Holiday Greeting Card Etiquette

With Thanksgiving and Christmas season soon to be upon us, many of us look forward to giving and receiving season's greetings from assorted relatives, friends and acquaintances. When kept simple and heartfelt, these greetings can brighten our mood and keep the spirit of the holiday season alive in our hearts. When abused, holiday greetings can annoy and offend those to whom they are intended to bring holiday cheer and well wishes.

How can a greeting card offend you may ask? The most obvious manner to offend is if the recipient does not celebrate the holiday for which you choose to offer your greetings. Believe it or not, not all Americans celebrate the birth of Christ. There is a reason for those generic "Season's Greetings" and "Happy Holidays" cards. Use them wisely. Chances are if you do not know someone well enough to know their religion, then perhaps you should reconsider sending seasonal correspondence at all. This brings about another point of greeting card etiquette. Who in your life merits a greeting card?

We've all experienced the indecision regarding which of our acquaintances merit a greeting card. The answer is simple. Is the person a family member or friend that you do not see frequently? If so then a greeting card is in order. Choosing to send cards to random acquaintances and people you do not generally regard as friends comes across as insincere. Limit your greetings to actual relatives and people you regard as true friends who you do not have the pleasure of seeing day-to-day year-round. You can deliver your season's greetings to friends and relatives you see more often in person which is likely to be much more appreciated than a generic card pulled from a pack of 50.

Generic store-bought cards can make life much simpler during the busy holiday season but many people like a more personalized approach. Recent years have seen the proliferation of autobiographical greeting cards which ideally serve to provide a year-end update to recipients on the status of the life of the sender. Many people choose to create scrapbook type greetings or calendars with photo collages and descriptive captions which can be entertaining and informative. The downside is that many people forget the spirit and purpose of these autobiographical greetings. These personalized cards have become a vehicle for some to provide a rundown of every material purchase they made that year or to provide assurances that they have kept up with the Joneses in terms of lifestyle.

If you choose to make a personalized greeting card be sure to keep the purpose of the card in mind. Season's greetings are intended to remind loved ones that you are thinking of them and wish them well during that time of year. Greetings are not intended to let everyone know that you bought a $70,000 Mercedes that year or that you got a promotion at your job and a hefty bonus. In times of economic hardships greeting cards focusing on material wealth or bragging about your good fortune can come across self-serving and insensitive.

Whether you choose a stock greeting card or more personalized approach, thoughtfulness is the key to greeting card etiquette. Consider the cultural and religious leanings of the recipient and choose a card that reflects a greeting appropriate to their beliefs. Ensure the sincerity of your greetings by sending them to true friends and actual relatives. Most importantly, remember that the holiday season is not about you. It's about reminding those you truly love and care about that they are in your thoughts. Keep these pointers in mind to have a stress-free and rewarding holiday season.