Greeting cards evolved from being sent by the Egyptians and Chinese as a way to spread goodwill, to being sent in observance of holidays. Unfortunately, they were handmade and not everyone was able to afford the luxury of sending a card because they were very expensive.

Sending a greeting card increased in popularity in the 1850s, mainly due to the invention of the postage stamp and commercial printing, thus allowing people to send birthday cards and many other cards, all around the world.

Do you send greeting cards to friends and family only on their birthdays? Well sending a greeting card does not have to be limited to a birthday. You are no longer limited on what type of sentiments to send or how to send them, as this practice has come a long way since the time when only the wealthy could send a card since they were handmade and very expensive. With the invention of commercial printing and the postage stamp, it easier than ever to send out your fond wishes.

The holiday feast of winter solstice dates back roughly three centuries preceding Christ. In celebration of the harvest, people ate whatever was in abundance, while also taking a moment to pray to the gods for a good season coming up. While we may not eat the same things, the communal meal on Christmas is still a focal point of our festive gatherings and one that borrows from many other cultural traditions.

The Christmas tradition is heavily steeped in world heritage, from ancient Rome to Scandinavia. Today, our Christmas season seems so rooted and permanent, but there have been a number of rewritten rules and altered antiquities. Over the years, Christmas in America has been shaped largely by reformists, writers, advertisers, cookbook publishers and the flood of immigrants from the Old World.

Young children anticipate few things more than the arrival of Santa Claus, with his sack full of toys. All Christmas season, they try to remain on their best behavior, as they write Christmas gift lists and letters to Santa. They bake cookies and leave out a glass of milk for the jolly fellow and even a carrot for the reindeer to share. But where did this folktale come from and how do we celebrate St. Nick this holiday season?

Holiday gifts seem to fade in and out of style each year, making it difficult to keep track of what’s hot and what’s not. While there are some timeless gifts like watches, diamonds or fragrances, the gifts most sought after time and time again are gadgets and consumer electronics. The good news is that these items have come down in price quite a bit and there are no real items that are over-inflated or extremely competitive, like the Xbox 360 was last year. For 2008-2009, you’ll find a variety of Christmas gifts from digital cameras to laptops that are reasonably priced and desirable.

This year, greeting cards may be the last thing on your mind as you stress over budgeting Christmas gifts for the kids. However, for as little as $13, you can show 25 of your closest family members and friends that you care about them this Christmas. A mailed sentiment can really brighten someone’s day, much more than an e-card or a phone call. The thoughtfulness and kindness of a holiday card is a timeless expression of appreciation that radiates throughout the whole holiday season.

Before you buy that perfect Christmas tree this holiday season, do your homework! Be sure to tape-measure the height of the space and the width of the space where you’d like your tree to stand, allowing at least three feet from all heat sources. Before leaving home, bring your tape measure to check the size of the tree, gloves to protect your hands, an old blanket to protect your car from the needles and sap, a twine to rope the tree to the car and a saw so a fresh cut can be made before placing your tree into the watered stand. Also be aware of the maximum width of the tree trunk that will fit properly into your tree stand.

Some people get really into designing a Christmas party theme, stringing up Christmas lights and choosing the perfect Christmas album. Others look forward to a communal potluck style dinner with gift swapping, shared responsibility and low stress. Yet another group just ensures there’s enough eggnog and hard cider to go around and the ruffians are happy. No matter which type of holiday season gathering you are planning, you will need to consider several key elements.

The Christmas season is indeed a time for joy and celebrating with one’s family. However, the more recent Xmas films always seem to have that dysfunctional-family quality about them. While the classics may have had Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed as a loving couple, today’s holiday selections have soldiers returning from Iraq, suicides, infidelity and relatives dying of cancer. Frank Farley, a psychology professor at Temple University explains, as Tolstoy said, “Happy families are all alike. Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” A perfectly happy family in a Christmas movie is not going to sell anything.” Here is a look at some old and some new movies that will get us in the festive mood.