The tradition of the written greeting is ancient, but the mass-produced card is a product of the Industrial Revolution. Hallmark specifically began its Valentine’s Day tradition in 1913, joining other commercial icons like Cadbury and Hershey’s in standardizing holiday celebrations. What started with handmade lace and "scrap" by figures like Esther Howland—the "Mother of the Valentine"—evolved into a global industry where 25% of all cards sent annually are now "valentines".
The Modern Scribe: An Essay on the Choice to Buy Hallmark Cards buy hallmark cards
How would you like to —should we focus more on the economic impact of the greeting card industry or the psychological reasons why we rely on pre-written sentiments? Christmas Calories and Hallmark Movies | Dordt University The tradition of the written greeting is ancient,
We buy Hallmark cards because they offer a curated, safe language for the most intense moments of our lives: birthdays, funerals, weddings, and graduations. Hallmark has effectively created "pithy, emotional, and safe products for mass consumption". By providing these pre-packaged sentiments, the brand acts as a social safety net, ensuring that even those who struggle to verbalize their feelings can offer a "comforting beacon of safety" to those they love. The Modern Scribe: An Essay on the Choice
Critics, such as those within the "Language group" of poet-critics, argue that buying these cards is a form of "programmed" behavior encouraged by capitalism. They suggest that our very way of seeing the world—and our emotional milestones—has been pre-determined by these commercial entities.