When to send Christmas and holiday cards
Sending Christmas cards is a time-honored way to keep loved ones up to date on your life while spreading holiday cheer. With sweet messages, adorable photos, and festive flair, Christmas cards are a great way to sum up a fantastic year.
But when’s the best time to send Christmas cards? It all depends on the type of card you’re sending. Printed Christmas cards require planning, while digital holiday cards can go out instantly—or on your own schedule.
Discover the best times to send out Christmas cards and other tips from our design partners who’ve graciously shared their expert insights.
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When is the best time to send Christmas cards?
According to Eunice and Sabrina Moyle, the best time to send personal Christmas cards is shortly after Thanksgiving.
“We like to send printed cards the week after Thanksgiving so that recipients have time to open and display them, if they choose, before Christmas,” they say.
But your timing also depends on whether you need to physically mail cards at the post office or just hit “send” on your digital card.
When to mail printed holiday cards
If you’re sending printed Christmas cards, you’ll need time to order, print, address, and stamp them—not to mention the time needed for them to reach their destination.
Plan on sending your cards two weeks before December 25th. An ideal timing schedule may look like this:
- Schedule professional pictures in September or October. Then, you’ll have plenty of time for the photographer to edit and send you the images. (You can skip this step if you’re using photos from the year or if you’re not sending photo cards).
- Collect mailing addresses in October and November. If you’ve already got an address list from sending party or wedding invitations, make sure addresses are up-to-date.
- Design and order cards two to three weeks before Thanksgiving to avoid the holiday rush. If you’re taking family photos on Thanksgiving, order cards no later than Thanksgiving weekend to ensure they arrive on time.
- Address and stamp your cards when they arrive (likely one to two weeks after you order them). Some Christmas card companies will stamp and address your cards for an extra fee. (Pro tip: If you want holiday-themed stamps, stop by the post office in early November before they run out.)
- Mail cards in the first week of December. They’ll arrive in your friends’ and families’ mailboxes in one to seven days, depending on distance and shipping times. If you need an accelerated timeline, consider paying more for Express or Two-Day delivery.
When to send digital Christmas cards
Digital Christmas cards are easy, classic, and stylish—plus, you can skip the line at the post office. Paperless Post’s wide array of online Christmas cards is perfect for spreading seasonal joy instantly.
So, when should you send out Christmas cards if you’re sending them online? The Moyle sisters prefer a send date that’s closer to Christmas. “For digital cards, we like to send them out the week before Christmas, during the peak of holiday excitement.”
Wondering when to plan everything for your Christmas cards if you’re going the digital route? Consider a Christmas card schedule that looks like this:
- Schedule professional pictures in October or November if you’re sending holiday photo cards. That’s still plenty of time for the photographer to edit proofs, especially since you don’t need to get them printed later.
- Collect email addresses in November. Paperless Post lets you upload your contact list or reuse contacts from previous cards or invitations, making it easy to compile your addresses instantly.
- Design cards anytime you want! Choose your template, upload photos, write your message, and customize your card’s look and feel. Then send them right away—or schedule them to be sent the week before Christmas.
When to send out business Christmas cards
For business holiday cards, the timing can be a little later. Plan to send greetings from your company by the second week of December.
“For our business, Hello!Lucky, we usually send a digital holiday card the second week of December,” say the Moyle sisters. “With so many people working remotely these days, a digital card is the best way to make sure that everyone receives some cheer in time for the holidays!”
If you’re sending business holiday cards by mail, use the mailing timeline above. For online business Christmas cards, send or schedule send two weeks before the holidays.
When is too early to send Christmas cards?
Most industry experts advise waiting until after Thanksgiving is over so you don’t overpower the previous holiday—and so you can enjoy the Christmas season.
“In our continuous quest to make the holidays more peaceful, we feel like the best time to create a printed holiday card is in October or early November,” say the Moyle sisters. “We like card sending to feel meaningful, not like one more thing to check off the to-do list. Giving ourselves more time helps us enjoy the tradition.”
Hannah King, Manager of Custom Print at Paper Source, reminds us of the reason for sending holiday cards on schedule. “I love when we receive holiday cards early so that we can have all of the holiday greetings from our friends and family up and on display for as long as possible, so I try to keep that in mind as the sender, too.”
However, you can always start shopping for your holiday cards ahead of your target send date. Chelsea Shukov, co-founder of Sugar Paper, suggests an even earlier start to get the best deals. “We always recommend ordering holiday cards in September to take advantage of any discounts and get ahead of the holidays,” she says.
Because the sending timeline for online cards is shorter, you can select and design them anytime you want! Feel free to choose your perfect template in July if you’re extra excited (we won’t tell!) and schedule them to arrive the week before Christmas.
How late is too late to send Christmas cards?
If you want your cards to arrive before December 25th, the last day to mail Christmas cards is December 18th—unless you’re using Priority or Rush Delivery. Domestic mail can take anywhere between three to seven days to arrive, and that range gets even longer during the mail-heavy holiday season.
What if you miss the deadline for mailing printed holiday cards? Don’t throw in the (red and green) towel—send digital Christmas cards instead! They only take a few minutes to customize and deliver, as long as you have your address list and photographs you want to include ready.
