The nature of birthday cards has changed with the introduction and popularity of the Internet. More and more electronic birthday cards are now being sent every year changing how birthday greeting cards are exchanged in today's society.

Historical research suggests that the Chinese began the tradition of sending goodwill messages on the occurrence of a New Year. Egyptians were also believed to use papyrus scrolls to send messages to loved ones. It was only with the advent of calendars that birthdays began to be celebrated. The introduction of the postal stamp in England in 1840 meant birthday greeting cards could be sent through the mail. From the mid 1850s, the giving and sending of birthday greeting cards became popular.

Hallmark research reports that birthday cards are very popular with more than one million birthday cards given every year in the US. Two in three people send a birthday card through the post according to Hallmark research. Birthday greeting cards accounts for 60% of total annual card sales.

A happy birthday card can be personal and a way of communicating good wishes to a person. Birthday gifts are often than not accompanied by a birthday card. The birthday card selected often reflects the individuality of the person receiving it such as giving a happy birthday card with a cat on the front of it if the person is a cat lover. A happy birthday card can also be sentimental and convey special messages that may otherwise not be able to be expressed verbally.

Funny Birthday Cards

Happy birthday cards can also take the form as funny birthday cards. Funny birthday cards were introduced in the 1950s and have grown to be as popular as sentimental happy birthday cards. Funny birthday cards have the ability to poke fun at the receiving person's age, character, personality or the type of job that they have amongst other things. Giving a funny birthday card can only really work if the receiver does not take the funny birthday card to heart. The sender could potentially ruin the relationship with the receiver if the funny birthday card crosses the sensitivity border. Funny birthday cards do not necessarily suit everyone and their sensibilities.

e-Birthday Cards

The Internet has added a new dimension to the traditional birthday greeting card. Rather than giving a happy birthday card face-to-face, happy birthday cards can now be sent electronically. Sending an on-line birthday greeting card is becoming increasingly popular with a large array of websites now offering free and customisable birthday greeting cards. An electronic birthday greeting card is not only cost effective but also instantaneous. A funny birthday card, a musical birthday card or a sentimental birthday card can now be only a click of the mouse away and be sent quickly and efficiently to the person celebrating their birthday.

The exchange of happy birthday cards will continue to be a personal and cherished tradition for many years to come. The happy birthday card given may range from being a funny birthday card to one that contains emotional content. The birthday greeting card selected needs to suit the person receiving the card as not all funny birthday cards will be appropriate. The electronic birthday greeting card will continue to grow in popularity although this will not change the tradition of giving happy birthday cards face-to-face. Birthday cards are truly a touching way to send hope, good will and love to the birthday person. Why not give a happy birthday card to your loved one the next time they have a birthday and make their day!