Christmas

Always celebrated December 25

Facts

2012 Product News

Christmas Cards

• Building Anticipation – Enrich the excitement of the season with interactive cards that feature countdowns, recordable wish lists and more. With these 20 new interactive and innovative greeting cards, you can tell loved ones what they need to hear at Christmas time while giving a keepsake that can be admired for years to come.
  • Recordable Wish List: Children can record their wish lists directly into this card to let Santa know what they'd like to receive for Christmas. Fun for all ages, the Recordable Wish List card is especially perfect for little ones who aren't yet able to write a wish list for Santa. It is also a great keepsake for family members to capture a child's voice and personality at that moment in time.
  • Countdown Cards: With the help of Mickey Mouse or one of Santa's friendly elves, these cards double as a holiday greeting and a functioning countdown clock. Display the card and watch the days and hours tick away, bringing you closer to the excitement of Christmas Day.
  • Elf Voice Changer Cards: With the help of voice change technology, the recipient of this card not only gets a festive holiday message, but also can have hours of fun hearing their voice changed to a humorous elf sounding voice. Fun for all ages.
• Hallmark Signature Collection – This collection of 72 new holiday cards is truly unique, just like a signature. Exquisite textures, premium quality paper and relevant messages help Hallmark Signature Collection cards become holiday favorites that will adorn mantles and be appreciated for several seasons. Many cards also feature fun embellishments such as removable ornaments and more.
• Hallmark Justin Bieber Holiday Greeting Cards – Tis the season of giving, and Hallmark wants to give Beliebers an early Christmas gift – a holiday collection of four singing greeting cards featuring the shining star. Complete with fun photos, bright holiday colors, and season's greetings, Hallmark Justin Bieber cards are sure to bring holiday cheer to mailboxes everywhere.
• Christmas 2012 will feature new innovative cards that bring the sights and sounds of the Christmas season to life. Each enhanced feature adds a unique touch to the card receiving experience that is sure to delight people of all ages. New capabilities include a built-in snow globe, and cards with unique sound, motion and lights effects.
• Boxed Holiday Cards – More than 250 boxed-card designs are available this year and cover a range of styles including Traditional, Faith-based, Elegant and Fun. Thomas Kinkade, Photo Holders and Regional Imagery cards are also available.
• Hallmark provides more than 2,700 Hallmark Christmas card designs, including more than 1,800 individual Christmas cards, more than 250 boxed-card selections, more than 100 Mahogany Christmas cards for African-American consumers, and more than 300 Hallmark Sinceramente cards for Hispanic consumers.
• Christmas card-sending is a snap on Hallmark.com. Consumers simply customize their cards with photo and words, upload their address books, and Hallmark will address, stamp and mail the cards for them. The service is free; consumers only pay for the postage.  
• See the 2012 Christmas Card Fact Sheet for an expanded list of new products.

 Christmas Gifts & Home Décor

• Recordable Storybooks – The 2012 Hallmark Recordable Storybook collection continues to bring the magic of holiday story time to life. This year's collection features seven holiday titles – including three new titles – that let families participate in holiday story time with loved ones even if distance causes them to be apart. New titles for this season include All I Want for Christmas, Jingle's Magic Christmas, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer®, and back by popular demand, The Night Before Christmas, The Very First Christmas, available in Spanish and English, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Everyday titles also are available.
• Hallmark Interactive Story Buddy™ Characters bring story time to life and let families escape on magical winter adventures together. The plush Interactive Story Buddies chime in – barking, talking or singing – when key phrases are read aloud. This year, each Story Buddy character not only comes with a corresponding book, but also with a read-along audio CD and free access to digital story time online. Coordinating iPod, iPhone and iPad applications are available for free on iTunes.
  • Jingle™ the Husky Pup Interactive Story Buddy™ and Jingle All the Way Storybook: Jingle the Husky Pup, Hallmark's first Interactive Story Buddy, returns for the holiday season full of surprises! The playful pup is ready for more adventures with new technology that lets him respond to even more fun formats. Also check out Jingle's adventure in A Snow Day for Jingle. For the child already in love with Jingle, pick up the Jingle All the Way DVD, Jingle XX-Large Plush, Jingle the Husky Pup Mini Snow Globe, Jingle Plush Ornament and the A Snow Day for Jingle Keepsake Ornament.
  • Bell™ the Husky Pup Interactive Story Buddy™ and Bell's Big Move Storybook: This holiday season, Jingle the Husky Pup is getting a new friend – Bell! Join Bell as she leaves her home in the big city to move with her family to Jingle's hometown of Pineville. Be on the lookout for Jingle and his new friend Bell in Jingle and Bell's Christmas Star. Other new Bell products include the Bell Mini Snow Globe, Bell Plush Ornament, and the Bell XX-Large Plush.
  • Scooby-Doo™ Interactive Story Buddy™ and Scooby-Doo™ Who Are You? Storybook: Scooby-Doo is the first licensed character to join Hallmark's family of Interactive Story Buddies. Follow along as the lovable big brown dog surprises all when he speaks aloud – in English! The Mystery, Inc. gang is sure to keep your gang on its toes during this exciting new adventure! Check out two new Keepsake Ornaments as well, Very Merry Scooby and What's Shakin', Scooby-Doo?
  • Current Hallmark Interactive Story Buddy™ figures that are also available this holiday season with their own books include Nugget™ the Dog, Christopher™ the Sleepyhead Bear, Bigsby™ the Woodland Creature, and Abigail™ the Bunny.
• Be a Part of the Story™ – With Hallmark's newest line of interactive storybooks – Be a Part of the Story – kids have a chat with the main character. The Be a Part of the Story collection features exclusive technology that allows kids to have a conversation with storybook characters and keep the story moving. When highlighted lines are read aloud, the character chimes in with a special question or choice for a child to answer. Once the child answers, the character responds and the story continues!
  • A Visit to the North Pole: Every child dreams of making a trip to the North Pole, and now they can finally make the magical adventure! 
  • A Day at Fairy Grandmother's: A trip to Grandma's is always full of good fun, laughter and treats, but what about a trip to Fairy Grandmother's? Join the story and see what treats she has in store for you!
  • All Aboard: Hop aboard this magical train and be ready for a reading journey full of surprises!
• Merry-Okee allows you to change your voice to sound like an elf – a fun activity for the whole family! This Christmas karaoke microphone features six pre-recorded holiday songs to sing along to – “O Christmas Tree,” “Deck the Halls,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “Jolly Old St. Nick” and “Up on the Housetop.” Includes a song book with original lyrics as well as parody lyrics to add some silliness.
• Grab-n-Gabs – Tell the Elf – Tell a big story in a little elf voice. This fill-in-the-bank story game is fun to pass around for the whole family. Makes it fun and easy for all ages of the family to connect and laugh together. Everyday Grab-n-Gab games are also available, including Chatty Chipmunk, Likewise the Owl and Ned the Letterhead.
• Until We Hug Again™ Plush – Share the love of a hug when a loved one can't be there with these recordable plush toys – a brown and blue bear, and a pink bunny. Press their paw to record a personal message, then when the plush is hugged, the child will hear a loved one's voice over and over again.
• See the 2012 Christmas Gifts & Home Decor Fact Sheet for an expanded list of new products. 

