New
Year Cards now and then
History
A relatively recent phenomenon, the sending of commercially printed
Christmas cards originated in London in 1843. Previously, people had
exchanged handwritten holiday greetings. First in person. Then via post.
Sir Henry Cole decided that he was too
busy to write to all of his friends at Christmas. He also knew that
he could not omit this every year custom. Not sending a Christmas letter
would mean s social faux pas. So he asked John Calcott Horsley, an artist,
to design a card for him with a picture on the front and have it printed
in hundredths copies. The first Christmas card's inscription read: "merry
Christmas and a happy New Year to you." "Merry" was then
a spiritual word meaning "blessed," as in "merry old
England." Of the original one thousand cards printed for Henry
Cole, twelve exist today in private collections.
Cards today
Today most common new year cards are of DL format (210x99mm). With
the development of electronical communication printed cards became partially
replaced by electronic pictures sent via internet. Ranging from single
pictures with included wish to multimedia presentations and animations.
But people soon realised, that animated presentations full of sounds
are a kind of kitchy circus and they do more harm than profit. A picture
with a wish text is a golden standard, no matter if printed or sent
via internet. If it is funny or interesting, then addressee will appreciate
it.
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Interesting
facts
Just as people send Christmas cards in
the West to keep in touch with friends and family, a similar tradition
exists in Japan of sending New Year cards (nengajo) to arrive on January
1st. It is customary for businesses to send out these cards to clients
and customers too. The bottom of these cards is printed with a lottery
number for the New Year Jumbo Lottery (takarakuji) so as well as sending
your friends a New Year greeting, you could be sending them a fortune.
In UK people annualy send about 1,8
billions. To cover such ammount it is necessary to cut 200 000 trees.
In USA it is even 7 billions cards.
The word Christmas originated as a compound
meaning "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English
Christemasse and Old English Cristes masse, a phrase first recorded
in 1038. "Cristes" is from Greek Christos and "masse"
is from Latin missa (the holy mass). In Greek, the letter X,
is the first letter of Christ, and it, or the similar Roman letter X,
has been used as an abbreviation for Christ since the mid-16th century.
Hence, Xmas is sometimes used as an abbreviation for Christmas.
European mistletoe, Viscum album, is
a poisonous plant that causes acute gastrointestinal problems including
stomach pain, and diarrhea along with low pulse.
Santas suit was originally green back
when he was known as St Nicholas, he then had a totally different meaning
to the Santa Clause we know today. The truth behind the Santa we see
in our times came about in the early 1950's and someone we all know
very well helped to create this image. It was Coca Cola and her Christmas
commercials.
Altgough Santa Claus lives in Greenland
and this country is considered as a home of Chirstmas, all christmas
trees have to be imported here. Every town in Greenland has an illuminated
Christmas tree on a hillside or mountain top, and there are Christmas
trees in the majority of private homes. These Christmas trees are transported
by ship from Denmark, since trees cannot grow in Greenland’s arctic
climate. Earlier it was common to make your own tree from driftwood
which you then decorated with heather. There are still some people who
choose this method, whilst others buy an imported tree.
Everyone who writes to the address Santa Claus, 2412 Nuuk, GREENLAND,
will receive a reply from Santa, although whether your wishes will be
fulfilled this year is strictly a matter between you and him!
The life cycle of a Christmas tree from
the seed to a 2-metre (7 ft) tree takes, depending on species and treatment
in cultivation, between 8 and 12 years.
Each year, 33 to 36 million Christmas
trees are produced in America, and 50 to 60 million are produced in
Europe.
Artificial trees originated in Germany.
Metal wire trees were covered with goose, turkey, ostrich or swan feathers.
The feathers were often died green to imitate pine needles.
In the 1930's, the Addis Brush Company created the first artificial-brush
trees, using the same machinery that made their toilet brushes! The
Addis 'Silver Pine' tree was patented in 1950. The Christmas tree was
designed to have a revolving light source under it, colored gels allowed
the light to shine in different shades as it revolved under the tree.
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Happy
New Year in different languages
Afgani
Saale Nao Mubbarak
Afrikaans
Gelukkige nuwe jaar
Albanian
Gezuar Vitin e Ri
Armenian
Snorhavor Nor Tari
Arabic
Kul 'am wa antum bikhair
Assyrian
Sheta Brikhta
Azeri
Yeni Iliniz Mubarek!
