Hi recently we were listed as a Cool Website of the Day by a very large website makeuseof.com Here is what they wrote about us 

GotFreeCards - Provides a quick and hassle-free way to send animated ecards to a loved one, coworker and friend. The site has ecards for Birthdays, Mother’s Day, Get Well Soon, Holiday, Friendship etc. You can customize the ecards by adding an image or by uploading music to give it a personal touch. Read more: GotFreeCards: Free Ecards, Event Reminders and Printable Cards

There are many other blogs that have reviewed us but one desrves special mention The Momma in Flip Flops2. Please visit her site and read the free ecards review.

Father’s Day: Two Points of Origin. 

      Father’s Day originated in the town of Spokane, Washington, in 1909, though it was actually celebrated for the first time a year earlier.  This perhaps makes Father’s Day the only major American holiday to have two completely different origins, coming from opposite ends of the country.

      The true beginning of Father’s Day can be attributed to Doctor Robert Webb, a minister at the Central United Methodist Church in Fairmont, West Virginia.  On July 5^th, 1908, Dr. Webb delivered a sermon based upon the idea of the importance of fathers.  If mothers were important enough to have their own holiday, Webb believed, then surely we could afford fathers that same sort of appreciation. 

      Though Webb may have had the idea first, it wasn’t until a year later in Spokane that Sonora Smart Dodd actually put a name to it.  Ms. Smart, while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon delivered at her church, began to reflect on how in her life, her father had been a much more influential figure than had her mother.  She believed a “Father’s Day” was in order, to honor our fathers just as we already did our mothers on Mother’s Day. 

      Most other holidays we celebrate have a single point of origin or influence.  But Father’s Day is unique, in that it took two people, a thousand miles and a year apart, to think of the idea independently of one another. 

We all know the drill on Mother’s Day: maybe you bring Mom breakfast in bed; or you buy her a little gift, something she’s been wanting for a while.  If nothing else, you certainly make sure you buy her flowers, right?  So with all of these Mother’s Day Musts already laid out in front of you, why would you possibly want to add to that and send Mom an e-card, too?

      Simply put, sending an ecards this Mother’s Day is a great idea because it’s something unexpected.  Think about it: when you bring Mom her breakfast in bed, it doesn’t make her happy because she happens to be really hungry.  And when you bring her flowers, she doesn’t think to herself, “Finally, I have something to put in that empty spot on the window sill.”  No, Mom loves the things you do for her on Mother’s Day because of the unexpected surprises that your gifts and gestures are. 

      So when Mom wakes up on the morning of Mother’s Day, and sits down at the family computer to check her e-mail, just imagine how pleasantly surprised she’ll be to see an e-card—from you—waiting in her in-box! 

      Send Mom an mother’s day e-card.  It doesn’t take a lot of time, it’s free, and, best of all, it’s just the sort of surprise she’ll love to receive. And you can find mother’s day ecards here. 

If you have been thinking about going green, now is as good a time as any. What could possibly be more fun and fulfilling than planning an eco-friendly Easter with your friends and family!

 Simple changes in your normal Easter routine will go a long way in conserving the earth. Remember to involve your kids in the process and discuss with them the importance of your efforts.

1.  Recycle Easter baskets. Use previous years’ baskets. Or save up and use the baskets that you get fruit arrangements or bouquets in. Be creative. Remember the bath kit you received as a gift? Wouldn’t the container make a wonderful Easter basket? How about that straw hat you bought years ago? Invert it, add a fabric handle and you have an Easter basket that’s one of its kind! And if you do buy new Easter baskets this year, remember to save them for the following years! 
2. Fill ‘em with eco-friendly goodies. Choose healthier Easter treats and preferably those wrapped in earth-friendly material. You could choose organic or fair trade chocolates or other options such as jelly beans, or even crunchy carrot bites or gummy beans. Eliminate the use of plastic wherever you can. Why buy plastic grass when you can make a far cooler and eco-friendlier variety with paper, scrap or cloth? Also pay attention to the packaging. Come up with fun projects you can do with your kids. For example, you could recycle their art work or other paper and make gift wraps out of them. They will be thrilled to see their art work put to creative use.
3. Buy local.  Whenever possible, buy produce that is grown locally. When you go shopping for the Easter meal this year, why not stop by the farmer’s market? You may end up spending a little extra, but don’t you think it’s a price worth paying? Besides, you’ll probably meet friendlier faces and even feel healthier at the end of the day!

