In an article on their Web site about How a Holiday Becomes a Card-Sending Occasion, Hallmark argues that “…if you think that special date on the calendar is a "just a Hallmark holiday," think again. There are fascinating histories behind every holiday for which Hallmark makes cards.”
And today is what many would call one of those "Hallmark holidays"—Valentine’s Day. A day where lovers dine. Mothers bake heart-shaped cookies for their little ones. Husbands send flowers.
And specifically, many of us exchange cards. Lots and lots of cards.
According to the Greeting Card Association, “The first Valentines in America were exchanged during the Revolutionary days and were mostly handmade with sentimental verses written in flowing script. In 1840, Miss Esther Howland, an imaginative artist and entrepreneur, became the first regular publisher of valentines in the United States, eventually heading her own publishing firm that specialized in Valentine cards.”
Since then, a whole industry has popped up making big bucks off of the day. Stores change their merchandise and storefronts mid-January. Chocolate wrappers everywhere turn pink and purple. 1-800-Flowers makes a killing. And industry icon Hallmark and other greeting card manufacturers are some of the hugest beneficiaries:
Beyond Christmas, Valentine’s Day is the second biggest greeting card holiday, accounting for 25 percent of total sales.
Hallmark estimates that we will give out 190 million greeting cards today, not including the classroom made variety, which would tip the scales at 1 billion total. At $3 a pop or so, that means sales of greeting cards for just today may reach nearly $600 million.
I really don't see "Hallmark holidays" going away anytime soon. And lots of companies make their milk off of this fact.
My question to you, though, is that even if the history of Valentine's Day and any other "Hallmark holiday" is fascinating, is it really worth a greeting card? Hallmark thinks so. By the flowers sitting on my desk today, other people think so, too. But what's your take?
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