Company Blog

It’s easy to take the holidays we have for granted. From Christmas to New Years Day, labor vacations to the occasional bank holiday, most Western countries enjoy a selection of seasonal, political, and religious holidays. They’re as much a point of our national identity as they are a convenient break from work - something that’s celebrated not just for its relaxation opportunities, but the history that’s behind it.Of course, our holidays are just a small sampling of what’s on offer worldwide. We’ve found eight important political holidays, revolutionary dates, and strange international significant dates. If you’re the type that sends an e-card for non-conventional holidays, be sure to add these political revolutions, bizarre coups, and important social occasions to your ‘to-send’ list.1.    Republic DayRepublic of India

 

Source: http://tinyurl.com/3929mn4

India is the world’s second most populous country, and unbeknownst to many of those outside its borders, the most popular democratic country in the world. Once part of the giant British Empire, the huge country gained independence from British rule in the 15^th of August, 1947. Following three years of division and political worries, the country became an independent republic on January 26^th 1950.

Today, the 26^th of January is a nationwide holiday, celebrating India’s independence and new governmental system. While the national holiday may not be as colorful or interesting as Diwali, it’s one of the most significant holidays in the subcontinent, and cause for hundreds of thousands of Indians to close their shops and celebrate.

2.    The People’s Republic of China National Day

China PRC and Hong Kong

Source: http://tinyurl.com/35bzcvo

China’s National Day - or The National Day of the People’s Republic of China, if you’re a fan of lengthy titles - is the most important holiday in China and one of the most celebrated dates worldwide. Observed on the 1^st of October to mark the founding of the Chinese People’s Republic, the date is celebrated in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the off-shore territory of Macau.

Despite the occasional human rights complaint and Golden Week objection, the National Day is one of the most widely celebrated and interesting dates in China. Chinese communities as far away as the United States and Thailand also widely celebrate the day - fireworks displays are common, with the most visible occurring in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

3.    People Power Day

Philippines

Source: http://tinyurl.com/39s2ov7

Ferdinand Marcos wasn’t the most popular figure in the Philippines’ history. The authoritarian President was highly unpopular amongst Filipinos, having caused the country’s bankruptcy and a range of deep-seated economic issues. After the surprise assassination of opposition leader Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino at Manilla Airport, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos took to the streets to overthrow the government and push the Marcos’ out of the country.

While Filipino commentators are often quick to comment that the revolution doesn’t represent all Filipinos, the vast majority of the country seemed to approve of Marcos’ swift departure. People Power Day is not the most popular holiday amongst Filipinos to send personalised cards to each other, but it is a national holiday celebrated on February 25^th.

4.    Vietnamese Reunification Day

Vietnam

Source: http://tinyurl.com/3xwrf3o

It’s unusual for a national holiday to be met with very divided opinion, but Vietnam’s Reunification Day seems to attract different opinions from almost everyone. Widely celebrated by Vietnamese nationals from the country’s northern regions, the day is remembered by many in the south as a reason for resentment and annoyance - casually referred to as ‘Ngåy Quôc hân’ or ‘National Day of Resentment’ by those opposed to the nation’s current government.

Despite the holiday’s negative reception amongst south Vietnamese, it’s a widely celebrated holiday by most of the country. Businesses close shop for the day, public office workers enjoy an extended weekend, and families take the opportunity to congregate and enjoy each other’s company.

5.    Peeing Day
Princeton, New Jersey

 Source: http://tinyurl.com/32uwn2c

That’s right - this New Jersey holiday is known to locals as ‘Peeing Day.‘ Celebrated by residents of Princeton, Peeing Day commemorates the defeat of British forces during the American Revolution. Local stories - few people know exactly how accurate they may be - claim that the British retreat was spurred on by the American peeing effort; a force of American soldiers dedicated to peeing on British forces.

Whether accurate or not, the holiday - celebrated on the second Saturday of March - involves a slightly toned-down re-enactment of the Battle of Princeton. Residents don’t seem to take it too seriously, treating the date as a fun local holiday more than a grand political and historical gesture.