 This Easter, why not start or renew earth-friendly traditions that will breathe new life into our planet? Do you have tips for an eco-friendly Easter? Please share them with us.

And don’t forget to send free, eco-friendly Easter Ecards to your family and friends.

Do you keep track of how much you spend on Easter basket goodies, gifts and clothes?

Will you be making a conscious effort to cut back this year?

 According to one survey, parents said they spend $15 on average on each Easter basket. Some parents feel that the things they buy end up cluttering the child’s room and they would rather not contribute to it. However, since they don’t want to break tradition or disappoint their kids, they end up spending on the same or similar Easter goodies year after year. Some parents do say they fill the Easter baskets with useful, quality gifts, but these usually tend to cost more, taking the price tag of each basket to upwards of $ 30. If you have two or more kids of your own and nieces and nephews, well, this adds up to a figure you may not be prepared to shell out, especially when times aren’t rosy. Plus, add the cost of new clothes, meals and travel, and Easter could become an expensive affair, much like Christmas. According to one study, Americans spent $14 billion on Easter in 2008. There are indications that the figure may decline this year. Anticipating this, retailers are marking down prices and offering greater discounts. So this means you may find better spring and summer bargains than previous years. Will that encourage you to spend more this spring and summer? Or will you stick to your budget and buy only what you originally planned?

 How much do you plan to spend on Easter baskets? Do you have any money saving tips? Share them with us!

 (One sure-shot tip to save time and money, is of course, to send free Easter ecards, instead of splurging on expensive greeting cards. Have you checked out our cheerful collection of Easter bunnies, beautiful eggs and Spring themes?) 

 So, how did the Easter Bunny get its name…and what does a bunny have to do with Easter eggs anyway?

Legend has it that the rabbit (actually, the hare) was a symbol associated with the ancient festival of the Pagans, celebrated in honor of the Goddess Eastre or Eostre. She was the Goddess of fertility and the festival marked the birth of new life. It  also coincided with the arrival of spring. Understandably, rabbits and hares, became associated with this Pagan festival owing to their fertility. Later, Christian missionaries, in the process of popularizing the Christian faith, adopted this Pagan symbol of fertility and incorporated it into the occasion representing the resurrection of Jesus which occurred around the same time of the year. The two festivals merged – Eastre became Easter, and the fertile rabbit became the Easter Bunny. The rabbit became a symbol of innocence and sacrifice, very similar to the lamb.

There are a few other stories that tie the loose ends of this unforgettable Easter character together.

In Germany, in the 1500s children were raised to believe that a bunny would bring them colorful eggs as gifts, if they behaved well. This tradition found its way to America in the 1700s. According to another legend, a group of kids once found colorfully decorated eggs hidden in the garden outside their home. Snuggled close to the eggs, as if in a nest, was a bunny, appearing as if it had laid the eggs. This image somehow found its way into folklore and thus paved the way for the now popular Easer Bunny. All these legends combined with the fact that giving decorated eggs as gifts was already a popular custom in Europe, gave rise to the Easter Bunny traditions we know today.

So there you have it. A bunny. A basket of colorful eggs. And a spring festival of fertility. All coming together to symbolize one of the most important occasions for followers of Christianity – the resurrection of Jesus. Easter 2009 is almost here.

How will you be celebrating? Will you be joining your family or do you live too far away? Are you taking your kids on an egg hunt? Or will you be celebrating the arrival of spring in your own unique way? Tell us!

No matter how you mark this occasion and regardless of whether you celebrate spring or life or Easter, there is sure to be something in our Free Easter Ecards section that will make you smile.

Wishing you a Happy Easter and a very joyful spring! Here’s to new beginnings…

Do you remember the last ecard you received? Probably not. If you do, then what specifically do you remember about it?

Chances are you remember it because it was personalized. With a note. Or the sender’s voice. Or picture. Or maybe all of those. Now, there’s no question that our free ecards are pretty cool by themselves. That’s why you send them! But what makes each of our ecards special is not what we put into it. It’s how you personalize it!

