Order your Christmas Cards & Holiday Cards online today and save.  ChristmasPrinter is back in full swing for the 2008 Holiday season.  Check out all of our holiday products.  Save up 50% on holiday cards, Christmas cards, Christmas photo cards, calendars, and more!  Upload your own photos to our photo calendars and use them as gifts for family and friends.

I hope you all enjoyed a wondeful 9 months off.  We are back and ready to help all of you get ready for Christmas!  Pick-up all of your holiday printed materials here this year.

Another great use for business cards is to create a generic company gift tag for items you are sending out to clients and partners.

Those who use business cards should definitely consider creating custom holiday themed business cards.  Granted you have a short time window but these can definitely make a nice impression and you can include Happy Holidays messaging.

As the holiday season rolls around its time to start thinking about sending out Christmas cards.  It often can be a tricky situation.  One issue I run into it what is appropriate in terms of who to send cards to and from whom.  For instance, as a young working professional who no longer lives at home, should I send a separate holiday card from my parents?  Should it be sent from just me or my roommate as well?  Since my roommate does not celebrate christmas should I be sending holiday cards?  Should I order custom holiday themed address labels?

So many decisions, it can quickly become overwhelming.

I also run into questions of who I should put on the list (assuming I am sending them out myself) and when is the appropriate time to send the cards out.  The one thing I have figured out is where to order my Christmas Cards.

While Christmas is the most universally recognized holiday in the world. It has become a celebrated affair of magic, myth and religion. Most of the Christmas festivities that we know today actually sprang from pre-Christian festivals that had been celebrated for centuries. The birth of the sun celebrated on the 25th December was replaced with the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on this day. For Christians Christ was the new Sun the Son of God the new light of the world.

While there are approximately 2.1 billion Christians in a total world population of 6.6 billion, making it the largest religion worldwide, there are many other cultures and religions holding sacred celebrations during December today. Here are some of the most celebrated festivals:

Jewish people commemorate Hanukkah (the Hebrew word for dedication). This feast is also referred to as Feast of Dedication or Feast of Lights. It is an eight day festival which commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The Jews reclaimed and rededicated their temple in 165 B.C. after a victory which drove the Syrian army out of Jerusalem. A primary ritual during this time is to light a single light each night for eight nights and the number of lights lit is increased by one each night. The extra light lit each night is called a shamash meaning guard or servant and is given a distinct location, usually higher or lower than the others. Special blessings are recited over the lights each night. There are approximately 14 million Jews worldwide.

Muslims are observing Ramadan when it falls during the Christmas season. It is noted that Ramadan moves all over in relation to our calendar. Considered the most venerated, blessed and spiritually beneficial month of the Islamic year. Believed to be the month in which the first verses of the Koran (the divine scripture) were revealed by Allah (God) to the prophet Muhammad. It is a month where fasting, inner reflection, devotion to God and self control is observed. In Saudi Arabia it is 100% Muslim and Islam is the only accepted religion and non-Muslim religious activities are banned in public thus no Christmas celebrations. Saudi Arabia, as the birthplace of Islam is responsible for protecting the faiths holiest shrines at Mecca and Medina. There are approximately 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide.

African Americans are celebrating Kwanzaa which means first fruits and is based on African festivals. It started in 1966 by Dr Maulana Karenga, an American academic. Celebrations over seven days from 26 December to January 1st that reflect on and reaffirm traditional African values, ancestors and culture. There are seven guiding principles reflected upon. One for each day of the festival: unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, collective economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Kwanzaa is observed by more than 18 million people. Kwanzaa is not celebrated in Africa, as it’s an African-American holiday.

In Hong Kong the festival of a Ta Chiu is held (a Taoist festival of peace and renewal) held on 27 December each year. Participants summon all their gods and ghosts of their ancestors so that the collective power will renew their lives and fulfill wishes for the coming year. At the end of the festival, priests read aloud the names of every person living in their area. Then they attach the list of names to a paper horse and set it aflame, letting the smoke carry the names up into the heavens to reach the Gods so they will remember them.

In Japan no official celebrations of Christmas as less than 1% of the population is Christian. The major religion in Japan is Buddhism and Shinto. December in Japan is a time for preparing for their most celebrated day of the year New Years Day. People prepare by thoroughly cleaning their houses on new years eve then adding special decorations. People dress in their finest clothes often being traditional Japanese kimonos. A tradition is for the father of the house to be followed by all the family as he marches throughout the house driving away evil spirits. Custom is for the father to throw dried beans into the corners of each room as he bids evil spirits to withdraw and good luck to enter. The family then attends the Shinto Shrine where they clap hands to get the attention of the Gods and request good fortune. People send new years day cards like people send Christmas cards in west. There are 376 million Buddhist world-wide and 4 million Shinto world-wide.

