100 Unconventional Reasons to Send a Card

With each passing day, it becomes a little easier to become detached from the people we care about. Work is crazy, the kids won’t give you a break, you got a new phone and lost all your contacts. Whatever the reason may be, now is the time to stop making excuses and reach out. Sometimes an email, text message, Facebook post or tweet just doesn’t cut it. Fortunately, the lost art of establishing a real human connection isn’t dead yet. Put it on paper. It doesn’t take much effort to send someone a handwritten card or letter, and there’s certainly no shortage of reasons to do so. Here are a hundred less obvious ones.

1. To thank someone for something small.

   • Sincerity is a lost art. Practice often.

2. To say “Happy graduation.”
   • Welcome to the real world.
3. To say “Sad graduation.”
   • Welcome to the real world.
4. To congratulate someone on getting their driver’s license.
   • No texting and driving. Always best to send a card.
5. To celebrate a new year.
   • Let’s make this year better than the last. And then let’s do the same next year.
6. To congratulate someone on getting a puppy.
   • They make edible cards, right?
7. To congratulate someone on getting a kitten.
   • They have years of being ignored ahead of them, so why not give them a little attention now.
8. To welcome a baby into the family.
   • In about 18 years they’ll have time to finally read your card.
9. To “apologize” for not inviting someone to your wedding.
   • It’s tough. A little thoughtfulness now can save a lot of awkwardness later.
10. To offer a random compliment.
    • Fact: 100% of people enjoy receiving compliments. Fact #2: Your hair looks great today.
11. To say, “Look at this gorgeous card I found.”
    • Don’t keep something that pretty to yourself.
12. To congratulate someone on a new car.
    • Butter them up for when you inevitably ask to borrow it.
13. To celebrate Thanksgiving.
    • No one sends “Happy Thanksgiving” cards. Be unique.
14. To celebrate the Fourth of July.
    • If they’re American, it’s sort of a second birthday card.
15. To congratulate someone on a promotion.
    • If appropriate, maybe include your résumé.
16. To wish someone good luck on an upcoming surgery.
    • Not that you need luck or anything. You’re in very skilled, capable hands.
17. To share a recipe.
    • Add one tablespoon of friendship …
18. To wish someone a happy anniversary.
    • Sticking to milestone years is boring. “Happy 17th Wedding Anniversary” is unique.
19. To wish someone a happy divorce.
    • Know your audience on this one.
20. As a joke.
    • Sending your 45-year-old friend three “Happy Quinceañera” cards will get a laugh.
21. To congratulate someone on buying a new house.
    • Be the first card on their fridge.
22. To apologize.
    • Cowards hide. Take sincere responsibility for your words and actions.
23. To simply, personally connect.
    • Stop broadcasting. Start narrowcasting.
24. To recognize made-up holidays.
    • Happy Lumpy Rug Day. Because apparently that’s a thing.
25. To make fun of a friend’s fantasy sports team.
    • Sometimes the message board isn’t enough to get your point across.
26. To share a drawing.
    • When words fail, there’s always art.
27. To thank your future boss for interviewing you.
    • Cards stand out. Emails get filtered out.
28. To thank your great neighbors for being great neighbors.
    • A good neighbor can be hard to find. Treasure the good ones.
29. To thank a client.
    • When was the last time you remember someone raving about the “really thoughtful” email they got?
30. To thank your parents.
    • If only raising you was as easy as sending a card to thank them.
31. To thank a teacher.
    • Even if you haven’t seen them in years, they’ll appreciate the thought.
32. To reach out to a celebrity.
    • Let them know you’re a fan. You may even get an autograph in response.
33. To reconnect with an old pen pal.
    • Long time, no talk. Like 20 years, right? So what’s new?
34. To play a move in chess.
    • Old school, right? One move per day gives you some time to strategize.
35. To remind someone about a debt.
    • We haven’t forgotten about that $50 you “borrowed,” Andy.
36. To prove your psychic powers.
    • Make some predictions, mail them to yourself, get the date postmarked on it, have your friends open it once your predictions come true.
37. To wish a happy half-birthday.
    • Send half a card now and the other half on their real birthday.
38. To practice civil civics.

    • Remember, you’re technically one of your congressman’s bosses. Make your opinions heard. Respectfully, of course

      .

