Christmas Card Day
A tradition that brings joy — with so many unique designs to choose from, it's easy to find the perfect way to spread holiday cheer.
Drive December card sales and personalization services by positioning Christmas Card Day as the perfect moment to send meaningful, handmade or custom-designed greetings before the holiday deadline.
- DIY card-making tutorials featuring glitter, stamps, and design inspiration from Pinterest/Instagram
- Photo card personalization guides for busy families who want a quick, heartfelt option
- Last-minute e-card and digital greeting solutions for remote gift-giving
- Collector's angle: showcase vintage or limited-edition card designs to drive premium product interest
Notable campaigns5
- Macy's (2003-2024): Letters to Santa campaign with Make-A-Wish Foundation partnership: Invited holiday shoppers to mail festive greeting cards and letters to Santa using stationery, with each letter mailed representing $1 donated to Make-A-Wish. Reached 3.2+ million people since 2003, raised $142+ million.
- Aperol (2022): Designed three vibrant Christmas greeting cards in signature brand colors (December 2022) as part of a 'Spritzmas' holiday campaign. Each card featured festive foil on the outside and a recipe to make Aperol Spritz inside. Every card purchased came with a complementary pair of Aperol Spritz at All Bar One locations.
- Hidden Valley Ranch (2024): Released holiday greeting cards that included single-serve packets of ranch dressing, turning a novelty greeting into a branded snacking experience.
- Lego (Annual (recent)): Annual #BuildToGive campaign asks fans to build a Lego ornament and share it on social media; for each one posted, Lego donates a set to a child in need, combining card-giving season with charitable cause.
- Starbucks (1997-ongoing): Red Cup program (annual): Iconic holiday cups designed to be collectible and shareable. Customers received reusable red cups with holiday drinks, turning them into shareable social moments with #StarbucksRedCup, making a simple giveaway into seasonal branding ritual.
Campaign ideas7
- Launch a 'Send Early' promotion on Dec 9: Offer 15-20% off greeting card orders with messaging about the last-minute mail-out deadline.
- Partner with Hallmark, Papyrus, or MOO to co-brand a limited-edition Christmas Card Day exclusive collection.
- Run a UGC campaign: Ask customers to share photos of handmade cards or family card-writing traditions with #ChristmasCardDay for chance to win card supplies.
- Create a 'Card-Writing Starter Kit' bundle: Combine festive cards, stamps, embellishments, pens, and digital design templates.
- Host a 'Send Joy Forward' charitable campaign: For every card ordered, donate to mail delivery workers' hardship funds or literacy nonprofits.
- Digital cards push: Promote eco-friendly e-card alternatives to reach last-minute senders after Dec 7.
- Influencer handmade card challenge: Partner with crafters/DIY creators to show personalized card-making on TikTok/Instagram Reels.
Social angles5
- ✉️ Last call! Get your Christmas cards out by Dec 9 so they arrive on time. We've got you covered with designs that say 'I'm not late, I'm fashionably festive.' #ChristmasCardDay #SendCheer
- Handmade hits different. Show us your DIY card creations—glitter, watercolor, marker art, we love it all! Tag us & use #MyCardDay for a chance to be featured. #ChristmasCardDay
- Hot take: A real card in the mailbox is 2026's most underrated luxury. Let's bring back the magic of actual mail. #ChristmasCardDay #PostalServiceHeroes
- Sending cards isn't just tradition—it's how we say 'you matter to me' in a world of screens. 💌 What does your card say? #ChristmasCardDay #KeepPostalAlive
- Fun fact: The first Christmas card (1843) was controversial because kids were drinking wine in it. Our designs are way less chaotic. #ChristmasCardDay #VictorianDrama
Ad copy starters5
“December 9 is your deadline—but it doesn't have to feel like a rush. Custom Christmas cards in 2 days. Order now.”
“Last-minute cards that don't look it. Find your vibe in seconds.”
“Hallmark has nothing on your handmade touch. Design & print it yourself. Free templates inside.”
“3,183 card designs. 1 day left to ship. Go.”
“E-cards are instant. Printed cards are unforgettable. Choose wisely (but choose fast).”
Tips4
- DO emphasize urgency on Dec 9—highlight mail-out deadlines (typically Dec 16-23 depending on shipping method) to drive same-day orders.
- DO celebrate both digital and physical cards equally; eco-conscious consumers want permission to send e-cards guilt-free.
- DON'T ignore the DIY/handmade angle; nostalgia and personalization are huge for Christmas cards, so showcase customer creations.
- DO tie promotions to the postal service's 'heroes' angle and tie-in to broader holiday gratitude messaging for emotional resonance.
Christmas Card Day honors its inventor during this time of year! The first ever commercial Christmas card showed a family raising a toast, and in the following year’s designs showing flowers or depicting the promise of spring were favored.
Lithograph firm Prang and Mayer started selling their whimsical Christmas cards, often featuring children or cartoon animals, to the US in 1874. By 1880, Prang and Mayer were producing a massive five million cards a year.
With so many designs, shapes and sizes, some Christmas cards have become collector’s items which have been known to shift at a pretty penny at auction. One of the world’s first cards, commissioned by Cole and produced by J. C. Horsley, saw the hammer come down at £22,250 in 2001.
Another one of Horsley’s cards sold for almost £9000 in 2005 – and if you want to see a big collection of these coveted cards you can drop by the British Museum to see Queen Mary’s early 1900s collection.
Today, seasonal cards are posted all over the world and can be found in hundreds of thousands of designs. The most popular messages found inside a Christmas card are ‘seasons greetings’ and ‘merry Christmas, and a happy new year’ – but many also stick to religious roots by featuring a short biblical verse or a religious blessing.
Make Handmade Christmas Cards
When there’s time, it’s always nice to make handmade cards to send out. Get hold of some glitter and a dab of glue, and see what you can come up with. The recipients are sure to appreciate it – or if you have children, get them involved in making cards for friends and family! Take a look online to see that there is plenty of inspiration when it comes to making your own Christmas card. So, if you are struggling in terms of ideas, don’t worry, just do a little bit of digging on Instagram and Pinterest!
Create Christmas Cards Online
There are a lot of different websites nowadays that enable you to personalize cards or upload photos and make your own photo card. While you have no technically made the card from scratch yourself, there is still a bit of personalization there, and so this is an option to consider if you do not consider yourself a very creative person! With the advent of e-mail, it’s easier than ever to send Christmas wishes to friends and family across the world – e-cards appeared in the 90s and are frequently used in place of physical cards, so you’ve got no excuse nowadays not to send those season’s greetings. But since nothing beats the real thing, perhaps now is the right time to send out those Christmas cards so they all get to your family and friends before the last post on 23rd December!
Revisit Past Christmas Cards
If you are someone who keeps all of their Christmas cards, you could use this date as an opportunity to go through them all and read the different messages that you have received from people over the years.
Learn About Christmas Traditions
You can also spend this day learning about different Christmas traditions. After all, giving Christmas cards to people is just one of many traditions around the festive period. For example, a lot of people hang Christmas wreaths on their front door during December. The wreath has a long and complex history that dates back to the Persian Empire. Here, a form of wreath or garland identified as a ‘diadem’, was worn around the head. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you could always send out some cheery cards to celebrate the coming of the new year!