts of many because they can be customised,” Kavinda Welagedara, who was shopping at the same card store told us. The obvious downside is that, due to how easy it has got to send a card through e-mail, people do it for the sake of pleasing another without really putting enough consideration, love and warmth into it like we used to do when we were little. “To be honest it’s like wishing without any true intent but only because it is easy,” he added.
Sending e-cards has its benefits like saving time and paper usage- a very important factor to consider. But it can be argued that a traditional card will be more remembered than an e-card. Whatever your view, at the end of the day, remember it’s the bond that connects people, whether the words come in a traditional card or via an e-card. In this season of caring, do send heartfelt wishes. After all, some card is better than no card at all.