7 Etiquette Tips For Polished Christmas Cards

When sending out your holiday greetings, it's essential to remember some etiquette tips. Whether you purchase a greeting card from a stationery store, craft them by hand during a DIY project, or design an online e-card, there are a few best practices for filling out your Christmas cards. These etiquette tips will help ensure your Christmas letters get to their recipients on time, free of mistakes, and with the warmest wishes written within the card.

Avoid Late Arrivals

December is a busy time for the U.S. Postal Service, so it's a good idea to plan an early card-sending strategy. Ideally, you'll want your cards to arrive one to two weeks before celebrating the holiday. With this in mind, you should plan to send them two to three weeks in advance. For Christmas, you should aim to ship your cards for arrival between mid-December and Christmas Eve. If you miss this window, you can always send celebratory New Year's cards to friends and family instead.

Make a Christmas Card List

Jot down the names of people you want on your Christmas card list early. Update it throughout the year if you can so it will be ready to go come holiday time. You’re more likely to forget someone if you create a list at the last minute. Include family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and families of your children’s friends. Use your address book, email list, and phone contacts as a guide. This list will tell you how many cards to order or buy, but it’s always good to add a few extra to your supply in case you receive unexpected cards and need to add more names to the list.

Avoid Impersonal Messages

When sending holiday cards, you should sign each one, but it's also nice to include a short personalized message for the person or family to whom you're sending the card. Adding a personal touch makes your holiday greeting a bit more special. An individualized note transforms your card into a keepsake to display throughout the season.

Leave Room for the Inscription

Holiday cards with family photos are extremely popular, and family and friends love receiving seasonal photos and seeing familiar, smiling faces with their holiday greetings. Be sure to leave room to write, though. Leave the back of the card blank, or make room for a short inscription and signature when designing and printing your greeting cards.

Don't Forget a Seasonal Closing Salutation

When signing your name and your family's names on the holiday card, close the greeting with an appropriate phrase for the recipient, including "Happy Holidays," "Merry Christmas," "Warmest Regards," "Season's Greetings," "Happy New Year," "Peace and Joy," or "With Love."

Avoid Grammatical Errors

Brush up on the season's common grammatical mistakes made when signing cards. Determine the appropriate remedies to keep your greeting cards error-free and easy to read. Remember to review how to make your last name plural (no apostrophes needed) so that signing your greeting cards goes as smoothly as possible.

Address Envelopes Properly

Brush up on the guidelines for addressing your Christmas card envelopes. While not as formal as wedding invitations, there are still guidelines for addressing individuals, couples, or families. Your list may include a lot of families. It’s okay to address them as a group, such as “The Peter Smith Family.” Couples should both be listed by name. Also, you should always include your return address so recipients will know they have the most up-to-date address for you.

Follow these Christmas card etiquette tips to ensure you're sending the warmest holiday greetings this season. What etiquette rules do you always follow when sending your family holiday cards?