Online Technology Comes to the Aid of Holiday Procrastinators Everywhere

Did Christmas creep up on you, Hanukkah hit too quickly or Kwanzaa catch you off guard? You probably put off sending holiday cards till the very last second and now you’re in a bind. Or worse still, you sent off cards, but forgot your cousin Max in Kansas City. Thanks to the wonders of technology, you can make up for lost time and send special e-mail cards.

Though they don’t have the tactile feel of a real card, these e-cards can be colorful, animated, cheap and--best of all--delivered in minutes. Almost all can be personalized with a brief note, though typed messages still don’t quite have that personal touch. Still, procrastinators can’t be choosy.

Most sites offer free e-mail cards, though some charge a couple of dollars for elaborate animations. Sending is usually straightforward: You enter the recipient’s e-mail address and name, your e-mail address and name, a short message (around 20 to 40 words) and hit a “send” button.

Complexity comes in on the recipient’s end, where he or she might have to download a large graphics file or go to a special Web site to view the card. One friend was a bit upset when I sent a 300KB animation to the hospital where he works. Try to send it to home e-mail addresses if possible, and find out if they have Windows or a Mac. Many e-cards are printable if the person has a decent color printer.

For a variety of good-looking cards for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, zip over to Greet Street (https://www.greetst.com). You can choose from traditional, modern or humorous cards, though many of the Hanukkah funnies weren’t. The cards are 50 cents per recipient, plus there are a few beautiful freebies.

You won’t be surprised that Hallmark (https://www.hallmark.com) has set up a deep site, with old-fashioned paper cards and loads of free e-mail greetings. You have to register at the site to send anything, and the servers were pretty overloaded the last couple of weeks. But if you have patience, the results can be impressive. You can send self-playing animations (300-500KB) or smaller picture cards as e-mail attachments. If the recipient can’t open the attachment, he or she can go to a special Web site to view the card. (Hallmark Connections Taste Policy won’t allow profanity.)

For a more entertaining message, check out E!Online’s celebrity cards (https://www.eonline.com/Fun/Cards/index.html). A “Jiggle Belles” card includes Jenny McCarthy and Pamela Lee, and “Happy Hanukkah From 3 Wise Mensches” has the smiling heads of Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen. The cards are all free but must be viewed on the Web.

For more free e-cards, check out MaxRacks (https://www.maxracks.com), the makers of those giveaway postcards you see in restaurants and bars. Though the selection of holiday cards is a bit thin, the commercial cards usually include great photography. Of course they are commercials, so be careful not to turn off your friend or relative with corporate logos. The bonus: You can e-mail cards to Madonna, the pope, Wesley Snipes, the “Seinfeld” show and many others. Wonder how long Jerry Seinfeld will keep his on the fridge. . . .

Mark Glaser is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and critic. You can reach him at [email protected].