The following sentence is a major understatement: The holiday season is often busy and stressful.
From cleaning the house for arriving company and buying and wrapping gifts to shopping for holiday meals and entertaining said family, you have more than enough plates in the air.
Thus, when you look at your holiday-related to-do list, it is understandable if you have an internal debate every year about holiday cards. You certainly like receiving them, and once they are mailed, you are glad you did. However, it can take up so much valuable time to address, stamp, and mail dozens of cards.
Still, as busy as you are, you will want to continue sending those annual paper greetings to those you
hold dear. As for why you should, the following reasons may help convince you:
1. It Is a Great Excuse to Take Some New Family Photos
While you have some reasonably current photos of your kids and a few cute selfies of you sporting your new haircut, you may not have a recent family photo. Sending out a photo holiday card that features your cute or funny faces is the ideal excuse to gather everyone together to commemorate the season. And, if you have a pet, be sure to include Fluffy or Fido in the photo as well.
2. You Can Reconnect with Family and Friends
Maybe your BFF moved away and you are not texting as often as you planned, or you have not seen your favorite great aunt for more than a year due to the pandemic. However, sending out holiday cards can serve as a tangible reminder to these important people that, even though you are separated by distance, they still remain close to your heart. Add a hand-written message, and let your recipients know you miss them and cannot wait to see them again in-person.
3. For Older People, It May Mean More than You Know
You may be tempted to forego the whole paper card tradition and instead post a cute photo or two on Instagram and Facebook, along with your holiday greetings. However, if your older or less tech-savvy relatives are not on social media, they likely will no see your post. Additionally, many people deal with loneliness around the holidays, especially elderly folks who may be alone, and your annual Christmas card may mean a lot to them. Keep in mind that it may be difficult for some older people to address and send their own cards, or maybe their budget will not allow it. So, even if you have not heard from your great uncle in a few years, continue to send him your holiday well wishes.
4. It Is a Nice Way to Network
Business owners should also consider sending cards to their clients. Now, you do not have to order a second, more formal card, as the regular family card will do just fine. In fact, sending holiday cards to customers and clients works on a number of levels.
Case in point: It shows these loyal folks you care about them and, more importantly, it helps keep your business on their radar. It can also help with networking; the client may display your card on their mantle, and visiting friends may ask about the photo and then hear about your business. If you want to say “thanks” to your regular clients in a material way, you can also use the annual holiday card as a way to include a gift card to their favorite coffee shop.
Make the Time to Send Out Holiday Cards Holiday cards are more than a photo, a few words, and a piece of cardstock — they’re also a physical reminder of how much others mean to you. So, go ahead and wrangle up the family for a quick photo session and order those cards, and then address them while sipping a festive holiday
drink and listening to holiday music in the background. Ultimately, these holiday well wishes will brighten the day of your recipients and make their holiday season that much happier and joyfu
