We've all opened cards from friends and families and laughed or rolled our eyes at the photographs they've enclosed.
Just as perplexing for senders can be the message included in the card. With abundant religious views and sentiments among the population, it can be hard to find a universal greeting. Below are some tips from the pros on how to send out your holiday greetings. It's not too late.
Picking the right card
The first step in sending cards is to pick out the card.
As home computer equipment becomes more prolific and affordable, many are choosing the do-it-yourself route.
Mike's Camera Store, 9197 E. Westview Road in Lone Tree, is one of many retail stores to offer tools for holiday cards. Customers have the option to use predesigned templates or create something on their own, all printed in the store, said assistant manager Lisa Fry. They can be ordered online or in the store, and cost anywhere from $12.95 to $24.95 per dozen.
The U.S. Postal Service is also offering a service helpful to holiday card senders, allowing customers to design personalized cards through its Web site, www.usps.com. Personal photos, greetings and graphics can be added to customize the cards, which range from $2.50 to $4 a card, depending on the features chosen, said Al DeSarro, regional spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service.
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De Sarro said the service was started about four or five years ago to keep in stride with the trend of shopping online.
"People are busy," he said. "If we can make it as easy as we can for them to mail it's good for them and it's good for us."
Anna Post, from the Emily Post Institute, a leading etiquette source, said she has no qualms with using such options.
"If this is how you can afford to budget your holiday greetings that is fine," she said.
Say "cheese"
Next comes the photo, which is often a step skipped.
Bonnie Riley, who has worked at Monty Nuss Photography in Littleton for seven years, said the Christmas photo often turns into a chore, not a moment. The main goal for family photos should be to relax and have fun.
"Just be grateful that your family is together and take a picture," she said. "If there's a kid hysterically laughing or a dog barking, that's real life." Riley said those are the photos she has enjoyed the most in cards she has received.
That being said, there are some specifics Riley recommends to those preparing to gather around a camera.
Backgrounds in her studio are neutral, to highlight the people. While outdoors can be pretty, it has to be timed just right, often a problem in Colorado.
As for clothes, she said to keep things simple and solid, as to not detract from faces.
"If you have patterns it's distracting," she said. The same goes for exposed arms from short-sleeve or sleeveless shirts.
Attention should also be given to the feet, as to not draw attention to them in a photo. Riley said to skip white socks or stockings and go with all black.
And those stereotypical holiday sweater should be worn with caution, she said.
"When you get into all those colors, inevitably something doesn't match," she said.
If a holiday theme is desired, she recommends families bring something simple like Santa hats, or scarves and hats. That way, she can take a holiday portrait and a more general picture, too.
"When you do a holiday background you date it," she said. "People don't want to have it up all year."
However, Riley said she never tires of young kids in velvet dresses and holiday sweaters.
Post had more general advice to offer for photographs.
"Whether it's a photo that you design the card around, or a photo that you include in the card, either one is great," she said." It's less etiquette, more personal taste."
In the end, Riley said to remember it's for other people that you are taking a photograph, not yourself, and they just want to see you.
Inside the card
Now comes the task of personalizing cards.
As for whom to send cards to, Post warns against throwing a net too far.
"This isn't a competition of how many people can I send a car to," she said. "It's a little awkward sometimes, if you open something and say why on earth am I getting this." Cards should be sent to close friends and family and those with whom you've lost touch and genuinely want to reconnect.
For the greeting inside, Post said to write as much or as little as you want, whether it's a letter detailing the year's events, or a generic stock salutation.
"I would just stay focused to family news or things that people would really want to know," she said, adding that this is where personal anecdotes and events can be shared on a case-by-case basis.
She also said to be careful when choosing religious-themed cards or messages.
"It might just be odd if someone says why are they sending this to me? Don't they know I don't celebrate that holiday?" Post said. "Besides, there are so many beautiful cards out there wishing you happy holidays that don't run the risk of offending people."
In the mail
The final step is putting cards in the mail.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends having mail postmarked by Dec. 20 to reach U.S. recipients by Dec. 25, that is if you're not using their aforementioned online features. For overseas mail, most international deadlines are Dec. 11. However, Post said hitting a specific date is not crucial.
"It makes sense to have them arrive within a couple of weeks before the holiday. If you're a little bit late it's OK to send them out a little bit after," she said. "I'd say once you get into February it's too late."
