See below for our very easy to customize holiday card templates. (Click your favorite to go directly to the customizing screen for that template or click here to see the whole department.

A while ago we sought (and obtained) permission from the inventor of this product to use the how-to videos on Youtube. Little did we know that the Hair Bow video would be our number 1 most viewed video. We’ve posted various things about the bowdabra before, and have always appreciated the simplicity that this product brings to gift packaging, heck we even have one that we use in-house for product photos. The video currently has over 30,000 views and is steadily climbing. Check it out…

For now, you’ll have to call the number listed here.

So in my quest to discover the histories behind these strange customs, I thought I’d start with the question of the “Jack O’Lantern.”  Where did this tradition come from exactly?  In doing my research, I ran across an interesting, albeit utterly unrelated question I wanted to solve:  Is the pumpkin a vegetable, or a fruit?  Click Here  to read my findings.

So, back to the question of where Jack O’Lanterns came from:  There is a tradition about a man named Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil one too many times.  He had made the devil promise not to take his soul when he died.  Due to Jack’s unsavory character, God would not allow him into heaven, and the devil would not take him into hell due to the promise he had made Jack.  Instead, he gave Jack a burning coal, which he placed inside a carved out turnip, to light his way through the night.

The tradition of trick or treating comes from the ancient Celts, who would place goodies out on their doorsteps and light candles for the wandering ghosts trying to find their way back to the spirit world.  The night they would do this was called “Samhain.”  Supposedly, the veil between the spirit world and the material world was thinnest during this night, thus the unusual number of ghosts and spirits wandering around.

Finally, the tradition of “bobbing for apples” comes from either Celtic or Roman (it is debated still) practices.  Some say that it comes from the Roman goddess Pomona, while others argue that the game is a part of the Celtic pagan religious festival of Samhain where families would gather together for a communal feast.  Supposedly, whoever would bite the apple first in the group would be the first to marry.  Interestingly, the game is fading in popularity because of sanitation issues.  That in my mind, is not odd. 

While I’m thinking on the subject of holidays (do you realize Christmas is only about two months away?), be sure to check out the growing collection of Custom Holiday Cards at PrintMyThing.  And, Happy Halloween!

It’s official, the cute couple photo contest is off and running. You may know that this is the 3rd contest we’ve run recently and each one has gotten a little better, more organized, more focused and I think more fun. Our first two contests were strictly for babies or young kids. We had so much fun looking at all the photos as they came in and the voting was certainly no easy task.

For our latest contest we’ve decided to move up in the age categories a bit and see what Cute Couples there are out there. I know there’s a lot of you and I know you’ve got to have some fun photos of the two of you. There aren’t any age requirements, so we hope to see cute couples in many stages of life and age ranges. Don’t forget that now’s the time to start thinking about your Christmas cards anyway, so think of this as sort of a head start to getting your greeting cards ready and if you win the contest, you’ll get your cards for free (100 of them at least).

Click here to see the official contest page!

For now, you’ll have to call the number listed here.

Enter: Casino Party
Casino Party was designed as a birthday celebration invitation (for the adult crowd) though it is easily modifiable to be an invitation for any special occasion. A very simple straightforward layout, this template gets your theme across perfectly and also gives some good ideas for how other decorations could be put together for the event.

This template can be found and customized here.

This template can be found and customized here.

For now, you’ll have to call the number listed here.

For now, you’ll have to call the number listed here.

According to records, the first Oktoberfest celebration took place October 18, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxon-Hildburghausen.  (Say that five times really fast.)  The citizens of Munich (where the celebration is held each year) were invited to the party where a military horse race was the main feature.  Horse races are no longer held at Oktoberfest.

Some of the earlier traditions of Oktoberfest that are no longer in practice included tree climbing, goose chasing, and “mush eating.”  Also featured at the festival were wheel barrow and sack races, along with barrel rolling races.  One can only imagine what the combination of beer and beer barrel rolling races resulted in.  Also, Oktoberfest claims to be the first festival in the world to feature mechanical rides.  Carousels and swings were the first rides to debut at the celebration.

One of the more modern traditions is for the German Red Cross to operate an aid facility that provides emergency medical care on the festival grounds for those that succumb to, well…too much beer.

One of the tents, called the “Armbrustschutzenzelt”, features crossbow shooting competitions.  The term “Armbrustschutzenzelt” (sorry, I just had to retype that because it’s fun) literally translates to “Crossbow Shooters Tent.”  Imagine that.  Personally, I’m still trying to figure out how safe large quantities of beer, and loaded crossbows really is…odd.

Known for its’ darker, higher alcohol content beer, Oktoberfest also features many wines.  As you celebrate Oktoberfest this year, consider designing your own custom wine bottle labels at PrintMyThing.com.

O’zapft is!

For now, you’ll have to call the number listed here.

For now, you’ll have to call the number listed here.