Christmas Gift Wrap & Party

• Hallmark holiday gift wrap is available in nine beautiful new collections this year, that feature papers with foils and glitter, bags with attachments such as ribbons and die-cut paper shapes, gift-card presenters, food and wine presenters, value products, and dozens of accessories to dress up a package including tags, jingle bells, glittering stars, plastic light bulbs, bows and ribbons.
• Hallmark provides everything needed for a festive holiday party including distinctive paper partyware patterns and unique invitations, doilies, and decorative accessories. In addition, consumers may customize their paper party plates and invitations with personal photos and messages at Hallmark.com.
• See the 2012 Christmas Gift Wrap Fact Sheet for an expanded list of new products.

Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments

• Hallmark offers Keepsake Ornaments that commemorate milestones and nurture memories. In 2012, the line includes ornaments for a baby's first Christmas, a couple's first holiday together, and moving into a new home. Ornaments also recognize a variety of special interests and passions, such as cooking, camping, golf, grilling, and occupations such as teaching and healthcare. Relationships are celebrated in many Keepsake Ornaments designed specifically for family and friends.
• Keepsake Ornaments offer interactive ornaments with games and activities that help build anticipation of the season.
  • Beginning December first, turn the dial on the "North Pole Countdown" to hear updates from the North Pole counting down the days to Christmas.
  • The "Countdown to Jesus' Birthday" ornament plays the Happy Birthday song and counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds to Jesus' birthday. And the "Countdown to Christmas" ornament plays music from "Here Comes Santa" while counting down.
  • On "Voice Changing Elf" push a button to record and change any voice into an elfy voice or push the button on "Naughty or Nice" to see the ornament illuminate and hear who's naughty and nice.
  • "Christmas Wisecracker" will tell nutty jokes once you press his button.
  • "Darth Vader Peekbuster" adds suspense to the days before Christmas with a motion detectors that triggers one of nine alert messages from Darth Vader himself.
• "The Christmas Star Storybook and Ornament Set" is an interactive ornament and storybook set that enriches the story-time experience. While reading the coordinating story, readers can press the button on the star remote control to light up the ornament and play soft, magical star sounds up to 20 feet away.
• The Beautiful collection is back with brand new designs featuring tastefully elegant ornaments crafted by Keepsake sculptors from premium materials such as porcelain, pewter and glass. These 12 ornaments and one tree topper were inspired by the use of mixed material and classic and modern design elements.
• See the 2012 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Fact Sheet for an expanded list of new products.

Holiday History

Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrated around the world commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. In the third century, efforts were made to find out the date of the Nativity, but only in the year 336 A.D. was the date of the Dec. 25 festival set in commemoration of Jesus’ birth. Pope Julius formally selected Dec. 25 as the day of Christmas in 349 A.D.

Roman Catholics, Lutherans, members of the Dutch Reformed and Anglican churches, and those of the German sects were most responsible for establishing Christmas traditions in America. Christmas customs spread with the westward expansion of the United States and by the late 1800s had become firmly entrenched in American society.

In Stores

Available at Hallmark Gold Crown® stores nationwide. Use the store locator on Hallmark.com to find the nearest Hallmark Gold Crown store.