When should you start mailing Christmas cards?

Happy Holidays everyone!

Who doesn’t love this time of year, when most (well other than the monthly bills) of the mail is so much fun to open with a loving card from your family and friends! I love receiving the witty letters that some of you write, as well as the charming photos on the cards of all of your families! How can you not be excited for the mail each day?

Many of you have your own personal traditions when sending out Christmas cards, but there are still some rules everyone should observe to make sure your holiday cards are full of perfectly articulated cheer. Here we go…

7 tips for Proper Etiquette When Sending out Christmas Cards

1. Mail your cards as early as possible, but not more than a week before Thanksgiving.

Ideally you want your cards to arrive in early or mid December. While sending them too early is not the best scenario, keep in mind that the post office is extremely busy this time of year and you don’t want your cards to arrive after Christmas day. I know not all of us are always that organized. I have many customers that send out New Year’s Cards to make sure they spread their Holiday Cheer even if they couldn’t make the Christmas deadline. I am pretty sure that is what ours will be this year!

2. Use your own handwriting wherever possible, especially on the outside of the envelopes and signatures inside the cards.

This will give your cards a personal touch and show that you care enough to take a few minutes and give each card some attention. If you have a few more minutes, take time to do some fancy calligraphy (or fake calligraphy) on your envelopes. I love when a letter is mailed and it looks like a piece of art before I even get to the real show piece.

3. Include your return address on all cards.

The return address serves many purposes. First, the recipient will know who the card is from right away. Also, it ensures that they have your current address every year and they can use it to send a card back to you if they haven’t already. I love making return addresses part of the originality of the card. Creating a wrap around label specifically designed for your card is a great way to add that extra touch that sets your cards apart from the rest of the mail!

4. Don’t send e-cards as a substitute for real cards.

A Christmas card should be an act of generosity with a personal touch. If all you have to do was click a link to send a card out, it no longer evokes the feeling of traditional winter cheer. It’s easy to get affordable Christmas cards from your favorite local design or print shop or there are great online options these days. Many shops have predesigned cards for you to chose from or they can create something custom for you!

Predesigned cards are great, but our family always loves to create and send custom holiday cards like these for a more personal touch.

5. When sending Christmas cards to business associates, send it to their offices unless you also know them socially.

If you haven’t been introduced to their families, keep the cards professional. Sign the cards with a note from you personally, but reserve the family photo cards for your friends and relatives.

6. When sending cards to co-workers, mail the cards to their homes rather than handing them out in the office.

This is more personal, and avoids conflict in case you don’t have cards for everyone. It also has a more traditional feel when your card arrives along with everyone else’s in an addressed envelope.

7. Enjoy it!

If it’s stressful for you to send holiday cards, don’t do it. Take a year off if you need to and come back refreshed. It’s supposed to be a lovely holiday tradition. But if it’s not for you, that’s OK too. 

Well that is it! The holidays are all about love and celebrating with your family and friends! Send out your Christmas card this year with confidence! Don’t forget to add that personal touch to show your loved ones how much you care!

P.S. If you’re really feeling creative, Canva makes it easy to create your own card from scratch with the help of gorgeous predesigned templates and tools. Check it out here! 

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Articles by Alicia Bauer

Alicia Bauer

As the owner + creative director behind Ally B Designs, Alicia's love of design, fashion, and crafting has allowed her to have the most emotionally rewarding career. After working in the graphic design industry for over 10 years, Alicia found her true calling after planning her own wedding. She took what she loved from graphic design and combined it with all things personal and pretty. Alicia loves combining beautiful papers, fun fonts, and luscious textures to create a beautiful piece of art. A Nebraska girl from the heart, Alicia brings down home charm to every invitation created and event styled.

As shopping for last-minute presents and holiday baking and cooking often take priority in busy December schedules, sending holiday cards can be one of the tasks that can easily make it to the bottom of your to-do list. That doesn’t have to be the case. If you know when to mail Christmas cards so that they arrive on time to your recipients, you’ll be able to plan accordingly for sending your cards filled with holiday greetings.

