How to Address Personalized Christmas Cards

Christmas Card Etiquette tips

The following tips will help you address and sign your Personalized Christmas and Holiday greeting cards correctly. Good etiquette is always important, especially when you want to make an impression.

When sending personailzed Christmas or Holiday cards to family, friends and close business associates always:

  • Personalize your Christmas and Holiday cards with a unique note, and always sign the card – even if your name is printed on the card as well.
  • Use an informal signature – without using courtesy titles (Dr., MR. Mrs., Ms.), and to close friends and relatives, do not sign your last names either.
  • Traditionally, family signatures go in this order: father, mother and then children, or simply “John, Mary and family.”
  • If your Christmas or Holiday card is from more than one person, the person who signs it should write his or her name last as a gesture of courtesy.
  • When sending a Christmas or Holiday card to a couple with two different last names, address the card to “Mary Smith and John Jones.” If there are children, write “Mary Smith, John Jones and Family.”
  • Include the childrenl’s names, when addressing Christmas and Holiday cards to family and social friends.

For business/work relationships:

  • Mail business associates Christmas or Holiday cards to their office. However, if you are social friends, or have met their spouse or significant other, send cards to their home.
  • Business Christmas or Holiday greeting cards should be more formal than your cards to family and social friends. Keep it brief and nondenominational.
  • When sending Christmas & Holiday Cards to co-workers in your own office, send them to their homes and address it to “Mr. and Mrs.” if the recipient is married.
  • If the recipient is a married woman who uses her maiden name only at work, address the cards to “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith.” If she prefers to use her maiden name for all occasions, address the card to “Mr. John Smith and Ms. Susan Jones.”
  • Unless your spouse has met your business associate, only sign your name on their card.
  • Do not include holiday newsletters with co-workers cards unless you have a very close personal relationship with them.

Special situations:

  • If you are sending a Christmas or Holiday card to a widow, address her as “Mrs. John Jones.”

How to properly place a card in the envelope:

  • Insert the folded side of your Christmas Card into the envelope with the design face up toward the flap.

Mailing notes:

  • Mail your Christmas Cards any time after Thanksgiving and before New Year’s Day is appropriate.
  • Mail your Christmas cards first class so they will be forwarded or returned to you if the address cannot be located.
  • Include your return address to comply with the U.S. Postal Service’s request and to help your friends keep their mailing lists up to date.

Tags: