YES, THERE'S STILL TIME TO SEND HOLIDAY GREETING CARDS.

Byline: Darryl Campagna Albany Times Union

Want to prolong that holiday feeling? Feel like surprising friends who thought you had moved away or dropped them?

Then do as others will this year - send greeting cards long after the usual holidays - Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year's - have come and gone. Pick another upcoming holiday to send greetings. Or post something generic. You still have plenty of chances. And plenty of cards from which to choose.

Cindi Makely, a Boston resident visiting her aunt here for Christmas, planned to write her Christmas cards after the holiday.

``Thanksgiving came late this year,'' she said, and she didn't have time to send her cards before Christmas. She said the thought of tackling the job now was almost relaxing. ``The pressure's off,'' she said. ``I can sit down, do laundry and write cards.''

The Greeting Card Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group, predicted that late arrival made this year's Christmas cards more like New Year's cards for many.

So what's out there for procrastinators? If you're still bent on sending Christmas cards, there's a supply of discounts, although this year's selection has been picked over.

Neutral cards that suggest Christmas but don't have a Christmas message are also available. A local shop sells cards by Joanna Donk, a photographer and hiker whose winter vistas in the Adirondacks would serve well right now, said Susan Novotny, owner of the bookstore. People who send belated Christmas cards look for images that suggest the new year as well as the holiday that's just passed. Outdoor scenes are ideal.

Kwanzaa, a holiday inspired by African harvest festivals and celebrated predominantly by African-Americans, is another popular theme.

However, the idea of going beyond traditional Christmas cards to commemorate other religious or seasonal events that fall this time of year is becoming increasingly popular, said Sara Kaiser, a staff member for Syracuse Cultural Workers, a nonprofit organization that sells cards and calendars promoting themes of cultural and ethnic diversity.

The company also produces a card for the winter solstice, which occurs when the sun is the farthest south of the celestial equator, generally around Dec. 21.

Kaiser said the biggest-selling card produced by Syracuse Cultural Workers is a nonspecific end-of-the-year holiday card that features a woman casting stars from a basket, with the all-purpose message, ``Greetings in the Star-Filled Season.'' (Syracuse Cultural Workers can be reached at 315-474-1132.)

You might need a different card if you wish to send specific holiday greetings to someone who celebrates the Chinese New Year, which this year begins Feb. 8.

Chinese New Year cards usually depict traditional Chinese paintings and are decorated with red and gold.