St. Patrick's Day Birthday Cards Are a 'Hot Ticket'

CLEVELAND, March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyone celebrates the luck o' the
Irish on St. Patrick's Day, but only the luckiest can also claim the
holiday as their birthday.

Trend spotters at American Greetings say St. Patrick's Day babies
enjoy a sort of "celebrity status" for the day, leading to a big
demand for special St. Patrick's Day birthday cards. In fact, the
cards are so popular that more than 10 percent of the company's St.
Patrick's Day card line is devoted to "birthday" selections, the
highest percentage for any holiday.

"The U.S. Census Bureau shows that March ranks only fourth for the
average number of births per month, however, we've found that there's
an unusually high demand for birthday cards," said Angela Thompson,
St. Patrick's Day product manager at American Greetings.

St. Patrick's Day babies are fortunate to be in the company of some
well- known "Irish for a day" celebrities, including Danny DeVito, Rob
Lowe, Kurt Russell, Mia Hamm and the late Nat "King" Cole, to name
just a few.

While traditional birthday sentiments are always popular, well wishers
will also find cards that take a tongue-in-cheek approach to growing a
year older. One such card from American Greetings features an antique
photo of a ticker tape parade on the front, complete with a massive
crowd of parade- goers. Inside, the message reads, "Wow-word really
got around about your birthday! Happy St. Patrick's Day Birthday."

"Just being born on St. Patrick's Day doesn't make you special, ya
know!" quips a leprechaun on one birthday card from American
Greetings. "You'd be special no matter what day you were born."
Another features a bug-eyed leprechaun standing at the top of a hill
with the caption: "A tiny little leprechaun told me you're turning
another year older today!" Inside, the sprite is squashed under a
giant foot with the phrase, "But don't worry -- he won't be telling
anyone else. Happy St. Paddy's Day Birthday."

"Birthdays are all about celebrating and having a good time," said Pat
Sandy, program director, humorous cards at American Greetings. "When
you add St. Patrick's Day to the mix, the creative possibilities are
nearly endless.

"Our artists and writers enjoy the creative challenge of coming up
with fresh material for birthday cards so placing leprechauns in
everyday situations provides almost limitless potential for unabashed
humor," he added.

About American Greetings Corporation

American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM), which celebrates its 100th
anniversary in 2006, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of
social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product
lines include gift wrap, party goods, candles, stationery, calendars,
educational products, ornaments and electronic greetings. American
Greetings is also the creator and owner of many celebrated character
properties, including Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears. Located in
Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual net sales of
approximately $2 billion. For more information on the Corporation,
visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com. SOURCE American
Greetings