The indigenous people of Australia, the Aborigines, being one the oldest cultures and people on earth, do not celebrate Christmas (even though Australia is largely a Christian country widely celebrating Christmas). The Aborigines have their own rich and honored culture in particular the Dreamtime storytelling which is an integral part of their life. It plays a vital role in educating children with stories of history, culture, the land and their people. Stories which have been handed down from one generation to the next over thousands of years. December celebrations include in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Yolngu Aboriginal people who observe the last season of their six-season cycle. Gudjewg, the wet season which begins in late December. There are less than 500,000 Aborigines in Australia today.

About the Author

Visit http://www.TheFamilyYak.com to listen to Conversations with Mrs Claus podcast show with Mrs Claus (aka Christmas author Bernadette Dimitrov) - Listeners can share in the inspirational insights from experts and coaches about life, Christmas and transformational secrets for living a happy and fulfilled life. Also come visit http://www.HoHoHoChristmas.com and join our free inspirational Christmas newslettter & get free gifts!

One day while I was shopping in my cage a festive reindeer appeared outside of it. It immediately jumped on the sled and knocked over the Snow. It jumped down from there and ran to the chimney and holiday a christmas off the chair. It then knocked a glass of eggnog off my favorite perch. I came out of my cage and after 25 minutes of chasing the reindeer through the house I finally caught it and put it outside. It quickly yelled for the nearest gift giver.

Taking a great photo for the family photo Christmas card looks like it should be easy. But as any parent who has attempted this holiday ritual can tell you, it’s not as simple as it looks. What you want is a unique, beautiful photo Christmas card. And what you usually get is fidgety, uncooperative kids that blink just as you’re taking the picture. But don’t give up and throw in the Santa hat just yet. Here are 6 easy, smart solutions to those top challenges.

Challenge 1: You want a festive holiday background for your family photo Christmas cards, but don’t want to decorate your house with strands of lights and tinsel in November.

Solution: Use the Mall. Department stores and shopping malls are decorating for the season earlier and earlier, many times right after Halloween. These holiday backdrops are perfect for family photo Christmas cards. Gather the kids in front of the twinkling lights and a few camera clicks later, you’ll have a great shot.

Challenge 2: Your toddlers won’t sit still long enough to take the photo.

Solution: Bring in the props. Get out the oversized teddy bear or other toy that fascinates them. Try posing them with the dog or cat. Give them something simple to do, like ring a Christmas bell or kiss their sister on the cheek. Use trial and error until you find the item or activity that interests them long enough for you to take a few pictures.

Challenge 3: Your teenage kids don’t feel like posing for a family photo.

Solution: Don’t make them pose. Instead, make action the focal point of your photo Christmas cards, highlighting things that your teenagers love to do. Take photos of them showing off their abilities. Whether they are in the swimming pool, a canoe, sinking a basketball, riding a horse, baking holiday cookies, playing with the dog, or enjoying another activity, your holiday cards will offer a glimpse into your family’s interests and personality.

Challenge 4: You’d like to send photo Christmas cards that are witty and fun, just like your family.

Solution: Create your own holiday story picture, by setting up a scene. Here’s some ideas. The kids can discover Mommy kissing Santa Claus (Daddy in disguise). Put the young kids in a bubble bath with Santa hats and bubble beards. Capture a snapshot of each family member grabbing a slice of pizza with the message “pizza on earth”. Photograph an empty plate of cookies and finished glass of milk in front of “guilty” looking kids with the caption “sorry Santa!”

Those after Halloween costume sales can come in handy when trying to set up a whimsical photo. How about posing your little angels with angel wings you picked up at discount? Other possibilities could be your kids dressed as cats (Meowy Christmas), super heroes (have a super Christmas), a baby in a pea-pod costume (”peas on earth”) or a lion and a lamb costume for two children.

Challenge 5: You’d like a beautiful photo Christmas card that doesn’t look like the same, tired, group family photo you send out every year.

Solution: Change the location of your photo shoot. If you’re within driving distance to a beach, there are a lot of unique photo opportunities. Pose the kids on a sleigh on a sand dune. Write Merry Christmas on the sand, and have everyone sit behind the inscription. Build a sand snowman with a straw hat, sunglasses, and seashell nose.

Autumn provides a lot of great possibilities for photo Christmas cards. Try taking photos of the kids playing in a pile of leaves, in a pumpkin patch or on a hay ride. Make lovely scenery your backdrop and it can create atmosphere that elevates your photo Christmas card to a new level.

Challenge 6: When you struggle to take a family group photo, someone always blinks their eyes, turns their head or doesn’t smile. It seems nearly impossible to get one perfect shot where everyone looks good.