39. To thank someone for being a friend.
    • Do it right and you might still be friends when you’re old and retired in Miami.
40. To commiserate about growing older.
    • The aging process sucks, and no one’s immune. Talk it out.
41. To remind your spouse about an errand.
    • Cards don’t go in one ear and out the other.
42. To compliment someone’s outfit.
    • Better yet, keep a stack of these cards in your purse. Fab fashion can strike at any time.
43. To thank an intern.
    • Sure they’d prefer cash or a full-time gig, but this is a nice way to show appreciation.
44. To tell someone about your great day.
    • Hit all green lights on the way to work, dominated another workday, ate an amazing dinner, then sent this awesome card.
45. To invite someone to join you on vacation.
    • Why wait for the trip to use postcards?
46. To let someone’s pet know how much you miss it.
    • Address it to Fido, and include a treat for him being suchagoodboyyyyyy …
47. To thank your grandparents for the great DNA.
    • You couldn’t have done it without them.
48. To share a random fact.
    • Did you know alligators love marshmallows?
49. To come clean about an old lie.
    • We all had our theories about who actually let the dogs out.
50. To invite someone to join your karaoke group.
    • Nothing brings a group of people closer than matching pitch together.
51. To ask a bunch of unanswerable questions.
    • Why do 24-hour stores have locks on their doors? Aren’t platypuses weird?
52. To share prospective baby names.
    • Sharing suggestions during the pregnancy will help avoid a ridiculous last-minute panic name, like Jonathan, David or Andrew.
53. To congratulate someone on getting back in shape.
    • They put in the effort. They’ll appreciate yours, too.
54. To console a recent empty nester.
    • They’ll learn to love the sound of a silent house while the kids are off at school.
55. To kick-start a story.
    • Write the opening paragraph. Encourage them to follow up with the next one. Bring your Frankenstory to life.
56. To introduce yourself to a soon-to-be-roommate.
    • You’ll be sharing a lot of stuff together. Start by sharing a friendly gesture.
57. To ask someone to be a part of your wedding.
    • Bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls. They all love you, and they all love heartfelt cards.
58. To possibly make someone a millionaire.
    • Put a lottery ticket in there. If your numbers hit, it will be an unbelievable story.
59. To congratulate someone on getting a job.
    • A nice card may even make it onto their cube wall.
60. To congratulate someone on becoming their own boss.
    • How many people can say they gave something with “World’s Greatest Boss” on it and actually meant it?
61. To give someone a high five.
    • Open card, firmly place hand here.
62. To congratulate someone for making it through their first month of parenthood.
    • It’s sink or swim. And they swam.
63. To wish a friend good luck on a job interview.
    • “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Still treasuring this card, that’s where.
64. To wish an employee good luck on a job interview.
    • The best way to put the writing on the wall is to first put it into a card.
65. To apologize for not being able to help a friend move.
    • A great alternative to actually having to help a friend move.
66. To wish someone a happy first anniversary.
    • It is the Paper Anniversary, after all.
67. To congratulate a kid on losing their first tooth.
    • It’ll happen 19 more times, but this is the one to celebrate.
68. To wish someone good luck on moving to a new city.
    • They’ll make new friends. Make sure those new friends aren’t as cool as the old ones.
69. To wish someone a Happy Shark Week.
    • They’ve been waiting all year for this. Everyone has.
70. To congratulate someone on their first touchdown, goal or home run.
    • Points on the scoreboard, cards on the fridge.
71. To complain about something.
    • An email won’t get a response. A card won’t get ignored as easily.
72. To thank your doctor or dentist.
    • Your dentist helps you with your smile. Help him with his.
73. To give someone a well-deserved round of applause.
    • Draw a hand on one side of the card. Draw another hand on the other. Open and close the card repeatedly.
74. To invite friends to a dinner party.
    • Look at that. One personal, human gesture leads to another.
75. To thank someone for their ideas in a meeting.
    • Nurture creativity. It’s what separates us from the computers.
76. To let your friends know you’ve changed addresses.
    • This will help them know where to send their cards back.
77. To console someone after the death of a pet.
    • Furry family members are still family members.
78. To preemptively wish someone a happy birthday.
    • First!
79. To apologize for forgetting a birthday.
    • Last!
80. To congratulate someone for passing a non-milestone grade.
    • Good job making third grade look easy.
81. To congratulate someone for beating an illness.
    • Life’s not always easy. But it’s easier with friends that care.
82. To meet your new neighbors.
    • You don’t even need to mail these.
83. To remind someone you love them.
    • Those three magical words. Surrounded by a bunch of other magical words.
84. To fight homesickness.
    • Mom and dad would love to hear from you.
85. To say “I was wrong.”
    • You totally were. Swallow your pride with sincerity.
86. To recognize someone’s top-notch landscaping.
    • They put in a lot of hours for a lawn that nice. Give them a nod of approval with a card.
87. To celebrate Valentine’s Day.
    • There are a lot of people in your life that deserve a valentine.
88. To apologize to a roommate.
    • Nothing actually magically disappears from a fridge. We know it was you.
89. To say hi to your grandparents.
    • They came from a distant time and place where sending cards was more the norm. And they’d love to hear from you.
90. To show off your penmanship.
    • It’s tough to say which is better – your words or your pen strokes.
91. To root someone on during pregnancy.
    • Pregnancy is incredibly hard. Sending a card? Incredibly easy.
92. To ask someone to a dance.
    • Hurry, before all the good dates are gone.
93. To celebrate the seasons.
    • Share your summer with friends.
94. To console someone on their birthday.
    • Not everyone loves adding a year to their age. Commiserate accordingly with an unhappy birthday card.
95. To reconnect with your best friends from high school.
    • They’re your oldest friends. What time and space separates, thoughtfulness and humanity reunites.
96. To use handmade emojis.
    • Always wished a white wine emoji was a thing? Make it happen.
97. To tell someone you miss them.
    • Who knows? They may even miss you, too.
98. To congratulate someone for finally quitting a job they hated.
    • Sometimes it’s OK to be a quitter.
99. To share a random memory with someone.
    • Some of the best sentences start with “Remember when …”
100. Just because.
     • Why not?

