Send holiday cards

Real mail is rare now, which is exactly why it lands so well. If you have an evening and five people in mind, you can write cards that people keep on the fridge for weeks. The hard part is the first line, so here is what to write in a Christmas card, and in a holiday or new-year card for anyone who doesn’t celebrate it.

Choose who and when

Start with five people who would be glad to see your handwriting: a grandparent, a friend who moved away, a teacher, a roommate from last year, someone you’ve lost touch with. Five is enough to feel good and few enough to finish in one sitting.

Aim to mail them in the first half of December. Mail can be slow when everyone is sending at once, and cards that arrive early get displayed longer. If a card is going abroad, look up your postal service’s last mailing dates and add a few days.

Gather the addresses before you sit down. Ask by text if you need to: most people are happy to share one for a card.

What to have on the table

Beyond the cards, stamps and addresses, it helps to have:

• A pen that doesn’t smudge, and a scrap of paper to test it on
• A pencil, for lightly lining up long messages
• A small list with one detail about each person
• A cup of tea, since the work is slow and quiet

What to write

Use the same simple shape for every card:

1. A greeting with their name. “Dear Maya,” or “Hi Grandma,”.
2. One specific line. Something you remember, or something that happened this year. “I still think about the soup you made in January.”
3. A wish. “I hope the holidays are slow and warm.”
4. A close. “With love,” “Thinking of you,” or just your name.

Some short messages you can adapt:

• For a friend: “I’m so glad you’re in my life. Hope this year ends gently.”
• For family: “Thinking of you all. Wishing you a cosy, happy holiday.”
• For someone you’ve lost touch with: “I was thinking about you and wanted to say hello. I hope you’re well.”
• For a new-year card: “Wishing you a good year, with plenty of rest and good surprises.”

If you don’t celebrate Christmas, or they don’t

Cards are not only for one holiday. You can send a Hanukkah, Diwali or Lunar New Year card to someone who celebrates it, if you know that to be true. When you aren’t sure, “happy holidays” or “happy new year” is warm and fits everyone. If you’re writing to someone who celebrates a holiday you don’t, keep it simple and kind rather than guessing at customs.

What goes wrong

• You freeze on the blank card. Write the name and the sign-off first. The middle is easier once the edges are there.
• You run out of space. Write the message in pencil lightly first, or keep it to a couple of lines.
• The address is wrong or missing. Check with the person before you write the envelope. Write your return address on the back so a misdelivery comes home.
• You forgot the stamp. Buy a few more than you need. Cards to another country often need a different stamp from local ones.
• You write the same thing in every card. Change one line each time. That one detail is the whole point.

After you’ve sent them

Put your own address list somewhere you’ll find it next year, such as a note on your phone. If a card arrives for you, put it up where you’ll see it, then keep the ones you love in a box. A few years of them is a small record of who was in your life.

Make it look good

You don’t need fancy handwriting. Write slowly, keep your lines straight, and leave a little margin around the edge. If you make a mistake, a single neat line through the word is fine, or you can start again on a spare card. A small sticker, a drawing of a leaf or a star, or a bit of washi tape on the envelope makes the card feel personal without any skill at all.

Make it a winter evening

Put on a soft playlist, light a candle you can keep an eye on, and write while the room is quiet. Afterwards, walk the cards to the post box together with a hot drink, or pair the evening with wrapping gifts so all the paper and ribbon is out at once.