Solution: Choose a card company that offers photo Christmas card designs that contain multiple photos of your family. The latest trend in holiday photo cards is to include several of your photos on one card in a unique, holiday layout. This has become popular because it is much easier to take great, individual photos of your family members than one acceptable group picture.

Whatever particular challenge you face when composing your photo Christmas cards, there is an easy solution. Try these creative approaches and soon you’ll be hearing from your friends, relatives, coworkers and neighbors how much they loved this year’s family holiday photo card.

Linda Kling is the owner of Photo Party Favors, which offers personalized photo favors and custom photo cards, announcements and invitations. Visit her website for more information on photo Christmas cards, plus recipes, tips, free printable holiday candy bar wrappers, Christmas tags, more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Kling

As the holiday season rolls around, a great way to reconnect with customers is through holiday cards. This is a non-obtrusive and often appreciated way to put yourself and your brand in front of your customers. Be sure to have your cards custom printed with a message of kindness and not overly ‘advertorial’ in nature. If it seems like a sales pitch or blatant advertising, it could have a negative impact. To go the extra mile and truly make an impact, try to write a short hand written message on each card individually, instead of just a printed card or a signature. Taking the time to write something custom can have a significant impact on the perception of the customer.

Creating custom return address labels and envelopes as well, particularly with your brand image and URL can be beneficial as well. Although, caution should be exercised to prevent it from being too overly promotional in nature. Short on time? Some websites even offer mailing services whereby you upload your list of customers and it will automatically mail it to them, which often has cost savings in terms of postage as well. This is great if you have hundreds or thousands of customers and mailing by hand would just be too time consuming. However, the Pareto Principal should be observed, also known as the 80/20 rule. In most business, 10-20% of customers generate 80-90% of your revenues. Take the time during the holiday season to identify those key 10-20% of customers and send them a little something extra, perhaps a gift baskets or a long hand written note of appreciation and best wishes.

Go the extra mile, you will be rewarded and well regarded.

Americans wills end nearly 2 billion holiday cards this year! A favorite tradition that most people say they wouldn’t dream of giving up, sending holiday greetings is a wonderful way to keep in touch with long distance friends and relatives, as well as a way to thank business associates and clients for their faithfulness throughout the year.

Although a popular activity, sending out holiday greetings can be time consuming. From choosing the right cards for individual groups of people (friends, family, professional associates, etc), to writing personal notes, addressing them and finally getting them to the post office in plenty of time for Christmas delivery, it’s no wonder today’s busy consumer is looking for ways to make the entire process quicker and easier.

If you’re strapped for time this holiday season try some of these time saving tips:

-Buy and address your cards early. Most stores beginning selling holiday cards in early October, which a great time to begin the card addressing process before other holiday stresses kick in. Or commit to working on jus a few cards every night for the months of October and November to make the job less stressful.

-Make a list of people that you would like to send cards to, then divide that list into three groups: must send; want to send; and would like to send. Start with the must sends, and if you run out of time, opt to send a personalized letter later in the year to your want to send and would like to send list.

-Join a card-making club or make it an annual family tradition. Many people love to create their own holiday masterpieces. Some craft clubs around the nation hold card making classes and workshops and even Christmas card exchanges that allow participants to make a dozen or more of one type of card and exchange them for others. It’s a great way to get a quick variety of homemade card styles. Or, use the same concept within your family and host a card-making day in late fall that allows everyone (including the kids) a chance to make their own cards to be sent to faraway family and friends in December.

-Have your cards preprinted. Many local printers as well as photo developing centers and even card manufacturers are happy to print your personalized message on the inside of the card you choose, as well as address your envelopes - some even handle the actual mailing! Although it may seem a bit impersonal to some, it can be a great timesaver for those too busy to do it themselves.

-Order your cards and stamps online to alleviate several trips out to purchase cards, buy stamps, etc.

-Always make a few extra cards and have them ready to address and mail for those you may have inadvertently forgotten, or for when you receive an unexpected card from someone you haven’t heard from in years.

-Send a Thanksgiving or New Year’s card instead. If the holidays are just too busy to include one more activity, try sending out pre or post holiday cards. Thanksgiving cards are a wonderful way to express how thankful you are to have certain people in your life. New Year’s cards can often be made and addressed during those letdown days immediately after the holiday. Not only a great way to extend the holiday a few days longer, but cards sent then are often enjoyed more by those receiving them since they aren’t thrown on a pike with a dozen others to be read quickly and set aside.

-Sending out Holiday greetings to your friends and family should be an experience you enjoy. Don’t let the stress of the holidays take away the fun of catching up with those you don’t hear from often. Start early and take your time. You’ll be glad you did.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Hick