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G is for Greetings Cards

Etiquette Office William Hanson

A-Z of British Etiquette

Thankfully, we are still in an age where people send these ­and they are yet to be replaced with a festive direct message or wintery pokes.

Below are the six biggest faux pas people make when sending their Christmas cards:

Not picking charity Christmas cards ­
Besides bestowing yuletide felicitations upon your loved ones, the other purpose of such a card is to support charities, and many cards available will give a percentage cut of the profits to charity. But there are some cards available that are not supporting charities, so make sure you pick wisely.

Incorrect envelope flaps ­
Make sure your envelope flaps are triangular, rather than straight, as the former type of flap is for social correspondence, whereas straight ones are for business letters.

Printed signatures ­
Some people, with more money and less manners than sense, actually have their signatures printed in the card to save time. It may save time but it just looks rude. Don’t bother to send cards if you can’t be bothered to write them properly.

No names ­
Similarly, choosing not to address the card to the recipient and just scribbling your signature is just as bad and very impersonal.

eCards ­
They are not the same as a proper Christmas card. For a start, you can’t display it around the house to make your sitting room or hallway look festive, but also eCards don’t have the charity element to it, like with proper cards (see faux pas #1).

Newsletters ­
If you feel you need to write to your address book with a chirpy Christmas newsletter, which will often boast of the family triumphs over the past 12 months, then it’s probably time you had a review of your contacts. People should know what’s going on in your life as you talk to them throughout the year, and not find out that Debbie’s delivered from a Christmas newsletter. Charities and organisations have newsletters, not families.

William Hanson is the Etiquette and Protocol Consultant for The English Manner. He works with VIP households, diplomats, businessmen, schools and colleges and has advised multinational brands. He is regularly asked by global media to comment on modern manners and social mores.
Main image: Dear to Me Studio cards for Christmas

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