The Hollow Days

Advent is a very special time of the year. Why is it that sometimes, these holidays are not such holy days?

Hallmark™, the world’s leading greeting card manufacturer, wraps up its mission statement in that most familiar phrase, “When you care enough to send the very best.”

It’s that time of year, again, for Christians around the world to send their best.

There are many ways to express the message of Advent. We’ll mail packages of goodies or plan trips to be with loved ones or give food baskets to the needy. Somehow, we find a way to give witness to God’s love and grace.

However, if we had to choose one medium through which people have tried to convey love during this season we’d look no further than a Christmas card.

And that’s good news for the greeting card industry. Depending on the source, sales have been anywhere between four and seven billion dollars, annually. Advent and Christmas, with Christmas being the most popular of holidays, provide an enormous market.

From Advent Thursday (Thanksgiving Day!) the traffic-jammed greeting card...