How To Write A Holiday Card

At The Attic on Eighth, we thrive on the comfort of small pleasures. A good cup of coffee, a curated book shelf, a walk through the park. As we grow individually, we share these pleasures, and how to achieve them, with each other and now with you. After all, we are nothing less than perfectionists, and the best way to enjoy anything for us comes at least a little bit in knowing how to do it flawlessly. For the second in our official How To series, Editor-in-Chief Olivia Gündüz-Willemin takes on a request and tackles the intimidating holiday cards.

Holiday cards! Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re a staple at this time of year. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or the New Year or nothing at all, you’re likely to receive at least one, even if it’s just from your favorite store or publication. They can be a source of joy, coming from friends and family near or far, but are not always the easiest to write for ourselves. How do you write multiple greetings without feeling repetitive? What can you say beyond the traditional lines so they know you care? Every decision can be a source of stress. Regardless, you may feel some desire to send your own.  Whatever your situation, fear not! I’m here to talk you through this sometimes intimidating process. 

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SET THE MOOD

If you’re taking the time to write cards, embrace the spirit while you’re writing. Put on your favorite holiday playlist, make your favorite warm drink, and just get in the mood. The happier you are while writing the cards, the better they’ll turn out.

A couple favorite Attic holiday playlists: Christmas at the Attic on Eighth, A Very Merry Secular Christmas, Christmas Music from the Past. 

A couple favorite seasonal drinks: a winter latte, Raquel’s mulled wine, Eliza’s warm apple juice. 

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SELECTION

• Make A List, Check It Twice
  The first thing you need to consider when setting out on the holiday card journey is who you want to send a card to. Write down everyone you want to write one for. Put the list aside for a day and then come back to it. Have you forgotten anyone? Check again, and then check your address book or your contact list. Then, think of anyone you may have left out who you don’t necessarily correspond with but who still plays a role in making your everyday life easier – a kind receptionist at your doctor’s office, your mailman, a friendly barista, your kid’s teacher – and think about whether it would be appropriate to share a card with them. 

• Keep Your Audience and Your Personality In Mind In Picking Your Cards
  Once you have your mailing list, consider who you’re sending cards to and consider what the general message you want to convey is. Are you writing to your religious grandmother? To your best friend? Do you want to be traditional? Cute? Humorous? Do you want to mark one holiday rather than the general spirit of the season? Do you want to go non-denominational? Engage with the holiday mythology? Embrace winter or the promise of the new year rather? Cards can go in any direction, and you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to card designs. And lucky for you, you don’t need to settle on one design for everyone you write to. 

• If You Don’t Know Someone Is Religious, Assume They’re Not
  This goes for both card selection and for card content later on. Think about the previous point but then also think about the symbolism of the imagery on your card. Santa Claus? Derives from St Nicholas and is religious. Rudolph? Associated to Santa and therefore, religious. Snowflakes, pine needles, candy canes, gingerbread, and co.? Much more neutral. 

• Digital or Print?
  We live in the twenty-first century and that means that if you don’t want to take pen to paper and go about the whole ordeal of buying stamps or going to the post office, you don’t have to. Luckily for us all, digital cards are now more advanced than they used to be – no need to compromise on your personal aesthetic. A personal favorite source for digital cards is Paperless Post, as they allow you to customize cards and invitations and feature designs by Attic favorites like Rifle Paper Co., Kate Spade New York, and Mr. Boddington’s Studio. 

The Paperless Post version of one of my very favorite Rifle Paper Co. designs. Image via Paperless Post.

• Handmade or Ordered?
  Likewise, if you want to make your own cards, this is one of the best times to do it. There are so many DIY guides out there and sitting back to craft your own is a good way to unwind and relax and get into the spirit of things. Also, this can be a good way to re-use or upcycle things you have at home – from glitter glue to bows and magazine prints. 

• Writing Tools and Accessories
  You don’t need to use special pens or have stickers on hand if you’ve decided to go the print route, but there’s no harm in adding to seasonal cheer by getting out a special pen or marker or including a glittery sticker. 
  

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WRITING

You’ve made your choices, and now you need to write your card! What to do?

• Keep Your Audience In Mind With Each Message
  Again, think about who you’re writing to!! If the people you are writing to fall into different groups, you can organize your list of correspondents accordingly and think about having a different template for each. 

• Unless You Are Writing To Someone You Know Is Particularly Religious, Keep Greetings Seasonal!
  This is often seen as a controversial topic, but it’s really not. Don’t impose your beliefs on others. If you’re writing to a religious older aunt, go ahead and wish them a merry Christmas or happy Hanukkah, but if not, “Happy Holidays” will do. There is never any harm in normalizing inclusivity. 

• 1 + 1 + 2 = one good template
  I find that when mass handwriting writing cards, it helps to split the writing of a card into three sections: the address, the greeting, and a completely personalized section that differs from card to card. 

  • Standardize the address: date your card at the top right corner (do not skip this) and address your recipient just below on the left (“Dear X,” never goes wrong”). Remember that if you are addressing someone socially, this greeting should be followed by a comma and not a colon. 

  • Standardize the greeting: Pick one greeting for each group of recipients you’ve created and use the same one for everyone in it. A few options:
    Happy Holidays!
    Season’s Greetings!
    New Year’s Wishes!
    Happy [Holiday in Question] & a Happy New Year! 

  • Think of Your Recipient: For each person you write to, this section of your card should be completely different. Share a memory you have of the person related to the season. Share your wishes for them. Acknowledge members of their family or their loved ones. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, but it needs to be personal. As does your sign off. Whether you write love, warm wishes, sincerely, or cheers, it needs to be based on your relationship with this person.

  • SAMPLE
    [Month Year]
    Dear [Name],
    [CHOSEN GREETINGS]
    Personalized wishes related to greetings./ Anecdote related to greetings./ Inside joke./Wishes for next year./ Etc.
    Sign off of choice,
    Your Name 

• When In Doubt, More Is Better
  They say “less is more” and that can be true, but not when it comes to expressing emotion (as long, of course, as it’s appropriate)! Tell that person of something seasonal that made you think of them, tell them you hope to see more of them in the new year. Share an anecdote. Sign off as “love” instead of “sincerely.” The world is cold, but our emotions needn’t be. 

• If You’re Co-Sending A Card, Make Each Sender Sign
  So you’re the person in your relationship who writes the cards? There’s no harm in it (I am 100% that person), but if you’ve gone down the physical card route, make sure that your card-writing partner at least signs the card in their own hand – otherwise they shouldn’t get any card credit. 
  

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Reception 

Even if you’re not sending any cards this year, you’re still likely to receive some.

• Acknowledge the card!
  When you receive a card, acknowledge it! You don’t need to send a thank you, but write to the sender – text them, email them, message them. Whatever you do, respond – even if it’s just to say that you got the card and so appreciated it! They’ve taken the time to write to you, and the least you can do is reciprocate. The point of the season, after all, is to spread cheer, not inhibit it! 

• Display the cards!
  One of the easiest ways to decorate over the holidays is to display the cards you receive, whether by placing them on a bookshelf or creating a display board. Stop to look at the cards anytime you’re near and think of your loved ones when you do. It’s sure to cheer you up! 

All tips , opinions, and selections are my own, however we were pleased to partner with Paperless Post in sharing their digital holiday offerings. Thank you to Paperless Post!

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Olivia Gündüz-Willemin is Editor-in-Chief of The Attic on Eighth. She is dedicated to reading her way through the world and trying to stay as calm as possible.