Ramadan is right around the corner, and many who observe the month will soon be inundated with WhatsApp messages, memes and GIFs as people congratulate each other about the start of the holy month.
But this year, Ramadan is a little different as we approach it in the middle of a global pandemic. A Ramadan greeting card to let your friends and family know that you're thinking about them could go a long way, and may be one of the only ways to greet some this year.
If you're planning to send out an e-card and don't know where to look, here are five good options....
Canva.com
This is easy to use and includes a wide selection of templates, including Ramadan cards. Most templates are free and all you need to do is sign up to get access. Just search for the word 'Ramadan' to see their many options.
www.canva.com
Paperless Post
Similar to Canva.com, Paperless Post allows you to create everything from invitations to greeting cards. The New York tech company has a dedicated Ramadan and Eid category under Holiday Cards. The selection is small, but the designs are stylish and simple. Some cards are available for free.
www.paperlesspost.com
Greetings Island
If you're looking to share a Ramadan e-card in Arabic, then Greetings Island is one of the sites that has a few Arabic-language options. All their cards can be customised and shared via email or Facebook, or downloaded as a PDF file.
www.greetingsisland.com
Punchbowl
If you like a traditional looking greeting card in a digital format, then you will find it at Punchbowl. This holiday season, the website is offering all Ramadan digital cards for free between April 23 and May 23.
www.punchbowl.com
Someecards
This is not your typical greeting card website. These meme-style e-cards are humorous and not meant to be taken seriously.
Although not customisable, they're all free and easy to share.
www.someecards.com
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
