Christmas greetings may differ across countries and cultures,
but at their heart they all express the same ideas. Christmas is
a time to put aside petty differences and focus on the good
things in life.
All greetings for Christmas time reflect that spirit of
positivity and enjoyment of the time we have together with the
ones we love.
For many people, Xmas greetings represent a chance to reach out
and contact people you haven't spoken to in a while. In our busy
modern world we have a tendency to let friendships slip away and
we don't keep in contact with distant family members as much as
we should. Greeting cards are a perfect way to get in touch with
these people at Christmas time and let them know you still think
about them.
Christmas Greeting Cards
Many countries have developed a tradition where people send
each other cards on Christmas with positive and uplifting
Christmas messages.
When you're sending out Christmas cards, you want them to be
special. You want them to reflect your own personality but also
show you've put some thought into who you're sending them to and
what they like.
Let's look at some ways you can make your Christmas cards unique
and add a personal touch.
How to Say Merry Christmas in Different Languages
Being such an old tradition, Christmas has had plenty of time
to spread around the world and take on new forms. As a result,
Christmas is celebrated a little bit differently from country to
country – spending Christmas in a foreign land can be quite an
interesting and perhaps quirky experience.
Here is how you say 'Merry Christmas' in a variety of different
languages – handy if you're sending a Christmas card to someone
who speaks a foreign language – or you just want to add
something a little different to your Christmas greetings:
French: Joyeux Noel
Greek: Kala Christouyenna
German: Froehliche Weihnachten
Italian: Buon Natale
Norwegian and Danish: God Jul
Latin: Natale Hilare
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Hindi: Bada Din Mubarak Ho
Russian: Srozdezhtovm Kristovim
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha
Portuguese: Felix Natal
Tagalog: Malagayang Pasko
If you actually translate some of these greetings directly,
you'll find they don't actually translate exactly to 'Merry
Christmas.' This is the general meaning of all these phrases,
but exact words differ a little depending on what each culture
sees as the most important part of Christmas. In many countries,
traditional images like the baby Jesus in his manger take centre
stage over more recent developments like Santa Claus.
Other countries, such as Germany, include more emphasis on the
few days surrounding Christmas and events like the coming of the
Three Wise Men. (Germany also happens to be the country of
origin for the decorated Christmas tree tradition that we all
know and love today – the 'Tannenbaum' in German).
You'll notice many of the European versions above include a word
similar to the Latin 'natalis', which means 'day of birth'.
If you're sending Christmas cards to friends overseas, or even
if it's just in a neighboring country, take a moment to learn
about the unique Christmas customs in their country and pick a
card which shows you understand how they celebrate Christmas in
their unique way.
Printable Christmas Cards – Probably the Easiest Way to Go
Around the Card Thing!
Of course, one of the easiest ways to save money on Christmas
cards is to find the templates you want online and simply print
them out.
Most printers on the market today – even fairly cheap ones – are
capable of producing high quality Christmas cards.
A good printer can even produce photo-quality glossy cards with
the right ink and cardboard.
Check out some popular printable Christmas cards.
The Meaning of Christmas and the Spirit of Forgiveness
As you can see,
the meaning of Christmas is a little different depending on
where you are in the world. But ultimately, most people agree
Christmas is about togetherness (family), forgiveness and
giving.
In many cultures Christmas is the one time during the year when
you are almost sure to be with your family – if you have one.
Otherwise being in the company of friends or simply other people
in the same situation as you will work as well – it's all about
togetherness in what is in effect the darkest time of the year.
Originally the celebration was for the return of the sun
(solstice, from which the days get longer again) which is
relevant in countries not too close to the Equator, but
Christianity took over this celebration and since then the
holiday traditionally celebrates the arrival of Jesus on Earth,
which was the beginning of the story of mankind being forgiven
for all wrong-doing.
This spirit of forgiveness is renewed every year at Christmas
time for millions of people, whether they happen to be
practicing Christians or not.