6.    Ohi Day

Greece

Source: http://tinyurl.com/2wao9m5

Greece’s most well-known World War II holiday, Ohi Day, is celebrated across the country and in Greek communities worldwide on October 28^th. Marking the date of Greece’s rejection of Italian advances into Greek territory. Students, military units, and public employees across the country take to the streets to celebrate Greece’s actions in World War II, and to decorate public buildings in Greek flags and historical artwork.

7.    Independence Day

United States of America

Source: http://tinyurl.com/382×2xp

When it comes to sheer scale, it’s very hard to rival the celebrations of the United States’ Independence Day. Celebrated on the 4^th of July every year, the date of American independence is marked with fireworks, giant public celebrations, and a range of events celebrating the breakaway from British rule.

Beyond being the United States’ most visible public holiday, Independence Day is a time for families across the country to reconnect with one-another and enjoy time together. Outdoor barbeques, public gatherings, and city-wide events are commonplace, each capitalizing on the slightly warmer July weather and temporary closing of public businesses.

8.    May Revolution Week

Argentina

Source: http://tinyurl.com/35w4qp9

The May Revolution spanned an entire week, and was the starting point of Argentina’s war for independence. One of the most important events in Latin American history, the week is celebrated across Argentina as the founding of the new nation and an important turning point in Argentina’s political history.

While themed children’s textbooks are quick to erase the week’s violence - instead opting to debate the day’s weather or minor events - most Argentinians see the May Revolution as a major step forward for the country. Celebrations are limited outside of Argentina - although you might be able to find a themed personalised card somewhere - but within the country this holiday is very significant.

What do you have planned for earth day?! Wherever in the world you live, you can be sure that there’s probably something special happening today in celebration of Earth Day.

Some places are holding speaking events and live concerts, whilst others are promoting recycling and holding large recycling events - some festivities also include sponsored tree planting competitions!

Why not join in the fun and promote eco friendly events by cycling to work for the day, not boiling the kettle as much, letting the sunshine light your office or even send personalised cards using ecards.co.uk.

You could even send personalised greeting cards with little messages in them on how to be eco friendly and raise awareness whilst sending greetings to your friends without having to use any paper or spend any money on stamps!

Birthdays come around each year, and they are always a special occasion, no matter what your age is! Spoiling someone on their birthday is as popular as ever, whether you buy them a present, take them away somewhere special, or just enjoy a meal at a nice restaurant!

The way we celebrate birthdays has changed a considerable amount over the past decade, the traditional methods of celebrating the birthday occasion still exist, however, there is the new way of sending a personalised birthday card, and this is an ecard!

You can send an ecard at the click of a button via email, this way you are 100% sure the birthday boy/girl will receive the card on time, and also, if they are stuck in work on their birthday, it will brighten up their email inbox for the day!

The development of the interent has brought many big changes, including the ability to send personalised cards online, for the majority of people, ecards are still a mystery, but we are sure that in 2010 the existence of ecards will become more recognised and their popularity will continue to grow!

Sending a postcard can be a hassle, especially when you’re busy exploring remote jungles, navigating through underground catacombs, and seeking out unusual tourist attractions to pose beside. Whether you’re a luxury traveller or a thrill-seeking backpacker type, it’s not uncommon to find yourself with severely limited free time – certainly not enough to head down to the shops for a pre-made postcard and stamp.

Thankfully, there’s a better option available. Thanks to iPostcard – a new iPhone app that makes sending personalised cards postcards simple – you can share holiday moments without a second of inconvenience. Just make sure you don’t send a personal postcard from any of these ultra-weird and creepy travel destinations.

Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

From the outside, the Sedlec Ossuary resembles any other Central European church. It’s elegant, stunningly pretty, and situated in the middle of lush countryside. Once you walk inside, however, things change quite quickly.

You see, this small Roman Catholic church is home to over 40,000 skeletons, each arranged in unusual positions to provide furniture, decorative pieces, and bizarre works of art for churchgoers. If you’re afraid of ghosts, the Sedlec Ossuary is best avoided, but adventure travellers and occult fans will no doubt have the time of their lives.

