Celebrating Rosh Hashanah With Personal Reflection and Renewal

CLEVELAND, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking Hebrew year 5771, Rosh Hashanah (or Jewish New Year) calls approximately 13.2 million Jewish people around the world to reflect on their personal actions and relationships.  As one of the most important and holiest holidays on the Jewish calendar, this time of commitment to personal improvement also includes a renewed desire to reach out and connect with friends and family. That's why American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM), has introduced a fresh new Rosh Hashanah collection of greeting cards that are filled with wishes for peace, health, and happiness.

Beginning with Rosh Hashanah at sundown on September 8 and culminating with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, on September 18, the Jewish High Holy Days season is filled with introspection.  This time is filled with prayer to repent for any wrongdoings of the past and to hope for a good future, not only for oneself, but for friends and family.  

"As we pause to reflect at Rosh Hashanah, we want to share wishes for a year of health and happiness with those most important to us," said Pam Fink, senior editor of the L'Chayim To Life! brand from American Greetings. "That's why Rosh Hashanah is one of the most popular card-sending occasions for those of the Jewish faith—as we review our actions of the past year and recommit ourselves to doing our best in the future, we also think about our most valued relationships and want to share the hope that the coming year will be a good one in every way."

Combining a fresh contemporary take on traditional symbols of the holiday with meaningful language that's relevant to today's relationships, the American Greetings L'Chayim To Life! greeting card collection provides a modern option for sharing Rosh Hashanah wishes.  

To convey important themes of the season, special icons are interpreted in a variety of artistic techniques -- the dove represents the ideal of peace, the bountiful seeds of the pomegranate stand for blessings, the challah bread baked in a circular shape reminds us of the annual cycle, apples dipped in honey symbolize a sweet year, and the shofar, or ram's horn which is blown during the High Holy Days, serves to announce this special time.

Rosh Hashanah cards from the L'Chayim To Life! collection can be found at participating drug chains, grocery stores and super centers nationwide, as well as in American Greetings and Carlton Cards retail stores. Shoppers can also select from the variety of e-cards at AmericanGreetings.com. For more information, including store locations in your area, please visit us at www.corporate.americangreetings.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amgreetings and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanGreetings.

About American Greetings Corporation

For more than 100 years, American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) has been a creator and manufacturer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships. The Company's major greeting card lines are American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings and Papyrus, and other paper product offerings include DesignWare party goods and American Greetings and Plus Mark gift-wrap and boxed cards. American Greetings also has the largest collection of electronic greetings on the Web, including cards available at AmericanGreetings.com through AG Interactive, Inc. (the Company's online division). AG Interactive also offers digital photo sharing and personal publishing at PhotoWorks.com and Webshots.com and provides a one-stop source for online graphics and animations at Kiwee.com. In addition to its product lines, American Greetings also creates and licenses popular character brands through the American Greetings Properties group. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual revenue of approximately $1.6 billion, and its products can be found in retail outlets worldwide. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com

SOURCE American Greetings Corporation