Follow these quick tips to personalize each and every ecard you send. It’s what makes the difference between another ecard and a message from your heart!

1. Add a personal note. Even if it’s just one line. Address the person you are sending the ecard to by name. Even something like ‘Have a wonderful year ahead’ or ‘I hope your birthday is as special as you are’, or ‘Lots of love and hugs from…’might suffice. Your personal note reflects your feelings or wishes and brings the ecard alive. 

2. Add a picture. We all have hundreds, maybe thousands of them. Digital pictures. So, why not share one with your ecard? Adding a picture instantly personalizes your ecard. A picture of you with your family. Or just one that reminds the recipient of you, the good times you shared or something funny. Whatever it is, it will only take a few seconds to add one, but it will bring more joy than you may realize. So, the next time you send an ecard, be sure to click on Add a photo! This feature is available with most of our ecards.

3. Add voice.  Remember the first time you were away from home or separated from a loved one? The first time you spoke over phone, you probably said to each other ‘It’s so good to hear your voice!’ The voice of a loved makes us feel better even when we’re across the globe. To use the Add voice feature available on many of our ecards, all you have to do is use your computer’s mic and sound recorder to record and store a short voice greeting, poem or song. Then simply attach it with your ecard to cheer up your loved one on his special day. Very few of you seem to be using this incredibly cool, yet simple feature. What’s keeping you? Let us know! 

We assure you, these three simple personalization steps will be completely worth it!

The previous posts on Holi explored the various legends associated with this Indian festival of colors. 

Ras Leela

There is one legend that is particularly colorful and fascinating – that of Radha and Krishna’s Ras Leela. Those familiar with Indian culture know that Lord Krishna was known for his love of the Gopikas or lady shepherds. The mutual love they felt, was spiritual in nature, akin to that between a devotee or worshipper and the Lord, although it is often misrepresented as the infatuation between man and woman. Ras Leela is the famous festival of dance and song representing the abandonment with which Krishna, Radha and the other girls expressed their love for one another in the gardens of Brindavan. Krishna is said to have taken on multiple forms to be able to dance and celebrate with each of the Gopikas so none would leave disappointed. Today, the ritual of Ras Leela is re-enacted during Holi in some parts of India, symbolizing the colorful, joyous and enthralling manner in which pure love is expressed. Men and women, dressed in colorful costumes rejoice and dance to the beats of the Dholak.

 Some of the other traditions and rituals surrounding Holi are – 

-On the eve of Holi, Holika Dahan takes place, representing the destruction of the evil Holika, Hiranyakashyap’s sister. Bonfires are lit on streets and in some places, people burn the effigy of Holika, and rejoice in the symbolic victory of good over evil.

- Fire or Agni has great significance in Indian culture. An inherent part of many Hindu rituals, it is believed that the heat from the flames and the embers have a positive bio-physical impact, yet to be fully explained by modern Science. As people go around the fire, dancing and celebrating, they no doubt, inadvertently reap some of those benefits.

- Early the next day, the morning of Holi, people wear white clothes and leave their homes with buckets of colored water. Some use Pitchkaris or long syringes that are used to splash colored water. Powdered colors are equally popular.

- They meet on streets, in parks, in public areas and temple grounds – eager to smear each other with splashes of color and muddy water. Children engage in playing pranks and this is one day when you could get away with almost anything!

- Bhang, an intoxicating drink, is mixed with other beverages and consumed. This eliminates any remaining ounce of inhibition in the celebrations.

-After a full day of outdoor celebrations, pranks and ‘color splashing’, people go back home to wash up, offer prayers and then visit friends and relatives, exchanging home made sweets, gifts and other treats.

- Holi is also the time when the equivalent of spring cleaning takes place. People clear out clutter and redecorate their homes.

 Holi is less than a week away. How will you and your family celebrate this year? Tell us in the comments section below. What is your favorite part of Holi?

 No matter where you are, and how you celebrate, be sure to keep in mind its spiritual, cultural and social significance.

  Holi offers us the opportunity to celebrate life in all its shades.

