Rosh Hashanah Celebrated With Prayer, Renewal, and Connection

Contact: Frank Cirillo or Meghan Olmstead, 216.252.4938

Cleveland, Ohio (September 16, 2009) As one of the most important and holiest days of the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year, calls Jewish people to reflect on their actions of the past, commit to personal improvements in the year ahead, and pray for peace, good health, and happiness for friends and family. According to American Greetings (NYSE: AM), that’s why the holiday remains one of the top card sending occasions within the Jewish community as people reach out to share these sentiments and connect with those most important to them.

Beginning at sundown on Friday, September 18, Rosh Hashanah ends at nightfall on Sunday, September 20. During this time, over 13.2 million Jewish people around the world will celebrate Hebrew Year 5770, with prayer services and family gatherings. The Jewish High Holy Days start with Rosh Hashanah and culminate on September 27 th with Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.

“Rosh Hashanah is all about repentence and renewal as we take stock of our lives as they are now and pray for a good future. These heartfelt wishes are not just for ourselves, but for everyone that we love as well,” said Pam Fink, senior editor of the L’Chayim To Life! brand from American Greetings. “That’s why the new year is the perfect occasion to reach out with greeting cards to let people know that we care and wish them all of the best that life has to offer in the coming year.”

In addition to the more than 10 million Rosh Hashanah cards annually mailed, the sending of e-cards to commemorate the holiday is also popular. Like the paper cards, the e-greetings celebrate the wishes of peace and health that are so essential.

“E-cards give our consumers another way to show friends and family that we are thinking of them and wishing them well during the holiday and the year ahead,” said Fink. “With e-cards, shoppers can easily and quickly expand upon their typical holiday wishes and reach even more people.”

The latest innovations from the American Greetings L’Chayim To Life! greeting card collection, as well as the e-cards, feature modern designs and sentiments that help to accent the important symbols of the faith. From iconic apples dipped in honey to represent sweet wishes to challah bread baked in a circular design to illustrate the cycle of the year, the imagery is fresh and striking while reflecting the importance of the holiday’s traditions. Other meaningful elements include the bountiful seeds of the pomegranate, symbolizing blessings, and the shofar, or ram’s horn, which is blown during the High Holy Days.

Rosh Hashanah cards from the L’Chayim To Life! collection can be found at many leading specialty, mass, grocery and drug store channels nationwide. Shoppers can also select from the variety of e-card innovations at AmericanGreetings.com. Visit www.corporate.americangreetings.com for stores that carry American Greetings products. You can also follow American Greetings on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amgreetings.

About American Greetings Corporation

For more than 100 years, American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) has been a manufacturer and retailer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships. The Company's major greeting card brands are American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings and Papyrus, and other paper product offerings include DesignWare party goods, 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 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 $1.7 billion, and its products can be found in retail outlets domestically and worldwide. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.