In today’s digitalized world, traditional Christmas cards seem like remnants from days gone by. Nevertheless, choosing the most beautiful specimens and - ideally - hand-writing an individual holiday greeting for each recipient is still an important part of our pre-Christmas tradition.
And here at KURZ, we firmly believe that this tradition is set to continue. For this reason, we explored the special regional features of Christmas cards in some of the countries in which we are represented. We’re showing you a range of country-specific themes, followed by the KURZ Christmas card for 2021.
Although South Africans celebrate Christmas in their summer season, there are still plenty of snow, reindeer, and Santa enthusiasts among them. Sure, the South African Christmas parties are quite different from those we’re used to in northern European countries - but our colleagues there still share the same tradition of decorating their homes and putting up a Christmas tree. The only difference is that South Africans like to use artificial trees or create their own alternative trees from wood.
South Africans also love to incorporate organic and traditional elements into their Christmas cards. Typical examples are handmade ornaments that represent their different cultures and traditions such as the ‘Big Five’ game animals [elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard] or the native South African baobab tree. The local Christmas cards typically come in festive red, green, and gold tones.
The Swedes, on the other hand, prefer the classic vintage style for their Christmas cards. Popular designs in Sweden are the traditional Santa Claus with gray suit and red cap, the bullfinch with its red, white, gray, and black plumage, and snow-covered winter landscapes. Gold tones exude a sense of light, warmth, and the festive spirit.
KURZ France has given us a wonderful selection of finished cards that are presented in a very classic style and feature typical Christmas themes. These include the classic stocking on the fireplace and a decorated Christmas tree, as well as scenes from the nativity story - in other words, designs that simply lend themselves to finishing!
Our Thai colleagues are also keen to share in the joy of Christmas. Enjoy these impressions that are sure to get you into the festive spirit:
Come along on a short trip around the world to discover the unique features of printed Christmas greeting cards in different countries. Although the occasion is always the same and most colors are inspired by the traditional Christmas theme, each card tells a story and sports a typically local style that shows the recipient just how far it has traveled. So, it is hardly surprising that the Australian versions tend to feature koalas and kangaroos alongside Santa Claus and his reindeer. Just a well-worn cliché, you say? Find out for yourself; you might just be surprised!
KURZ is also keeping up the nearly 200-year-old tradition of sending Christmas cards and owing to the combined expertise of the KURZ Group, has once again created an impressive specimen for 2021. The cards were hot stamped with LUXOR® 396 MTS and LUXOR® 385 MTS, and each finished with a brass stamp from H+M. The greeting text was partially printed and, in addition, the hot-stamping process with LUXOR® 385 MTH was deployed. Scanning the QR code on the card takes you to an explanatory webpage.
Here you can see the steps needed to create the finished card.
Our Christmas cards are always surprising and every year stand testament to the sheer endless possibilities offered by finishing with KURZ products. Of course, our processes and products can also be used to realize the trend towards customization, for example by means of digital finishing. For more information, please visit kurz-graphics.com.
We wish you a wonderful festive period and a Happy New Year 2022!
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