 So, here’s wishing you colorful Holi.

How would you like to be smeared with a splash of rainbow-colored water and powder from head to toe before you even realize what’s happening? Not your idea of a perfect day is it? But, if you thought that being the victim of a practical joke is the last thing anyone would ever want, you probably haven’t heard of Holi. The Indian festival of colors. 

Colors = Life! 

This popular Indian festival represents the successful winter harvest and the coming of Spring or Vasanth. This is one day when Indians across the country, especially Hindus, celebrate life in all its vibrant hues, abandoning inhibitions. 

The Holi festival celebrates the spring season. But it is also symbolic of the way Lord Krishna engaged in a playful celebration of life itself with the beautiful Gopikas (woman cowherds) of Brindavan or Gokul (the gardens where they herded the cows)- singing, dancing and surrendering to love in its purest, divine form. There are several other historical and mythological stories also associated with the origins and significance of Holi. 

Family Fun Fest!

Today, Holi is a day when families in India come together, exchange delicacies, sweet dishes and gifts, smear each other with color(gulaal powder) and just have a good time. Getting intoxicated with bhang, holding Matka or Earthen-pot breaking competitions, playing pranks have all come to be associated with this joyous festival that people of all ages enjoy and look forward to. Even if you haven’t experienced it yourself, you can easily get a feel of the spirit of the occasion from numerous Bollywood films. If you live far away from family or friends, don’t forget to send free Holi ecards from our bright and cheerful collection created specially for the occasion.

Some of our upcoming posts will explore the origins of this vibrant Indian festival, the rituals associated with it and other aspects. Holi falls on March 11 2009. So, you still have time to plan a celebration with friends and family. The only question is – are you ready to get your hands (and possibly your outfit, your face and your whole body) dirty?!!

How will you commemorate this St. Patrick’s day? Will you enjoy New York’s Fifth Avenue parade, which is the nation’s largest and most popular event? Or use the occasion as a legitimate excuse to hit one of the many Irish pubs in your city? Perhaps, like the rest of the US, you will wear Green. Do you know how these traditions came to be followed and which of the St Patrick’s day legends are even true? Read on to find out

- St. Patrick’s Day marks the death of Ireland’s patron saint in 461 AD. After being snatched from his family, captured and enslaved for several years, the young Maewyn, experienced a closeness with God. Later, a vision helped him realize his higher calling – to convert Pagans to Christianity. He went about this mission for over 30 years, building schools, churches and monasteries in Ireland, converting the country to the Christian faith.

- Folklore has it that he rid Ireland of snakes. However, Ireland is not known to have housed any snakes. The reference, some believe, is to Pagans, whom St. Patrick set out to convert. 

- Another legend mentions his use of the three-leafed shamrock to represent the Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The shamrock has come to be considered as the symbol representing St. Patrick’s Day. Its green color is perhaps the reason behind people wearing green on this day. Or maybe the green leaf denotes the advent of spring, which is only a few days away. 

- In the US, St. Patrick’s Day was first publicly celebrated in Boston in the year 1737. The Charitable Irish Society organized the first parade. 

- The traditional Irish meal originally comprised of boiled bacon and potatoes. 

- When Ireland’s potato famine forced the Irish to make other countries their home, they brought along some traditions and made up new ones as time went by. 

- The traditional meal too was replaced by other substitutes. If you were to pop into an Irish American kitchen on St Patrick’s day, you might be treated to a sumptuous meal corn beef or beef slow cooked with cabbage.  

 - St Patrick’s Day is one of the most eagerly awaited holidays for several reasons. Not the least significant of them is the fact that, after attending church, people hit the pubs to down beer and ale, celebrating the feast of St. Patrick. 

According to one study, conducted by BIGresearch, there will be a decline in St Patrick’s Day celebrations spending this year. People will spend on average $ 3.00 less than they did in 2008 on food, festivities and beverages to celebrate this holiday. 

Well, one thing you don’t have to worry about spending on is on St Patrick’s Day ecards. Like all our other categories, these animated ecards are free and ready to be sent out to your friends and family on the occasion of St. Patrick’s Day. If you want to make your own greeting cards and print them out, you can do that too with our Printable Cards section.