When Christmas Cards Should Arrive

While you won’t find concrete rules for the right or wrong times when holiday cards should arrive other than from the USPS mail zones, which you can read about more in our article “How Long Will Mail Take From Zip Code To Zip Code?“, you should send your holiday cards before the last-minute mailing rush starts. In general, you want your cards to reach your recipients about one to two weeks before the holiday mentioned in the card. The following guidelines offer some ideas:

• Cards containing messages of gratitude and thankfulness work well for arriving during the last week of November and the first few days of December.
• Cards with well-wishes for the new year are ideally suited for arriving during the last two weeks of December and the first week of January.
• Holiday cards with a “Season’s Greetings” message work well for arrival during the month of December.
• Cards that specifically say “Merry Christmas” should arrive no later than a week before Christmas to ensure your recipients receive them before the holiday.

If you’re wondering when to send Christmas cards and are concerned about timing, just remember that it’s never too early to mail your Christmas cards. By taking some time to plan ahead, you can avoid the last-minute rush and expedited mailing costs to get your holiday cards delivered to your recipients on time.

When to Send Christmas Cards

During a large part of the year, first-class mail generally takes between one to three days of transit time from sender to recipient, according to the U.S. Postal Service. The busiest week of the holiday season for the Postal Service is generally the last full week before the Christmas holiday. In 2019, Postal Service officials estimated that their mail carriers would deliver approximately 800 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

When you’re trying to decide when to mail Christmas cards, allow more time for delivery than usual because of the busyness of the season, at least four to seven days. In 2020, coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions are affecting mail delivery, which may play a role in your decision on when to send holiday cards. Currently, the Postal Service can no longer accept or deliver international mail to several countries due to COVID-19 service restrictions. If you need to mail a holiday card to an international destination, confirm with the Postal Service before placing your card in the mail.

When to Start Designing

Creating your desired Christmas card takes some time. In fact, the design you choose can be one of the most time-consuming parts of the process, especially when designing a Christmas card for your business. Everyone wants a holiday card to capture a recipient’s attention, be memorable, and convey the sentiment associated with the holiday season.

You may be fortunate to have access to an in-house designer at your company, or you may have to enlist the talents of an independent design professional. Regardless of who will design your Christmas cards, make sure you allow plenty of time for the design process. Aim for about three to four weeks so that you can complete your card design and be ready to move forward with production. If you delay, you could have to pay for rush fees associated with quick-turnaround Christmas card design if you’re working with an outside designer.

When to Start Ordering

Before you place an order for holiday cards, you need to know when you want to send them out. Set a target mail-by date for your cards. When ordering your cards, allow enough time for your holiday card vendor to print, package, and send the cards to you. Don’t forget about budgeting time to personalize, address, and stamp the envelopes.

When creating your holiday to-do list, place ordering your Christmas cards at the top of the list. Allow about three to four weeks for designing, printing, and shipping, just to be safe. Check with your holiday card provider to confirm your ordering deadline.

Tips for Addressing Your Envelopes

At this time of year, the Postal Service can use all the help it can get. By following a few guidelines for addressing your mail, you can ensure that your holiday greetings will reach your recipients on time:

• Print your address on the envelopes using plain, capital block letters.
• Avoid punctuation of any type, except for the hyphen in the ZIP-plus-four code. The traditional five-digit ZIP code is strongly recommended for all mail. Businesses mainly use ZIP codes with the plus-four numbers.
• Use only the state abbreviations approved by the Postal Service, such as MN for Minnesota, for example.
• Leave an approximate 1/2-inch margin on each side of your envelope. Keep all of the text for the return and mailing addresses within these margins.
• Allow an approximate 5/8-inch border at the bottom of the envelope to accommodate the postal barcode.
• Avoid placing stickers, seals, or other items containing adhesives on the outside of the mailing envelopes for your cards.

Focus on Tasks to Keep Your Christmas Card Mailing on Track

If the thought of creating the perfect holiday card causes you to stress, remind yourself that you don’t need to panic. Focus on the following six tasks to keep you on track:

1. Assign each task a due date on your calendar.
2. Organize and verify your Christmas card list.
3. Compose your holiday greeting and design your card.
4. Send your final card design to your printing provider and place your Christmas card order.
5. Address the envelopes, place the stamps on the envelopes, and drop the cards in the mail.

Armed with this knowledge of when to mail Christmas cards, you’ll be able to put your mind at ease this holiday season knowing that your recipients will receive your holiday greetings on time.