Greeting cards are usually sent for special occasions, such as Mother's Day, Christmas, birthdays, weddings, and christenings. But a colorful, illustrated note can be a thoughtful way to show you care any time. Traditional paper cards have been around for centuries, and it's still a special surprise to find one in our mailboxes; but today's technology has created a whole new venue for greeting card self-expression thanks to the ability to send cards via the internet.

The ancient Chinese were among the first to catch on to the spirit of greeting cards. They sent their sentiments on paper to celebrate the New Year. Egyptians scribbled their good will on papyrus scrolls for their friends and family members. In those days, and in the centuries to come, creating greetings was a painstaking and time-consuming process because each card had to be made by hand. Books were brought to a much larger segment of the world's population thanks to the advent of mechanization and printing presses, and sending greeting cards became easier and more popular as well because of the new technologies.

In the 1860's, mass production of cards began, and well known illustrators and other artists were hired by companies to create beautiful works of art on these greetings. More technological advances such as color lithography further improved commercial greeting cards in the 20th century. In later decades, people started sending cards for occasions other than special holidays: to cheer someone up, to say thank you, to let someone know they are being thought about, and for any number of other reasons.

Like all forms of communication, there are etiquette rules involved in sending greeting cards, especially if you are a business trying to impress your customers:

-- Send good quality cards; people want to know they're worth the very best and that you think they are worth it too.

-- Keep your addresses up to date all year long. It's hard to put thought and love into your greetings if you are already tired from revamping your list! You also want to avoid the embarrassment of having a card returned or, if you are using the internet, never having your recipient receive it at all.

-- Be sensitive to your recipient's own traditions, rather than just your own. Does your recipient celebrate a different religious holiday than you do? It's important to be sensitive in sending the right card. If you don't want to bother with different styles, select one that is generic in its content.

-- Make sure you send your greetings so that it is received before the appropriate holiday. Sending Christmas cards late is never a good idea. Why not send wishes for a Happy New Year instead?

Whether you send paper greetings, or use internet cards, you are sure to put a smile on someone's face when you remember them personally and assure them that you care.