Togetherness (family), forgiveness, and giving – of course
Christmas wouldn't be complete without giving. This holiday
reminds us that the act of giving things away is more pleasant
than receiving something, and reminds us that the true richness
of life can only be felt when we stop trying to hold onto
everything and learn to give what we value away.
Good Christmas Sayings
Along with the typical Christmas greetings, there are many
'anonymous' Christmas sayings that have simply become part of
the culture in many countries around the world. They aren't
quotes, because nobody remembers who said them first!
Some of these are funny – some are a little cheeky – and some
are a bit cynical and dark. 'May your Christmas be merry and
bright,' is a good example of one of those things that people
'just say' to each other around Christmas time.
We've collected a bunch of these Christmas sayings and
provided a few interesting explanations of what they each mean.
If you're not a fan of taking Christmas too seriously, you'll
probably prefer some humorous sayings. We've also put together a
list of funny Christmas sayings which will be more to your
liking.
Guidelines for Crafting Your Own Greetings
While this article provides you with plenty of ready-to-print
greetings for Christmas, if you're feeling creative you can go
ahead and write your own personalized greetings yourself. But
where do you begin?
Here are a couple of general guidelines for writing Christmas
greetings.
- First of all, keep it light-hearted. Nobody wants to
think about gloomy topics when they read a Christmas card. - Second, try to use words and topics that naturally
relate to Christmas. If you think about it, this actually
gives you a pretty wide scope for thinking of your own
ideas. You have plenty of characters to choose from: Santa
Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
and of course Jesus and other people from the Bible. - There are also lots of visual images that are often
associated with Christmas: the green Christmas tree, Santa's
red sleigh and clothes, white snowflakes, colorful gifts and
much more. - Smells are another good one – everyone remembers the
smell of a Christmas ham. Including some strong images and
smells in your written Christmas card can add extra power to
them.
Of course, the aim of your Christmas greetings should be to
make the person reading them happier. Don't be afraid to use
emotional words that relate to Christmas, like 'happiness,'
'joy,' and 'peace.' Remember also that Christmas is a time for
giving without expecting anything in return – try to capture the
essence of what Christmas means to you (and the person you're
writing to) in a few words. 'Miracle' and 'wonder' are also good
words to use. Christmas is about celebrating the miracle of life
(as well as the birth of Jesus), so it's good to include
something that relates to a sense of miracle and wonder in your
greetings.
Collection of Great Christmas Quotes
When you're putting together your Christmas greeting cards
for the year, a nice way to add a personal touch is to put one
of your favorite Christmas quotes on them. You can even select
specific quotes for a few special friends and relatives. Here
are some great Christmas quotes that lend themselves well to
cards.
He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it
under a tree.
~ Roy L. Smith ~
A good conscience is a continual Christmas.
~ Benjamin Franklin ~
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of
mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy,
is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
~ Calvin Coolidge ~
Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and
behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
~ Norman Vincent Peale ~
And a few funny Christmas quotes:
May your Christmas be like Santa Claus – fat, jolly and
generous.
~ Funny Christmas Sayings ~
That's the true spirit of Christmas: people being
helped by people other than me.
~ Jerry Seinfeld ~
Christmas: Several weeks of Hell for Christ's sake!
~ Funny Christmas Quotes & Sayings ~
Mail your packages early so the post office can lose
them in time for Christmas.
~ Johnny Carson ~
You can find many more inspiring Christmas quotes
here. If you're after more quotes of the Johnny Carson and
Jerry Seinfeld variety, check out our list of
heartwarming and funny Christmas quotes.
And of course, there are some gems of Christmas wisdom that
shine brighter than all the rest. These perfect turns of phrase
some up a fundamental truth about Christmas in a few carefully
chosen words. These have their own page: read the best Christmas
quotes
here.
Sweet Christmas Poems
Another great way to spread your greetings for Christmas is
through poetry. If you struggle to pull a rhyming couplet
together and you don't know a stanza from a semicolon, never
fear – there are plenty of people throughout the ages who have
already penned some excellent Christmas time poetry.
