Difficult question to ask about halos on greeting cards

[MarilynR]

I was told as I was growing up that cards with halos over Mary, Jesus, and Joseph were for Catholics and cards with no halos were for Protestants. For Zazzlers, this is a marketing niche issue and that is why I am asking. I just shared this information with someone, but I can't find information on the internet to support it. I don't want to spread misinformation. So, does anyone know if I am right or wrong?

[ColsCreations]

https://www.facebook.com/BotsCatholics/photos/a.491565534208585/1531503106881484/?type=3

Looks like pretty good info there on what the different types of halos signify in Catholicism. I suppose for religions that don't recognize "saints" the same way, or don't see Mary, Jesus, Joseph etc the same way, halos wouldn't apply as they'd symbolize something they don't believe in. But people would have to know what the halo symbolizes to be bothered by it and Im not sure how many people pay attention to such things?

[ElizabethR]

Thank you. When I told this person that Catholics use halos Protestants don't, I got the "Why?" question that parents love, but it was legitimate and made me start looking to verify what I thought I knew. I will have to look in the MP to see what most Zazzlers do. I never thought that the depiction of Mary and Jesus could actually need two versions.

[SnowOwlMoon]

FWIW, I grew up in a conservative Protestant church, and we depicted halos over the Holy Family, saints, and angels.  It indicated holiness.  We believed in saints, but didn't have icons or statues of them, and didn't pray to them (go figure).  We named our churches after them (St. Peter the Fisherman, St. Paul, etc).  So I wouldn't worry about putting halos on them.

[MarilynR]

I am helping someone in their store and she has a design with Mary and Jesus with halos. Normally, I wouldn't say anything, but I said something just so she could decide whether she wanted to make a version without halos since the halos might discourage some customers. Her background would not necessarily include this knowledge. Her questions made me start researching and as I said, I couldn't find solid support for what I had been told. So I asked here and gave her the link to this thread, so she had more input. I found her questions interesting, but I had no answers.

[Connie]

That's good to know! The origin of halos actually predates Christianity itself, according to Wikipedia, so it would make sense that it's not only a Catholic thing.

[Connie]

Growing up, I was told that also, but I since I'm Catholic and I never thought to ask any Protestants what they think of halos, I don't have a definitive answer to what they use. But I think since most of the old artists from centuries ago used them, it probably wouldn't bother any Protestants religious enough to even care about such images.

[DancingPelican]

There is no reason why you couldn't make one card with halos and one card without. That would cover all the bases!