Balochi
Noki saal mubarrak bibi
Bengali
Shuvo Nabo Barsho
Breton
Bloavezh Mat
Bulgarian
×anoeoa Íîâa Aîäeía(pronounced
"Chestita Nova Godina")
Cambodian
Soursdey Chhnam Tmei
Catalan
FELIÇ ANY NOU
Chakma
Nuo bazzor bekkunore
Chinese
Xin Nian Kuai Le
Corsican
Language Pace e Salute
Croatian
Sretna Nova godina!
Cymraeg (Welsh)
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Czech
Šastný Nový rok (or Stastny Novy rok)
Denish
Godt Nytar
Dhivehi
Ufaaveri Aa Aharakah Edhen
Dutch
GELUKKIG NIEUWJAAR!
Eskimo d
Kiortame pivdluaritlo
Esperanto
Felican Novan Jaron
Estonians
Head uut aastat!
Ethiopian
MELKAM ADDIS AMET YIHUNELIWO!
Ethiopian/Eritrean
Tigrigna RUHUS HADUSH AMET
Finnish
Onnellista Uutta Vuotta
French
Bonne Annee
Gaelic
Bliadhna mhath ur
Galician [NorthWestern Spain]
Bo Nadal e Feliz Aninovo
German
Prosit Neujahr
Georgian
GILOTSAVT AKHAL TSELS!
Greek
Kenourios Chronos
Gujarati
Nutan Varshbhinandan
Hawaiian
Hauoli Makahiki Hou
Hebrew
L'Shannah Tovah
Hindi
Naye Varsha Ki Shubhkamanyen
Hong kong (Cantonese)
Sun Leen Fai Lok
Hungarian Boldog
Új Évet Kivánok
Indonesian
Selamat Tahun Baru
Iranian
Sal -e- no mobarak
Iraqi
Sanah Jadidah
Irish
Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit
Italian
Felice anno nuovo
Japan
Akimashite Omedetto Gozaimasu
Kabyle
Asegwas Amegaz
Kannada
Hosa Varushadha Shubhashayagalu
Kisii
SOMWAKA OMOYIA OMUYA
Khasi
Snem Thymmai Basuk Iaphi
Khmer
Sua Sdei tfnam tmei
Korea
Saehae Bock Mani ba deu sei yo!
Kurdish
NEWROZ PIROZBE
Latvian
Laimigo Jauno Gadu!
Lithuanian
Laimingu Naujuju Metu
Laotian
Sabai dee pee mai
Macedonian
Srekjna Nova Godina
Madagascar
Tratry ny taona
Malay
Selamat Tahun Baru
Marathi
Nveen Varshachy Shubhechcha
Malayalam
Puthuvatsara Aashamsakal
Mizo
Kum Thar Chibai
Maltese
Is-Sena t-Tajba
Nepal
Nawa Barsha ko Shuvakamana
Norwegian
Godt Nyttar
Oriya
Nua Barshara Subhechha
Papua New Guinea
Nupela yia i go long yu
Pampango (Philippines)
Masaganang Bayung Banua
Pashto
Nawai Kall Mo Mubarak Shah
Persian
Sal -e- no mobarak
Philippines
Manigong Bagong Taon!
Polish
Szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese
Feliz Ano Novo
Punjabi
Nave sal di mubarak
Romanian
AN NOU FERICIT
Russian
S Novim Godom
Samoa
Manuia le Tausaga Fou
Serbo-Croatian
Sretna nova godina
Sindhi
Nayou Saal Mubbarak Hoje
Singhalese
Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Siraiki
Nawan Saal Shala Mubarak Theevay
Slovak
Stastny Novy rok
Slovenian
sreeno novo leto
Somali
Iyo Sanad Cusub Oo Fiican!
Spanish
Feliz Ano ~Nuevo
Swahili
Heri Za Mwaka Mpyao
Swedish
GOTT NYTT AR! /Gott nytt ar!
Sudanese
Warsa Enggal
Tamil
Eniya Puthandu Nalvazhthukkal
Tibetian
Losar Tashi Delek
Telegu
Noothana samvatsara shubhakankshalu
Thai Sawadee Pee Mai
Turkish Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian
Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku
Urdu
Naya Saal Mubbarak Ho
Uzbek
Yangi Yil Bilan
Vietnamese
Chuc Mung Tan Nien
Welsh
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
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