Do most people still send Christmas cards?
And while not everyone mails a Mother's Day card (shame on you), most people do send holiday cards and holiday gifts in the mail at about the same time every year.
In fact, 89% of Americans say that receiving them brings them joy*. The good news: for the 2021 holiday season, 73% of Americans reported sending holiday cards and 60% say they send holiday cards every year. In addition to the number of people sending cards, the way of sending them has changed as well.
No one ever has to send Christmas cards. If it's a sad time in your life and you feel like skipping them, please, please, please do. And if writing them makes you feel better, then by all means send them.
To gauge how our readers feel about the issue, we put out an Instagram poll asking, "Do you think Christmas cards are a dying art?" A whopping 63% said, "sadly, yes they are," with only 37% answering, "no, they're better than ever!"
Some attribute the decline to a switch in generations, with older groups opting to send out cards to all their former friends and acquaintances around key holidays such as Christmas whereas younger individuals opt to send fewer cards to close friends. The pandemic also caused major disruption.
Also, most new card companies being established (like this one!) are founded and run by millennials! Contrary to popular belief, the increase in email, texting and social media is actually fuelling this rise in card-sending amongst millennials.
Sales of greeting cards have been fairly stable in the U.S. over the past five or six years, with consumers buying around 6.5 billion greeting cards and 1.6 billion holiday cards per year, said Peter Doherty, executive director of the Greeting Card Association.
The first mass-produced Christmas cards were sold in 1843, and the trend quickly caught on. Since then, our postal system has helped billions of festive greetings reach their eager recipients – and, perhaps surprisingly, there's no sign that this is changing.
In fact, the U.S. Postal Service has seen a dramatic decline in all personal mail as people rely more on electronic messaging. Given these trends, most of us are sending and receiving fewer cards than we did in previous years. Many people have totally given up the practice of sending out holiday greetings.
GENTLE READER: “Sending you this card was a strain on my finances, schedule and strength. So Merry Christmas for the last time.” That, in effect, is what you would be saying, however it was worded. Next year, do as you like -- send cheaper and easier greetings or none at all.
Are Christmas cards a waste of paper?
Thousands of trees are cut down annually to create paper products such as Christmas cards. According to Local Gardener: “The UK sends around 1 billion Christmas cards yearly. It takes one tree to make roughly 3000 standard cards. That means over 300,000 trees a year can be cut down to make cards over the holidays.”
Sending out a Christmas card is a fabulous way to greet everyone you care for personally. In a world that has gone entirely digital, people dearly appreciate having a tangible “Merry Christmas!” Mass texts and social media posts are impersonal and broadly wish Happy Holidays to many people at once.
A Christmas card is a greeting card sent as part of the traditional celebration of Christmas in order to convey between people a range of sentiments related to Christmastide and the holiday season.
It's no secret that younger people send fewer physical cards in the mail than their older peers. But that doesn't mean that Gen Z doesn't send cards at all—in fact, younger people remain a growing demographic for the greeting card business.
The vast majority of people tend to think that greeting cards are obsolete and are no longer appreciated. This statement holds no truth. If anything, the greeting card industry has grown in popularity, and the Covid-19 pandemic played a crucial role.
Nine out of every ten households buy greeting cards each year.
Card making as a hobby has become very popular among crafters. Just as the hobby has expanded, so too have the sources for card making supplies, design ideas, and more. There are many places to find inspiration, from card making tutorials to card making ideas to craft blogs.
WHY SHOULD YOU SEND CHRISTMAS CARDS? With all of life's normal distractions, it can be easy to fall out of touch with friends. The annual holiday greeting card is a great way to keep friends up to date on all that is new in your life.
Greeting Card Alternatives
A simple handwritten note is always a nice touch, and you can get creative by adding a personal message or drawing a picture. You could also send a small gift, like a scented candle or a box of chocolates. You could even send a bouquet if you want to go all out.
147 million single cards were sold via online channels in 2021. While this represents a decline of 29% from the heights of 206 million units in 2020, it remains a significant increase from the pre-pandemic levels of 71 million in 2019.
What can I do instead of Christmas cards this year?
- Make a small present. Make it a bit more personal this Christmas and cook up a little present such as jam or chutney. ...
- Combine your card with a tree decoration. ...
- eCards. ...
- Plantable cards. ...
- Email newsletter.
"Ideally, holiday cards would be mailed out the first week of December," says Hunt. "But receiving cards all the way up to Christmas Eve is still acceptable and fun!"
Answer: Send out Christmas cards to family and friends 2-3 weeks before Christmas day. You should always send out Christmas cards during the first full week of December to avoid sending your cards out too early or too late.
Research shows that the Dutch send the most Christmas cards. Within Europe, the percentage of households which send Christmas cards is between 68% and 76%. The Netherlands are far ahead with 90%.
And while not everyone mails a Mother's Day card (shame on you), most people do send holiday cards and holiday gifts in the mail at about the same time every year.
Christmas is the largest card-sending holiday in the United States with approximately 1.3 billion cards sent annually. Hallmark provides more than 2,000 Hallmark Christmas card designs, including more than 1,600 individual Christmas cards and more than 325 boxed card designs.
Most people send between 50 and 100 cards, but it varies greatly from person to person. There are many things to consider, such as how many people are in your household, how many immediate family members you and your partner have, and what profession you are in.
International Christmas cards should be mailed by Dec.
Canada Post says that if you've got cards and letters to send within Canada and you want to make sure they get to their destination by Dec. 25, they should be in the mail by Dec. 17.
Your Favorite Coworkers
Sending a holiday card to your colleagues is a kind gesture that's sure to be appreciated. Exactly who you send one to is up to you. If you have a very small team that you work with, send a card to everyone.
In the early 2000s, Americans mailed about two billion Christmas cards annually, according to data provided to MarketWatch by Hallmark. By 2015, those numbers had plummeted to 1.18 billion (although over the last three years there has been a steady uptick).
Are Christmas cards necessary?
The short answer is technically no. Christmas Cards are not required. However, Christmas cards are an intimate way to reach out to friends and family both near and far during the holidays. We all know the joy of opening the mailbox to discover a holiday card from someone we won't get to see this Christmas.
- Childhood friends.
- Best friend's parents.
- Friends you'd like to reconnect with.
- Work friends.
- Your children's friends and families.
Women purchase more than 80% of all greeting cards. Women also spend more time choosing a card than men, and are more likely to buy several cards at once. Purchasing a house, getting married, and having children remain key life-stage milestones that drive card-buying habits.