Editing Greeting card (section)

{{Short description|Piece of card with a picture and a message}}
[[File:GreetingCards3.jpg|thumb|Greeting cards on display at retail.]]
[[File:GreetingCards6.jpg|thumb|Birthday cards up close.]]
A '''greeting card''' is a piece of [[card stock]], usually with an [[illustration]] or [[photo]], made of high quality paper featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as [[Birthday card|birthdays]], [[Christmas card|Christmas]] or other [[holiday]]s, such as [[Halloween card|Halloween]],  they are also sent to [[Letter of thanks|convey thanks]] or express other feelings (such as [[condolences]] or best wishes to [[Get-well card|get well from illness]]).

Greeting cards are usually packaged using an [[envelope]] and come in a variety of styles.  There are both mass-produced and handmade versions available and they may be distributed by hundreds of companies large and small. While typically inexpensive, more elaborate cards with [[Die cutting (web)|die-cuts]], pop-ups, sound elements or glued-on decorations may be more expensive.

[[Hallmark Cards]] and [[American Greetings]], both U.S.-based companies, are the two largest producers of greeting cards in the world today.
 
In Western countries and increasingly in other societies, many people traditionally mail seasonally themed cards to their friends and relatives in December. Many service businesses also send cards to their customers in this season, usually with a universally acceptable non-religious message such as "happy holidays" or "season's greetings."