Carding Day
Sir Henry Cole & John Horsley Carding Day
Sign, Stuff, Stamp, Send—It Makes People Happy
About Carding Day
Carding Day celebrates one of the most enduring Christmas traditions: sending holiday cards to friends, family, and anyone else who’s left a mark on your life. It also nods to the unofficial tradition of one poor soul handling the whole job, pulling a late-night session around December 21. Today, we share the load. Sure, signing and sending cards can feel like a chore. But it can also be a surprisingly joyful group effort. (Spoken as a fully reformed Christmas card procrastinator.) Set up a round-robin signing session, or go full assembly line. Get everyone’s input on what updates to include. The process is about more than logistics. It’s a moment to reflect on the people who matter, and as a family, to look back on the year with something like gratitude. So break out the big mugs and a fresh batch of cookies. You’ll be here a while.
Ways to observe
(A) Low effort
Write and send three heartfelt Christmas cards to people you’ve been meaning to reconnect with.
(B) Recommended
Gather your household around the table and divide up the tasks: one person signs, another addresses, and another stamps. Share stories about the people you’re sending cards to and use the moment to reflect on your relationships.
(C) High effort
Invite friends and family over for a festive card-writing session complete with snacks, music, and plenty of pens and stamps. Set up a photo booth to take pictures for personalized cards and include a craft station for making homemade designs.
Inspiration
I’ll admit that for most of the year, getting a letter from a distant relative about their purebred pug’s harrowing recovery from seasonal allergies is... fine. But something happens during the Christmas season. My heart yearns to hear from friends, extended family, former neighbors. The season transforms even the most mundane news into a kind of holiday dispatch from the soul. I hope Mugsy is feeling better! The tradition of Christmas cards began in 1843, when Sir Henry Cole, a British civil servant and postal enthusiast, commissioned the first commercial card. It featured a family feasting in the center, with acts of charity pictured on either side, and bore the now-iconic message: “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” It was meant to promote the newly modernized British postal system. Mission accomplished. In America, the practice took off thanks to Louis Prang, a German immigrant and lithographer whose richly illustrated cards charmed a growing middle class in the 1870s. No doubt, the Christmas card has evolved. You can design one on your phone and have it printed, stamped, and mailed by a company in Omaha. But the heart of it hasn’t changed. We still send little paper missives filled with warm wishes and virtual hugs. It’s a lovely feeling to be remembered by a far-flung relative, a former student, or a retired naval officer you met once on vacation; and they, in turn, enjoy hearing a bit of news from you. Or no news at all. A simple “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You” will brighten someone’s day.
Adornments
Watch
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
A charming classic set in a Budapest gift shop during Christmastime. Two bickering co-workers don’t realize they’ve become anonymous pen pals through heartfelt letters.
Postmen in the Mountains (1999)
A touching Chinese drama following an aging mail carrier who traverses remote villages on foot, delivering letters with his son by his side. As they hike through misty mountain paths, the journey becomes a bonding experience.
Listen
I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Bing Crosby
Sung from the viewpoint of a soldier writing a letter home (I bet you didn't know that).
We Wish You a Merry Christmas by Performed by The Kingston Trio
This upbeat folk rendition of the classic carol adds a welcoming tone to any card-writing session.
Read
Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
A magical collection of the illustrated letters the famous author sent to his children, pretending to be Father Christmas. Each note (written between 1920 and 1943) is filled with whimsical stories of the North Pole, complete with invented characters and dramatic episodes.
A Christmas Card by Paul Theroux
In this introspective novella, a man receives an anonymous Christmas card that sets off an obsession. He combs through past relationships and lingering regrets in search of the sender’s identity. It’s a cerebral, unsettling piece that explores the emotional weight a single holiday gesture can carry.
Share
Thank Your Mail Carrier
Spread the kindness to those who deliver joy year-round. Write a warm thank-you card to your mail carrier (and package delivery folks) and leave it for them with a small treat.