The Catacombs of Paris, France

The Catacombs of Paris are one of the most interesting tourist attracts in a city that’s well-known for amazing sights. As the French capital grew, inner city churches became swamped with requests for burials and very short on space. As a result, bodies weren’t buried in a graveyard or church complex, but thrown in mass graves under the city.

While only a small section of the Catacombs is open to the public, the attraction remains one of the most popular, albeit grim, in Paris. Just don’t send a picture home – your family, friends, and colleagues might have a little trouble working out whose bones are on display.

Lenin’s Tomb in Moscow, Russia

While the USSR never quite managed to create a ‘perfect’ economy, they have perfected one thing that the West never appreciated: embalming their leaders. Both Vladimir Lenin and his Vietnamese counterpart, Ho Chi Minh, are preserved in public tombs open to citizens, tourists, and intrigued history buffs alike.

As tempting as it may be to pull out the camera, this is one destination where you really shouldn’t. Viewers of Lenin’s body are walked through the tomb surrounded by armed guards, and even small disrespectful actions like reaching into pockets can result in a swift arrest and trespassing notice.

The Arch of Triumph, North Korea

Despite the Arc de Triomphe’s popularity as a photo target, its eastern neighbour hasn’t quite enjoyed the same privilege. The Arch of Triumph, a slightly up-sized and less impressive version of France’s well-known landmark, is located in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

Not only are photos only allowed under direct permission, poor photographs or ‘disrespectful’ images of the arch can result in a quick deportation of long-term stay in North Korean jail. Our advice: stick to photographing the French arch, and leave this North Korean icon unvisited.

Tuol Sleng Museum, Cambodia

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum houses some of Cambodia’s nastiest memories, particularly those from the country’s four-year period as a communist agricultural state. While the Khmer Rouge were forced out of Cambodia in the early 1980s, their crimes against humanity remain an issue in the small Asian country.

While photography is allowed throughout the museum, this is one grim tourist attraction that you won’t want to send back home. By all means observe and capture, but it’s probably best to rethink sending this instant postcard back home to your grandparents.

Ecards are set to take the UK by storm in 2010, as campaigns for saving money and eco friendly continue to hit us left, right and centre!

These free, printable personalised cards are due to become more popular in the UK after they were a hit in America especially during the popular occasion of mothers day.

Americans found that by designing a personalised card for mothers day online and then emailing this to be printed allowed children to interact with new techology as well as designing their own cards, it was also noted that sending an ecard saved a significant amount of money.

So it is pretty clear that the trend for sending ecards is on the rise and will continue into 2010.

Check out all the ecards available on ecards.co.uk including birthday cards, easter cards, photographic cards, anniversary cards and wedding cards.

Most of us have grown accustomed to the same old boring public holidays. There’s labor day, memorial day, and even the Easter holidays. Each are significant and important, but in many ways they’re a little dull.

Unfortunately, it’s the dull holidays that seem best suited to commemoration. The card industry has narrowed our holiday interests down to a very select sample of holidays. While ecards are doing their best to buck the oh-so-dull trend with their new personalised cards, it’s not always an easy fight to win.

That’s why we’ve gone out of our way to find the most exciting, interesting, and international holidays out there. From European political dates to cool Asian water festivals, these ten holidays are unlikely to be found on the Hallmark shelf, of even on an ecard website.

La Tomatina

50,000 participants, 150,000 tomatoes, and 5 days of absolute mayhem. La Tomatina is an official week-long holiday in the small Spanish town of Buñol. Tourists from all over Spain, and Europe in general, flock to the Valencia region to enjoy a five-day food fight.

While completely unobserved outside of Spain, worldwide citizens with Valencian history enjoy the exciting culture and unabashed fun of La Tomatina worldwide. Stuck for ideas on how to celebrate with a Spanish friend or relative? Create a custom tomato-red ecard and send it their way.

 

Diwali

 

Diwali is one of India’s biggest national holidays. A five-day Hindu festival, Diwali celebrates the return of Lord Rama, giving Indians all across the subcontinent reason to celebrate by releasing lamps and floating lanterns into the nation’s many streams, lakes, and waterways.

