Buy — Hallmark Cards

The tradition of the written greeting is ancient, but the mass-produced card is a product of the Industrial Revolution. Hallmark specifically began its Valentine’s Day tradition in 1913, joining other commercial icons like Cadbury and Hershey’s in standardizing holiday celebrations. What started with handmade lace and "scrap" by figures like Esther Howland—the "Mother of the Valentine"—evolved into a global industry where 25% of all cards sent annually are now "valentines".

We buy Hallmark cards because they offer a curated, safe language for the most intense moments of our lives: birthdays, funerals, weddings, and graduations. Hallmark has effectively created "pithy, emotional, and safe products for mass consumption". By providing these pre-packaged sentiments, the brand acts as a social safety net, ensuring that even those who struggle to verbalize their feelings can offer a "comforting beacon of safety" to those they love. buy hallmark cards

However, for many, the "buy" is not an end in itself but a vehicle. Even when someone "doesn't buy Hallmark cards to declare his feelings" but rather demonstrates them through action, the cultural ubiquity of the greeting card remains the standard against which we measure emotional effort. For those who grew up in households where buying cards was forbidden and making them was mandatory, the act of buying one can feel like a departure from "writing from the heart". The tradition of the written greeting is ancient,

How would you like to —should we focus more on the economic impact of the greeting card industry or the psychological reasons why we rely on pre-written sentiments? Christmas Calories and Hallmark Movies | Dordt University We buy Hallmark cards because they offer a