6 Reasons to Send A Christmas Card

We've made it to December and so it’s definitely time to start thinking about who you’re going to send cards to this year. I know not everyone is a fan of sending a handwritten greetings so I thought I would provide you with a whole 6 reasons to send a Christmas card to convince you that everyone should send at least a few and why I think they are a million times better than an e-card or text message! One reason for each week!

Everyone Loves Post

If you’ve read some of my previous blogs or you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know how strongly I feel about this. If you're not following me already, head over to @letteringbyskate pronto but make sure you come back to finish reading! Anyway, I digress. Nothing beats the sound of a piece of post thudding onto the doormat, or that feeling when you walk into the hallway and you spy an envelope just waiting to be opened. And those sounds and feelings are even more special when you realise that piece of post has your name handwritten on the front and isn't a bill or junk mail. Anyone who tells you otherwise is, quite simply, wrong. These pieces of post are increasingly few and far between and so I use Christmas as one of easiest opportunities to reverse this trend, put pen to paper, and bring a smile to the faces of those lucky folk who have made it onto my Christmas list this year.

Keep In Touch

Try as I might to keep in touch with all my friends and loved ones throughout the year, let’s face it, life is hectic and before you know it another 12 months has passed without that long-promised meet-up or telephone call. I spend an irrational amount of time feeling bad about this (we can do a deep dive into those feelings another time!) but my annual tradition of sending Christmas cards to loved ones is the perfect opportunity to add a little personalised update of what’s been going on in my life and to ask what’s been happening in theirs. This can be as long or as short as you like, I usually add a couple of lines, whereas my Mum has been known to write an actual newsletter. Seriously, there are different sections, photographs, the full works! But the point is, even if you don’t write any more than a simple Christmas greeting, you can write it safe in the knowledge that the effort you have made to keep in touch will definitely be appreciated.

Support Local/Small Businesses

Buying a few Christmas cards to send to your chosen one provides you with the chance to support some small or local businesses. Whilst it might feel easier, and it may well be cheaper, to buy a pack of 30 generic cards from one of several nationwide greetings card chains for a couple of quid (I mention no names), think how warm and fuzzy you’ll feel if you take the time to look up some small businesses who have poured blood, sweat and tears into making truly unique designs and who do a happy dance every time someone orders from them - I may be speaking from experience here. Etsy and Instagram are your friends here; make use of them. Alternatively, head for your local Christmas markets, I guarantee you there will be gorgeous Christmas cards (and other Christmas goodies) to be found, and more happy dances will ensue.

Say Thank You

I have written an excessively comprehensive blog post here on why everyone should say thank you more, so I won’t repeat myself BUT let me just say this - Christmas is the perfect time to thank your friends and family for everything they do for you. If you’re anything like me you’d be in a pretty rubbish place without them! It is also a time of goodwill, nothing says goodwill like a thank you and a Christmas card is the perfect vehicle for your message of thanks. Incorporating a heartfelt thank you with your Christmas wishes makes that thud of the envelope on the doormat even more special.

It’s Personal

E-cards and text messages are all well and good and I get that they can seem a lot less hassle (and cheaper), but they just don’t invoke the same heartwarming, fuzzy feelings as a card in the post. Sending a card, handwritten by you, immediately shows the recipient that you have taken some time out of your busy life to think of them, no matter how much or how little is written inside. And please don't think you have to spend a fortune, a bargain multipack of cards from your local supermarket is still better than nothing, no judgement here. And on the subject of sending Christmas cards on a budget, let me direct you to this instagram post where I share a few tips on how to do that very thing!

Decoration

I love nothing more than my house filling up with beautiful, colourful, festive Christmas cards in the weeks leading up to the big day. Beyond my mantelpiece I have limited shelf space for cards and I also have a limited budget (and storage) for Christmas decorations and so all of the cards that I receive get strung up to decorate my flat. One way to guarantee receiving more cards to use as decoration is to send more cards - if I happen to receive a card from someone who wasn’t previously on my list (new neighbours, people I’ve got to know over the last 12 months), they immediately get added and, if it’s not too late in the day, I’ll pop a card in the post there and then. Side note: always have some extra cards to hand. They can always be used next year!

You Know What To Do Next

So there we go, 6 excellent reasons (even if I do say so myself) to send a few Christmas cards. Whether you send five or fifty, or you end up like my Mum sending 100+ each year (I know, she's a machine!) I promise that you can sit back safe in the knowledge that you have made someone's festive season even brighter.

If you are already a dedicated sender of cards, then I salute you, you are my people and long may your love of snail mail continue. If there are any other reasons to send Christmas cards that I’ve missed, let me know and I’ll add them to the list!

Thank you as always for reading.

Sarah x