Etiquette Tips for Sending Holiday Cards

Holiday Cards

Sending holiday cards used to be easy, and all you had to do was buy pre-printed cards, jot down a few quotes and send. And although the rules have now changed, the one thing that remains the same is the purpose of sending the card – to convey feelings of love, and show that you’re thinking of the recipient. You can buy the cards at a stationery store, craft them by hand, or design them online using available holiday photo card templates.

Here are a few etiquette tips to remember when sending holiday cards, to ensure they get to the recipients on time, free from mistakes, and they truly convey the warmest wishes.

Additional Holidays

There are now varieties of holidays during the season that you’ll have to consider before sending anything. They include Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Kwanza, and several others between them. If you don’t know what the recipient celebrates, ask if they have a holiday preference. If asking them is not possible, just wishing them a happy holiday. “Peace and love” is also fine as this represents the spirit of the season for almost everyone.

Print and E-cards

Although print cards have been the norm for decades, the trend is gradually changing. It’s now very much acceptable to send an e-card. Understand your recipient and send them whatever is suitable for their disposition. Not everyone has easy access to the internet, and those people will appreciate a hard copy print card they can display. In addition to that, if the recipient is a patient in a hospital, they are much more likely to appreciate a print holiday card than an e-card.

Message and Signing

Always include personalized messages in your holiday cards. If you have a large volume of recipients to send to, you may be tempted to just sign your name, and send, but resist the urge. Draft the message in a way that the recipient will know you were actually thinking about them. If you run out of ideas, consider anything special that recently happened in that person’s life. Wishing them joy, blessings and happiness also never goes out of style.

Ensure you sign the card before putting it in an envelope. Many people forget to do this and it becomes very frustrating for the recipient trying to figure out who sent the card. Sign in by the name the recipient is familiar with to give it a more personal touch.

Address

Your relationship with the recipient will determine the style of address. For close friends and family, you can use first names. Business relationships require the use of last names to create a more respectful tone. On the envelope, include the recipient’s full address as well as your return address should the card not reach them.

The Timing

Ensure you get the timing right. You want the card to arrive before the actual day of the celebration. Give the mailing company at least an extra week to deliver the card, which means the ideal time to send the card would be 2 or 3 weeks in advance. Don’t send it too early either. If it’s a Christmas card, send it a few days after Thanksgiving.

Mixbook helps people capture, preserve and share important moments in their personal and professional lives. The brand promotes effective and efficient customer engagement through personalized communication using gifts, cards, and photos, among others, and the templates are very easy to use! With Mixbook, you can create lasting souvenirs and connect with your loved ones in innovative and creative ways!