Here are a few to get you started.
Wish you all a Merry Christmas.
May the Joys of the Season
Fill your heart with goodwill and cheer.
May the chimes of Christmas glory
Add up more shine and spread
Smiles across the miles,
Today & in the New Year.
~ Rosie Cash ~
Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
~ Oren Arnold ~
You can find many more Christmas poems
here. And, once again, if you have a humorous streak we have
something for you – take a look at our
assortment of the best funny Christmas poems.
New Generation Christmas Cards: eCards
The Internet has changed the way we all communicate, and
Christmas time is no exception. Ecards are becoming extra
popular these days – they're easy to set up and send, they're
often free, and some of them allow you to add a bit of
'interactivity' to your cards. You can find all sorts of cards
with different themes which include music, movement and even
little storylines. Some of these cards can be customized so you
can add in your own personal Christmas message.
The beauty of these eCards is that they can have a big impact
(especially on younger people) even though they require a lot
less effort to send than a traditional card. Your parents or
grandparents may prefer a traditional physical printed card, but
virtual cards are the way to go for anyone under 25 – especially
if they're overseas and postage can take a long time.
External links to cool websites with pages relevant to this
page
We have collected a few easy-to-use links on some of the
subjects mentioned on this page:
–
The greeting card industry as described at Encyclopedia.com.
– At the content-free encyclopedia Uncyclopedia (enter at
your own risk!) you can read about Santa's tendency for home
invasion and more:
Santa Claus as well as their twisted ideas about
Christmas.
– A short description at Reference.com of
Christmas – and another one on the guy who later became
Santa Claus –
Saint Nicholas.
– At wisegeek.com they have taken the time to (briefly)
explain
what a professional greeting card writer does, and also, for
the people with that kind of ambition, briefly explain:
how you become a greeting card writer. A smidgeon weird, but
hey, somebody's got to do it, and if that's what you want, don't
hold back!
–
Walt Whitman (1819-1892) once wrote a poem called 'A
Christmas Greeting' which is supposed to be a classic, but
you'll probably want to be real alert if you want to figure out
what it's about. Infoplease.com presents the
Walt Whitman Christmas poem here.
–
Christmas, as described on the popular, sometimes funny
Urban Dictionary.
Where Would You Like to Go Next?
Christmasy Quotes, Sayings, Poems and
Greetings
Christmas Quotes to Warm Your Heart and Make You Smile
and Laugh
The Best Christmas Quotes and Thoughts: Sweet, Warm and
Meaningful Through All of Time
Heartwarming and Funny Quotes about Christmas – plus
some Christmas Thoughts
A Big Package of Christmas Sayings and Christmas
Thoughts
Funny and Hilarious Christmas Sayings and Provocative,
Helpful Christmas Thoughts
Quotescoop's Christmas Poems – from Inspirational to
Funny Christmas Poems
12 Funny Christmas Poems – and Humorous Christmas Poems
to Chuckle, Chortle and Cackle by
Beautiful Cards for Christmas
A Collection of Free Printable Christmas Cards and Funny
& Vintage Christmas Cards & Christmas Card Greetings
Free Christmas Cards to Print – Antique Victorian +
Modern Postcards
Humorous Reflections on Christmas
The Big Question: Is Santa Claus Real? Warm Santa Humor
and Santa Claus Jokes and Quotes
What Is Christmas Really? Formal, Funny, Friendly and
Feisty Answers to the Meaning of Christmas
Fun Games for Christmas
Fun Ideas for Christmas Games: Also Printable and Trivia
Activities
Funny and Entertaining Christmas Party Ideas and
Christmas Party Activities
Entertaining Christmas Party Games for the Whole Family
& Christmas Party Ideas for Kids and Adults
Funny Mental and Physical Office Christmas Party Games
for the Best Company Christmas Parties
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