Holiday Greeting Card contest

Tis the holiday greeting card season and we want your Florida-themed greeting cards! Be creative . . . think Santa on a surfboard, ornaments on a palm tree.

Ages categories are: 3-5 years, 6-8 years and 9-12 years. The winner in each category will receive $50 Simon Visa Giftcards compliments of DeSoto Square mall. A $75 grand prize winner will also be announced.

Winners will be published in the Dec. 23rd A&E section. Deadline to enter is Dec. 14.

Mail entries to Greeting Card Contest, Bradenton Herald, c/o Jana Morreale, P.O. Box 921, Bradenton, FL 34206-0921 or drop off entries to 102 Manatee Ave. W. OR 11121 State Road 70 East.

All entries must include your name, age, address and phone number.

All About Holiday Traditions

Holiday traditions vary from country to country, faith to faith, family to family. But some holiday traditions are very universal, and practiced all over the world. There are holiday traditions for Independence Day, Christmas, Hanukah, Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and other holidays.

Christmas holiday traditions usually include a Christmas Eve dinner party, with plenty of egg nog, caroling, and good spirits. Holiday dinners on Christmas Day are typically turkey and stuffing, ham, or lamb with lots of yummy sides like mashed potatoes, yams, and other holiday foods. Perhaps the biggest and most popular holiday tradition is holiday greeting cards sent to everyone on your Christmas card list. In recent years, new traditions have been formed to include a Christmas letter with the holiday card, that is a summary of what your family has been up to the previous year.

Hanukah is an important holiday for those of Jewish faith, but basically consists of the same family, big dinner, and gift giving elements as Christmas. When family cannot be together for this holiday, send your loved ones a dradel and holiday card to let them know that they are still involved in the family holiday celebration.

Thanksgiving holiday traditions in America include holiday turkey, and football games. It's a time for family, and letting everyone you care about how much you are thankful for their very existence. That is the essence of this holiday-thanksgiving, of course! Because we all lead such busy lives in today's society, and family cannot always be present on these special holidays, a new tradition has arisen. Thanksgiving holiday cards are now available to send to all of your loved ones who can't come to Thanksgiving dinner and watch the games with you. Unfortunately, the turkey and big screen tv don't fit into the envelope!

Easter holiday traditions usually include an Easter egg hunt, baskets full of candy left by the Easter bunny, and church services dressed in, well, Sunday best. Easter holiday traditions are probably the favorite for most children, and the bane for most parents due to the sugar high. However, Easter is really first and foremost a time to celebrate Christ and family. When you cannot have family present for this important holiday, send them an online holiday greeting from the Easter bunny to lift their spirits.

Independence Day is a very important holiday to Americans, especially in light of recent world events. With the war on terrorism in full swing, those who should most celebrate this holiday are not in America, but the Middle East. For those who miss out on fireworks and good spirits, it can be a depressing time. Cheer up our soldiers with a holiday greeting card, letting them know that we recognize their efforts for our country and the flag for which they fight.

The most important element to any holiday is family. When family cannot be with you for one reason or another, it is important that they aren't left out. Sending a holiday greeting card can change that around. A simply holiday greeting card and a special phone call spreading holiday cheer can make it feel like you are together, no matter how many miles may separate you.

All About Holiday Cards

You may think of holiday cards as being Christmas or Seasons Greetings cards, but really there are many more holiday cards than this one holiday. There are holiday cards for Christmas, Hanukah, Easter (or Resurrection Day), Thanksgiving, Halloween, Columbus Day, President's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Independence Day, New Years, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparents Day, and Administrative Assistants Day. As you can see, there are many holidays we celebrate, and each of them have their own holiday cards.

Holiday cards were not always so popular. Only in the last several years have holiday cards been created for all of the holidays we celebrate as Americans. I was surprised to find Halloween and Thanksgiving holiday cards when I went Christmas card shopping last year. I later discovered that holiday cards are becoming more and more popular, as people send holiday cards all year round to their friends and family. It is becoming increasingly popular to send holiday cards to all of you friends and family at every opportunity, just to let them know you care.

Holiday cards come in all shapes and sizes. You can choose holiday cards that are uniform and simple, and send one to everyone on your list. Or, you can choose individual holiday cards suitable for each person based on personality and what holiday they celebrate. For example, if you know people who are Christian and people who are Jewish, you may choose to send a uniform card that says simply "Season's Greetings." On the other hand, you can choose to send your Christian friends Christmas holiday cards, and your Jewish friends Hanukah holiday cards. This way everyone feels special, and knows that you are thinking of them specifically.

Holiday cards can come with fancy pictures or cartoons, sentimental poetry or funny phrases, or even music or pop up figures. You can get holiday cards specifically for each member of your family. There are holiday cards for children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, husbands, wives, and friends. There are romantic holiday cards, funny holiday cards, sexy holiday cards, and sentimental holiday cards.

You can find holiday cards at any general store, retail outlet, discount store, or holiday store. You can also find holiday cards at wholesale outlets, dollar stores, and specialty shops. The funniest and most sexy holiday cards can be found at novelty stores such as Spencer's, found in most shopping malls.

Alternatively, you can make your own holiday cards with a little bit of glue, construction paper, a pair of scissors, and a lot of creativity. Children rather enjoy making holiday cards for their friends and family. Buying a holiday card is not nearly so much fun as making one yourself. Also, the home-made holiday card from your favorite child means much more than a uniform holiday card purchased in a store.

Regardless of who you are sending a holiday card to, you are sure to find the perfect holiday card to suit that person's interests and hobbies. From Harley Davidson to Disney, holiday cards are an absolute must in every season.