Christmas Card Etiquette: The Conclusion

A few days ago, I shared with you some Christmas card etiquette tips. Of course, I didn’t have time to address all of the ideas at that time so I’m going to wrap up with a few other important strategies for picking the right cards and for getting them to the recipients in a timely fashion.

Picking the Right Christmas Cards

One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting until the last minute to purchase their Christmas cards so the selection is very limited. Just as you want to select wedding invitations that reflect your personality, you also want to choose Christmas cards that do the same so you need to start shopping early.

Also, you want to remember that you don’t have to stick to traditional motifs for your Christmas cards. You can be a little creative. Cards displaying cute or funny images of animals and pets, for example, are a good choice and usually bring a smile to the face of the recipient. If you want to remind recipients of what they are missing because of the cold weather or if you live in a warm climate yourself, then tropical & beach Christmas cards might be another interesting choice.

Getting Your Christmas Cards in the Mail

First, you’ll need to buy stamps. Most Christmas cards won’t require anything more than an ordinary first-class stamp (41 cents each) but if you have a particularly large card or you’ve included other items, such as a newsletter or photographs, you may want to have it weighed just in case. I recommend buying holiday stamps for your Christmas cards because it’s just more fun and seasonal. Usually, you can buy the holiday stamps in packs of 20 from automatic machines, from the post office directly, and from the Internet. If you go online to usps.com, you can view their selection of holiday stamps, including stamps for Kwanzaa and Hanukkah.

When you address your Christmas cards, make sure your handwriting is legible. The post office recommends printing in block letters so they can read the writing more clearly. You should also include your return address on every card. This serves two important purposes. For one, the post office will be able to return the card to you if it can’t be delivered. Additionally, your recipients will have your address in case they want to send a card back to you.

One last thing about mailing Christmas cards is don’t wait until the last minute to get them in the mail. During that last five to seven days before Christmas, the post office is swamped and there’s a good chance your card won’t make it to your recipients. Instead, mail the cards in advance so you don’t have to worry about the rush. Remember you can mail your holiday cards any time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, but the best time is in the first few weeks of December.

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