“A letter is magical.”

-Alexandra Stoddard  

Magic passes through the post office in December. The first 11 months of the year, the mailbox is utilitarian: a repository for advertisements addressed to “current resident” and bills addressed in plain black typeface. Then right after the Thanksgiving feast of turkey with all the trimmings is a memory everywhere but on the bathroom scale, the postman’s uniform may as well be red velvet trimmed in white.

What the postman delivers in December, real mail with words etched on stationery from friends and relatives we may hear from at no other time of year, transforms our mailbox from a merely functionary depository into a treasure trove.

We believe we are loved when the mailbox is stuffed with fancy 5x7 envelopes labeled with our names and address emblazoned in red, green or gold script. When a deep breath reveals a scent slipping through an envelope sealed with a wax insignia, the anticipation of words invigorates. Such a rare letter conjures images of words so intimate; they require an extra layer of protection from prying eyes.

The Origin of Christmas Cards

As with many Christmas traditions celebrated in the United States, the Christmas card began in Victorian England. In 1843, Sir Henry Cole, then a public servant best known for having established the penny post three years earlier, resolved to raise awareness for the plight of the needy through sending bulk holiday greetings. He commissioned his artist friend, John Callcott Horsley, who obliged with a controversial illustration of a family with a small child joining in the wine drinking. That introductory season, 2,050 cards were printed and sold at a shilling each.

According to the Greeting Card Association, sales of Christmas and Holiday Cards last year topped 4.5 billion dollars, with 80% of purchases handled by women, who mailed an average 30 cards apiece.

Personalizing Seasonal Card with a Letter

Diamond Bar activist Trisha Bowler regularly keeps up with friends and relatives on the Internet. Still, she admits, getting a card and letter with postage to be “a real joy.” For her cards, she favors cards with a patriotic theme.

While word processing makes letter writing easier than ever, many people are shy about putting their thoughts on paper. Here are some handy hints to make your holiday correspondence shine.

1. Write with authenticity. Whatever the center of your holiday season, be it Christmas, Hanukkah or simply the season of well-wishes, start with naming your joy. Follow with words written in the same style as though you were sitting across the table enjoying cookies and hot cocoa with your friend.

2. Stay focused. You are writing a highlight real, an executive summary for the past year – not War and Peace.

3. Add visual appeal. Drop in a picture or two relating to the text.

4. Leave room for a personal note at the end. The execution of this last point is what elevates your card to the truly memorable. Hand write congratulations for the receiver’s personal milestones; events such as engagements, weddings and births. Alternatively, express sympathy if there is a newly empty chair at their table.   

5. Proofread. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and read a printed draft of the letter back to yourself. When the words resound with thankfulness and rejoicing, the letter is ready to sign and send.