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There’s no feeling quite as sweet as opening a card from a loved one. From birthdays and graduations to “Congratulations!” and “Commiserations”, there’s a greeting card suited to everyone in every situation.

A good greetings card publisher helps us mark special occasions in such a lovely, tangible way. Spoken words are great, but written words on a beautiful card that we can keep forever? Incomparable. 

Greeting cards have been around since the 1400s, which is a testament to just how invaluable they are to society. Even in this fancy digital age, it’s still incredibly common to give (and receive) a greeting card to let somebody know that you’re thinking about them.

We know they’re nice to have and to hold, but does it go deeper than that? Experts at UK Greetings have explored the psychology behind sending greeting cards.

Historical significance

 

The history of greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians and Chinese, who used papyrus scrolls and other materials to send messages of goodwill on special occasions.

In Europe, we first saw the greeting card tradition in the 1400s. To mark the Christmas and New Year holidays, people would exchange handmade cards as a compassionate gesture.

It wasn’t until the 1840s that the world saw the mass production of greeting cards, and the industry has moved from strength to strength ever since.

Cultural significance

 

Greeting cards are popular across many cultures all around the world. Western, Asian, Latin, and African cultures all use this gesture to convey messages of love, appreciation, and friendship.

Each will use greeting cards to mark personal milestones, such as birthdays and weddings, but they will also use them to mark holidays traditional to their individual culture.

For example, China, Japan, and Korea will send cards to celebrate traditional holidays such as the Lunar New Year and the Mid-Autumn festival.

In a similar way, Latin American cultures, such as Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, use greeting cards to mark Dia de los Reyes Magos, and Dia de la Madre.

The art of sending and receiving greetings cards has certainly evolved over the years. In the beginning, they were often used to promote social and political causes, such as in support of the women’s suffrage movement in the 1800s.

As social values changed and adapted, so did greeting cards. In the early 20th century, cards began to display more realistic and diverse images of people. This type of inclusivity made people of different backgrounds feel more understood and valued.

Today, greeting cards are still used to celebrate traditional holidays and events, but they’re also used to mark more personal milestones. 

It can be problematic not to receive a card from a loved one when celebrating something wonderful, like the birth of a child, or when going through difficult circumstances.

Emotional impact

 

Greeting cards can have a direct impact on our emotional well-being. Usually sent in response to a significant event that’s already full of emotions, greeting cards can intensify our thoughts and feelings.

For instance, graduating from university is a monumental milestone that could make you ecstatic, anxious, proud, and even a bit sad, all at once. It’s an incredible achievement that marks the end of an era, and (typically) the end of your time in education.

To receive a card from a loved one, with thoughtful words and a pretty design that expresses their pride, can escalate these already acute emotions. But in the most wonderful way!

There are psychological benefits for both the sender and recipient of greetings cards. When we send out a card with a goodwill message, we strengthen our relationship with the receiver, which in turn makes us feel good.

Additionally, sending out greeting cards gives us a creative outlet to exploit. There are millions of designs and messages available, and then you have the additional opportunity to personalise the card inside.

Why do we like receiving cards? Well, that’s pretty obvious. Greetings cards make us feel valued and special, whether they acknowledge that we’re celebrating a birthday, leaving a job, or just going through a difficult time.

A greeting card is a tangible reminder that someone is thinking about us, and it’s a way to connect with someone we appreciate.

The digital age

 

It’s difficult to find something that hasn’t been impacted by the digital age. As of April 2023, there were 5.18 billion internet users worldwide. That’s 64.6% of the global population!

Socialising, networking, learning, and communicating; a large majority of it has all been done online. Naturally, then, the art of sending greeting cards has been overshadowed slightly.

For some, posting a “happy birthday” message on a Facebook profile feels like a decent alternative to sending a card. Perhaps it is if the person is only an acquaintance, but for the people closest to us, nothing compares to sending and receiving a special greeting card.

The rise of the digital age has only served to make greeting cards that much more powerful. Sending a card is the best way to break through all the digital noise and break up the monotony of texts, emails, and social media posts.

Long live greeting cards

 

Fortunately, many people are still under the impression that loved ones deserve more effort when it comes to goodwill messages, which is why technology will never fully eradicate greeting cards.

There are too many psychological benefits to sending and receiving cards, as well as a history too rich to forget about. When was the last time you sent a greeting card? Why not send one today?