May is here!

Today is the beginning of a new month.  Not only is today May Day but it is the start of National Post Card Week and also marks the 160^th Anniversary of the World’s Fair.

 

MAY DAY

Rally ’round the Maypole, as we gather this information for you to start this, the merry merry month of May! May Day has been a traditional holiday celebration since ancient times. On this day, spring festivals and Maypoles are common. The Maypole is a tall pole that is covered with streamers, flowers and other decorations of spring. People grab hold of a streamer and dance around the pole to ward off ol’ man Winter for good. It is a way to shake the dreary winter blues once and for all. Since the 1880s, May Day has been celebrated in some countries, particularly socialist nations, as a labor holiday.  In Hawaii, May Day is Lei Day. It’s a day when just about anyone and everyone gives the gift of a lei to another, putting it around the receiver’s neck and accompanying it with the traditional kiss. This custom of sharing the aloha spirit with a beautiful floral lei on Lei Day began in 1927.

POSTCARD WEEK

         

National Postcard Week - May 1st – 7th is National Postcard Week.  A post card is a reminder that someone out there is thinking of you. Sending one is a way to tell someone else that you’re thinking of them.

Post cards are usually sent by people who are on vacation. People visiting majestic places they’ve probably never been to before and may never see again. But still, they took the time to stop what they were doing and write you a friendly note. 

Surprise Family and Friends with Post Cards

To celebrate National Post Card Week, why not surprise your family and friends with a post card?  Or better yet, we are having the kids send handmade postcards to military personnel.  It’s a small, but effective way to bring some happiness into anyone’s day.  You don’t have to be on vacation to send a card.  Pick one up at a local store or create your own and include a personal note. Show someone special that you are thinking of them.  The best post cards were always the ones you never expected!

Make Your Own Post Cards

Feeling creative?   You can use blank 4x6 Index Cards and have the kids draw on them.   You can also turn a photo into a post card, or make one on your computer.  They sell inkjet postcard paper templates that you simply print out your own with an image. 

The minimum size for a standard post card is 3-1/2×5-1/2 inches, and the maximum is 4-1/4×6 inches. Postage is just $.29.

Postcard Sites we found:

USPS - http://www.usps.com/createmail/welcome.htm

Hallmark - Click HERE to visit their site

Microsoft - Office suite has various postcard templates

We found this website that has several simple templates that you can printout with the following occasions.  Click HERE to go to site or click on each of the categories below:

All Occasion | Holiday & Seasonal | Regional & Cultural | Quirky & Fun | Patriotic

As May starts another month full of fun holidays we hope you blog your way around with us!