Every year it seems that we are faced with the dilemma of how many Christmas Cards to send out. Do we send it everyone or just a few? What are the rules? We are here to help. Here are some Christmas card etiquette tips to help you decide how to handle the Christmas card debate.
Who gets one?
- Co-workers. It’s perfectly acceptable to send holiday cards to your co-workers. So the more the merrier. If you work in a very large company, consider sending to your immediate team or those you work most often with.
- Boss. Sending a Christmas card to your boss is definitely appropriate. A message of goodwill can never be a bad thing!
- “Temporary Friends”. Temporary friends are those folks in your life whom you’ve made a relationship with at present but it’s not likely to stay in your life long term; go ahead and add them. They may not have to stay on the list forever. See below.
When can I or should I take you off my list?
This is a tricky question for some. Many are of the opinion once on the list, always on the list. Since Christmas is only once a year, it is a nice way to reach out to those you don’t connect with on a regular basis. On the other hand, if you have had a falling out that’s not likely to be mended or you are tightening your Christmas card budget, it’s OK to let a few names fall off. Just choose wisely. It’s only a Christmas card but if suddenly someone stops receiving them, it may cause ruffled feathers that aren’t really worth not sending one out. The caveat: those temporary friends. It may be a nice way to stay connected to those people and it’s OK to let them go too.
Should I send to people I haven’t sent to in a while?
Yes! Christmas cards are a great way to open up communication that’s been closed for a while. Perhaps they’ve been waiting for you to reach out because they didn’t know your new address or just weren’t sure how to initiate a connection again.
Is it offensive to send cards to my non-Christian friends?
If you are sending out Christmas cards with a religious message, it might be a good idea to also to have a batch to send out that is more secular. You likely know which friends and family would or would not be offended so ultimately, you can make the call with those closest to you. For those who you don’t know well but you know they are not Christian, sending a season’s greetings that doesn’t express religious connotations is the most sensitive approach. Non-Christians are not likely to be offended by a simple season’s greeting outreach.
Happy Holidays! Check out PurpleTrail’s stunning collection of Christmas Cards.
