BHUBANESWAR: Advent of the New Year is certainly a cause for celebration as it is during this time that people plan something special with their family and friends. It is also a time when people revel in gratitude for positive experiences of the concluding year. Of all the niceties involved in these celebrations, perhaps greeting friends, co workers or relatives with New Year cards is the most common of all.
The act of greeting someone with a card is nothing new. It was started hundreds of years ago. It’s basically a piece of paper which features expression of happiness and wishes marking various celebrations. The advent of e-cards and messages though, has made it more convenient to greet near and dear ones without having to physically buy a card. However, many city dwellers have opined that gifting a real New Year card has its own charm that can never be replicated in an electronic card.
They have shown keen interest in buying cards for their family and friends even in this era of technology. People have also embraced the latest trends in procuring intuitive cards from e-retailers. Through these online mediums, one can easily send greeting cards to their near and dear ones with a personalised touch.
Orissa post interacted with owners of various greeting cards stores and customers to delve deeper into the subject.
Rahul Sharma said, “I am sending wishes to far-off friends through online sites this year. However, the importance of greetings cards for me still remains the same. I have bought cards based on various themes to present to my colleagues. Cards this year are based on various themes such as fashion, friendship and love.”
A greeting card store owner Sudarshan said, “Our business is least affected by the advent of e-retailers. We are conducting business in the same vein as last year. We try to espouse a new theme in our greeting cards every year. We have chosen various gods and goddesses as the theme of our cards this year. One can find cards based on Lord Jagannath, Durga, Hanuman and Krishna among others in our stores.”
A college girl Annapurna said, “I am neither interested in buying cards nor do I send electronics cards to my friends. I make cards on my own as I like to show my creativity in handiworks. I use buttons and gift papers in my designs.”
Judging the mood of the people, it is quite evident that even in the age of Internet, people still love receiving and giving greeting cards to their loved ones. College boys and girls, couples, kids and older folks still prefer the age-old tradition of gifting cards.
Priyanka, a self-employed woman, said, “Greeting cards have their own charm. Greeting cards have a stronger emotional appeal than e-cards as it has a personal feel attached to it. The cards which we send to our family or friends are with them for a long time. However, virtual blogs and cards don’t stay with us for long. I collect all the cards of my loved ones in my rooms to preserve the love I get from them every year.
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