When is the best time to send other holiday cards?
While Christmas card timing is based around December 25th, winter holidays such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Day have different mailing timelines.
“I am a big advocate of ordering and sending holiday cards as early as possible in the season,” says Ms. King. “For printed holiday cards especially, this gives plenty of time for the cards to make their way to the recipients and for adding special touches.”
For each specific holiday, the dates below are good guidelines for planning when to send your holiday cards. Keep in mind that some winter holidays, such as Kwanzaa and New Year’s Day, always fall on the same date, while Hanukkah and Thanksgiving fall on different dates each year.
- Thanksgiving cards: If you’re sending printed Thanksgiving cards, order them in mid-October so you can send them out in the second week of November.
- Hanukkah cards: Send printed cards two to three weeks before the first night of Hanukkah (which falls on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar). You can even send them a little later if you’d like cards to arrive in the middle of the Hanukkah celebration.
- Kwanzaa cards: Because Kwanzaa begins so close to Christmas (December 26), you can follow Christmas card timing schedules. Send Kwanzaa cards out in the second week of December, so they’ll arrive before or during the Kwanzaa holiday.
- New Year’s cards: New Year’s Day cards can arrive a few days before January 1st, or they can arrive a few days after. (It’s still a happy New Year on January 4th, after all!) To get it as close to the actual day as possible, try to send New Year’s cards when post offices open after Christmas.
If you’d like to skip the post office and its unpredictable timing this year, go digital! Find custom designs for any holiday, add personalized features like a Photo Gallery Block, and take advantage of the ability to schedule send cards in advance to prevent future headaches—all on Paperless Post.
Who should you send Christmas cards to?
Just like a party guest list, your Christmas card recipient list can be as long or short as you’d like. Ms. Shukov says, “I love staying in touch with friends near and far and watching their families grow.”
The Moyle sisters agree, adding, “We also love receiving digital cards—mostly from friends overseas—it’s an easy way to stay in touch. Holiday cards remind us that life is all about friends, family, and connection.”
Some suggestions for who to send Christmas cards to:
- Close family members
- Close friends
- Close coworkers
- Clients
- Your boss
- Neighbors
- Your children’s friends
- Teachers
- Community members—hair stylist, doctor, dentist
Quick tip: Don’t toss the guest list from your wedding or last big party. Many people use these lists to build a Christmas card recipient list for years to come.
Tips for collecting and changing addresses
Our industry experts all recommend using a spreadsheet to organize addresses for Christmas cards.
When collecting addresses, it helps to be resourceful. “I keep a physical address book and collect envelopes of anyone who had a change of address,” says Ms. Shukov. She then uses that to create her holiday card list in spreadsheet form. “My holiday card list is saved as a spreadsheet so I can easily update it. I use a calligrapher to address my envelopes each year, and they often appreciate receiving digital address lists.”
When a recipient’s address changes, the Moyle sisters also have a system. “After we mail our holiday cards, we keep a stack of cards returned due to address changes,” they say. “In the quiet days after the holidays, we refresh our mailing list—reaching out to friends via email or checking for a new address on the returned envelopes—so it’s ready to go the following year.”
If you’re using a Paperless Post invitation to invite guests to a holiday party, add a Guest Question for recipients to respond with their mailing addresses. You can easily export mailing addresses received so that you can send paper Christmas cards to the same group of people!
But if you’d rather keep it all digital, you can send Paperless Post Christmas cards via text or email. For an even easier delivery process, post a shareable link on social media so all your followers can share in the holiday cheer.
Additional tips for sending Christmas cards
There isn’t only one way to design and send Christmas cards, but there are certain etiquette rules that keep everyone on the same page. Follow the suggestions below on Christmas and holiday card etiquette for just the right touch of tradition and sophistication.
- If someone sends you a card, send one back. Order a few extra cards for those surprise holiday cards you’d like to reciprocate.
- Be sensitive about religious messaging when sending to people who don’t celebrate Christmas. For recipients who celebrate other winter holidays, check out these ideas for holiday card greetings.
- Double-check addresses. When someone moves or a card is returned, reach out to get the right address. “I do inevitably find myself texting folks at the last minute to snag a new address or to make sure I have the right one before putting their card in the mail,” says Ms. King.
- Make it personal. “My favorite thing about sending holiday cards is taking the time to write a little note to each person we send a card to and to think of them as we enter such a special time of the year,” says Ms. King. And if you’re struggling with what to write in your cards this year, browse our Christmas card wording suggestions for inspiration.
- Add a special touch. The Moyle sisters try to add a little something special to their greeting cards each holiday season. “We like to buy holiday-themed stamps and hand-address the envelopes if possible.” Ms. King adds, “My favorite thing to do is to add some festive washi tape to the envelope flaps.”
Send holiday cards online with Paperless Post
Christmas and holiday cards are about maintaining connections during the holidays. Whether you’re sending a classic paper card, an online card, or following a Christmas card trend, your family and friends will experience those warm fuzzy feelings once they open their mailbox—or inbox.
No matter which card you choose or how many photos you decide to feature, the tradition of sending holiday cards guarantees that the season is sure to be a happy one this year.
Send holiday cheer to all with customizable cards you can email, text, or share. 