Much like the Chinese New Year, Diwali is a holiday that’s celebrated worldwide. Little India’s across the world join in celebration by planting special lights and decorations – Singapore’s Indian district celebrates with a two kilometer stretch of neon lights and impressive decorations.

Songkran

The Thai New Year celebrations, known as ‘Songkran’ within Thailand, are doubtlessly one of the most entertaining and exciting celebrations of any country worldwide. A three-day national water-fight, Songkran brings Thailand’s elders, children, and working adults out into the street, armed with water pistols, large buckets, and plenty of water balloons.

Of course, Songkran’s fun celebrations are rooted in some serious tradition. Monks and other Buddhist figures see the water celebrations as a cleansing of past mistakes and events – dashing water on a monk is considered an important way to show respect and understanding.

Hadaka Matsuri

Japan is well-known for their strange traditions, and Hadaka Matsuri has got to be at the top of the heap when it comes to downright weird behavior. To celebrate Hadaka Matsuri, young men across the Japanese nation strip down to their underwear, and enjoy public dances, weird competitions, and some ultra-bizarre events.

The partial nudity might seem strange to international observers, but it’s really rooted in Japanese tradition. Hadaka Matsuri celebrates a cleansing-type event – participants strip down to their underwear to rid themselves of unwanted energy, and absorb the bad luck of other people.

Chinese New Year

How many holidays involve over two weeks of celebration? While the Western New Year is a slightly boring one-day affair, the Chinese New Year covers fifteen days of commemoration and celebration, including numerous parades and public ceremonies.

Chinese populations across the world celebrate the New Year by purchasing gifts, cleaning their homes, and enjoying time with their families. Despite being a single-country holiday, Chinese New Year is widely celebrated – walk into any Chinatown district worldwide and you’ll be greeted with parade floats, excellent traditional food, and of course, Chinese fireworks.

Australia Day

Australia Day attracts occasional controversy in Australia, but for most it’s a day of rest, family, and some serious parties. The giant southern continent is known for its party hard attitude, and Australia day is far from an exception.

However, there’s some real tradition behind Australia Day. Citizens stop to commemorate the landing of ships in Sydney harbor, and to appreciate the progress that’s been made since. Amazingly, this is one holiday you can find an ecard for – provided you’re searching with Google Australia.

Cinco De Mayo

Amazingly, many Americans still think of Cinco De Mayo as Mexico’s day of independence. While the holiday isn’t quite that significant, it’s still a major holiday on the north Mexican national calendar. While ceremonies in Mexico are firmly traditional, the day attracts some serious attention across the United States.

That’s right – this is one holiday that’s celebrated more impressively internationally than on its home soil. Street parties, Mexican-themed celebrations, and traditional Mexican cook-offs are all commonplace on Cinco De Mayo, along with some serious tequila drinking.

Canada Day

Canada’s national holiday might not be as colorful or interesting as its Thai and Mexican counterparts, but it’s still cause for celebration for millions of Canadians. Celebrations in Canada generally consist of patriotic displays, while international efforts range from day-long hockey games to the annual ‘Canada D’eh’ ceremonies in Hong Kong.

Europe Day

Aimed at fostering unity amongst EU states and European citizens, Europe Day is a relatively new holiday next to most. First celebrated in 1985, the EU-wide holiday doesn’t give workers a day to rest, or even children a day home from school. Instead, it aims to bring unity throughout Europe by celebrating mixed culture and the achievements of the continent.

However, euro-skepticism from a number of EU states has stopped Europe Day from becoming an EU-wide major holiday. While it’s unlikely you’ll find a good ecard for Europe Day, it is possible you’ll see a set of mixed flags outside of schools, public offices, and government buildings.

 

Day of the Dead

 

Mexico’s annual Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos) is considered a day of remembrance and family. While slightly grim when compared to Mexico’s other major international holiday (Cinco De Mayo) the Day of the Dead is still an important holiday for Latin Americans.

 

Best of luck finding an ecard to suit this holiday. While the old George Romero poster might raise a few courageous laughs, it’s unlikely to bring a smile to this grim holiday. Throughout Latin America,  El Día de los Muertos is used as an opportunity to visit graveyards and churches.