During the holiday season, a good card is the perfect accompaniment to a Christmas gift or a great way to say what you feel without the embarrassing part of saying it out loud. But if Christmas cards are so perfect, then why doesn’t everyone do it? The biggest complaint I hear is “I don’t know how,” or “I don’t know what to say.”
But, aside from being embarrassingly vulnerable, cards are pretty easy and these tips are here to make them even easier. Before we get started, I will say that most of these tips apply to more than just Christmas cards. If you want to give a thank you card or tack this on to a birthday present then by all means.
The first part of the card is the greeting but I’ll trust (or at the very least, hope) you have that handled. Writing, “dear Great Aunt Glinda,” or “Merry Christmas,” isn’t exactly rocket science.
Next up, describe your favorite things about that person. Something along the lines of: I love spending time with you because… “you always have something witty to say,” “you’re so chill,” “I always have the most fun when I’m with you,” etcetera, etcetera. Let the person know why you love them, remind them of their best qualities, and give them those warm fuzzies.
After that you’ll probably want to tie in something you remember about that person, whether it’s a habit, a routine, or that one time they did that one thing and it really stuck with you. It could be that they always have some new story when you see them in the morning, how your calls always last until 3 am, or that one time they let you use their air-fryer.
The memories can be big or small, one-offs or consistent habits, but the most important is to show them that you remembered. That you cared enough to. This part isn’t entirely necessary but it really does bump up your thoughtfulness score by a lot.
The most important part of these cards is to be honest. If you try to lie or make stuff up, the value of the card plummets. Some of the words will come easy to you, and for others you might have to dig a little deeper but if your face is going a little bit red as you’re writing then you’re probably on the right track.
After that, it might be a good idea to reference the gift they’re about to get. Something small like “I know you’ve been wanting this for a long time,” “I bet you’ll have fun with this,” or “I know how much you love air-fryers….” A little hint about or reminder of the gift they’re about to get is always a great infusion of that good ol’ holiday cheer.
This last bit works great on Christmas or any other seasonal thing like other holidays and birthdays: mention next year. Whether it’s “I promise to get you that air-fryer next year,” or “let’s try skiing next time,” it’s always good to let them know you don’t plan on leaving any time soon. It’s not a big deal if you don’t add this but it’s definitely a nice touch.
Lastly, and most importantly, really make this card your own; be as playful or serious as you like. You don’t have to follow this to the letter and I encourage you to do what fits the relationship with the person you’re writing to best.
This list just has things that I like to add to a card to make them more personal. This isn’t the only way to write a Christmas card, let alone every card, but it’s worked for me for this long (and no, I don’t have an obsession with air-fryers, why would you even ask that?).
