In 1843, Sir Henry Cole fretted over all the correspondence he had neglected over the course of the year. As the holidays drew closer, hoping to pardon any hurt feelings and adhere to Victorian custom, he had an artist create 1,000 engraved holiday cards, which he promptly sent out to friends. Years later, Louis Prang, a German immigrant and lithographer, made the tradition popular in the United States with his high-quality prints of holiday cards, earning him the nickname “The Father of the American Christmas Card.” Today, with the ability to send a message almost immediately, you’d think that the old-fashioned tradition would be on the decline. But it looks like just the opposite is happening. Even though the overall volume of mail has gone down, Americans still buy 6.5 billion greeting cards each year, and 1.6 billion of those are family holiday cards, according to the Greeting Card Association. People, it seems, are still fans of holiday cards. Shutterfly’s Google data, for example, shows a steady increase in searches for family Christmas cards. Other companies are seeing a similar upsurge in people’s interest in personalized holiday cards: Between September and November 2018, the number of searches for custom cards on Etsy was up 258% compared to the same months in 2017, reported an executive for the company. For a lot of people (and millennials especially, who contribute 20% of all money spent on greeting cards), the holidays are a reason to connect and catch up, and social media doesn’t cut it. Even if they have evolved from the original handwritten notes, personalized cards still seem to be a way to stay in touch with loved ones. Looking for inspiration for your own holiday cards? Etsy, Shutterfly, and Sincerely all have customizable templates that allow you to put together a card in less than 10 minutes. For just a couple dollars on the Ink app, you can upload a photo or two from your phone and have a physical card mailed to anyone you like. If these types of services are any indication, the tradition of holiday cards isn’t going away any time soon. IGHT Get to Know Carrie! Carrie says. She applied and was called in to interview. “I remember being so nervous,” she says. “My impression of lawyers had always been that they were arrogant and not always honest,” she admits. Fortunately, she found the opposite. “I couldn’t have been more wrong,” Carrie says. “From the moment John and Hillary walked into the room, they made me feel at ease.” Carrie began working part time for the firm in 2016 and joined us full time this year. From that serendipitous start, Carrie has found the workplace she’s always dreamed about. “I worked for a Fortune 500 company my whole life and was left feeling like I was just a number. I wanted to feel like I was helping people or making a difference. That is exactly what I found at Rinehardt Law,” Carrie says. “I love my coworkers. We all work well together and manage to have fun doing it. Many of the cases are so sad, and it’s hard to see people hurting, but we pull together to get the best outcome for our clients. I love knowing that we can take a bad situation and turn things around. Rinehardt Law is by far the best employer I have ever worked for.” At home, Carrie enjoys being with her family, all of whom are very excited for Christmas. “Raegan is 8 years old and Ryan is 7, and they love Christmas, especially being in programs at school and church. They love being on stage,” she shares. The family also has a tradition that started when the kids were born: Each year, Raegan and Ryan get a new ornament. “They love getting them out and remembering how old they were when they got them and finding the perfect spot to hang them on the tree,” Carrie says.
Classic Roast Chicken
Inspired by Ina Garten
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS • 1 chicken, approx. 5–6 lbs • Kosher salt • Freshly ground pepper • 1 large bunch fresh thyme, 20 sprigs removed • 1 lemon, halved • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted • 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces • Olive oil if included. Move to a work surface, pat dry, and liberally season with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with thyme bunch, lemon halves, and garlic head. Brush outside with butter, and then season again. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen string. 3. Meanwhile, in a roasting pan, toss onions and carrots in olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and 20 sprigs of thyme. 4. Place the chicken on the vegetables and roast for 1 1/2 hours. 5. Remove from oven, and let stand for 20 minutes covered with foil. 6. Slice and serve with the vegetables. 1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Rinse chicken inside and out, removing giblets
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