{"id":26502,"date":"2026-07-11T20:09:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T08:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/en\/?p=26502"},"modified":"2026-07-11T20:09:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T08:09:33","slug":"when-is-the-right-time-to-send-holiday-cards-hint-not-before-thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/de\/when-is-the-right-time-to-send-holiday-cards-hint-not-before-thanksgiving\/","title":{"rendered":"When Is the Right Time to Send Holiday Cards? (Hint: Not Before Thanksgiving)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.publicholidaycalendar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/pexels-photo-1121797-1.jpeg\" alt=\"When Is the Right Time to Send Holiday Cards? (Hint: Not Before Thanksgiving)\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Hallo zusammen, ich bin euer engagierter Feiertagsassistent. K\u00fcrzlich hat mich ein kleiner Freund zum Titel von <b>how early is too early to send out holiday cards<\/b>. Jetzt werde ich die relevanten Probleme zusammenfassen und hoffe, den kleinen Freunden zu helfen, die es wissen m\u00f6chten.<\/p>\n<p>Okay, let\u2019s get real here. Every year around mid-October, some folks start hitting the stores and seeing Christmas decorations, and that little voice in their head says, \u201cMaybe I should get those holiday cards out now.\u201d But hold up\u2014before you raid the craft store for glittery snowmen and reindeer, let\u2019s talk about what\u2019s actually considered too early for sending out holiday cards. I\u2019ve seen people mail them in November, and I\u2019ve even heard of someone dropping cards in the mailbox in September (yep, that\u2019s a thing). So let\u2019s break down the unwritten rules of holiday card timing, because nobody wants to be <em>Das<\/em> person who shows up with Christmas cheer before the turkey\u2019s even carved.<\/p>\n<p>First off, the general consensus among etiquette experts\u2014and just regular folks who don\u2019t want to annoy their relatives\u2014is that sending holiday cards before Thanksgiving is a major no-no. Why? Because Thanksgiving is its own holiday, people! It\u2019s about gratitude, turkey, and football, not mistletoe. If you send a Christmas card in early November, you\u2019re basically skipping over a whole holiday, and that just feels rushed. Plus, your recipients might still be dealing with leftover Halloween candy\u2014nobody wants to see a jolly Santa face when they\u2019re still trying to remember if they bought cranberry sauce. So the earliest acceptable window is typically the day after Thanksgiving. That\u2019s when the holiday season officially kicks off in the U.S., and it\u2019s the perfect time to start spreading that cheer.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the thing: \u201ctoo early\u201d also depends on the type of card you\u2019re sending. If it\u2019s a generic \u201cHappy Holidays\u201d or \u201cSeason\u2019s Greetings,\u201d you can get away with mailing it a bit earlier, like the first week of December. But if your card specifically says \u201cMerry Christmas,\u201d you probably want to aim for mid-December so it arrives closer to the actual holiday. Nobody wants to open a Christmas card on November 20th and feel like they have to stare at it for a month before the holiday hits. And if you\u2019re sending New Year\u2019s cards? That\u2019s a whole different ballgame\u2014those can arrive any time between Christmas and mid-January.<\/p>\n<p>Another factor to consider is the mail itself. The USPS gets slammed during the holiday season, so if you wait until the last minute (like December 20th), your card might not arrive until after Christmas. That\u2019s too late, obviously. So the sweet spot is usually between the first week of December and December 15th. That gives your cards enough time to travel without arriving ridiculously early. Of course, if you\u2019re sending cards internationally, you need to add at least two to three weeks, which means mailing them in mid-November at the latest. But even then, don\u2019t do it before Thanksgiving\u2014unless you want to be that person who sends a Christmas card to a friend in the UK right after they\u2019ve had their Bonfire Night fireworks. Not cool.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s also talk about the psychological aspect. Receiving a holiday card too early can feel a bit\u2026 pushy. Like, \u201cHey, I\u2019m already in full holiday mode, what\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d That\u2019s not a great vibe. People are busy, they\u2019re still figuring out their own holiday plans, and the last thing they need is a card sitting on their counter reminding them they haven\u2019t finished shopping yet. So be considerate. The goal of a holiday card is to spread warmth, not guilt. Sending it at a sensible time\u2014like right after Thanksgiving or during the first half of December\u2014shows you respect the rhythm of the season.<\/p>\n<p>Now, I know some of you might be thinking, \u201cBut what about Hanukkah? That moves around!\u201d Great point. Hanukkah usually falls in December, but sometimes it starts in late November. If you\u2019re sending Hanukkah cards, you want them to arrive before or during the holiday, not after. So check the calendar. For 2024, Hanukkah starts on the evening of December 25th, which is also Christmas Day\u2014wild, right? So if you\u2019re sending Hanukkah cards, mid-December is fine. But if Hanukkah starts earlier, say December 2nd (like in 2027), then you better mail them by late November. In that case, sending cards before Thanksgiving actually makes sense! But that\u2019s an exception, not the rule.<\/p>\n<p>Another exception is if you\u2019re one of those super organized people who makes their own cards with family photos. Those take time to print, address, and stuff. So it\u2019s fine to start the process in early November\u2014just don\u2019t mail them until after Thanksgiving. Or if you\u2019re doing a photo card that says \u201cHappy Holidays from our family,\u201d you can even include a note that says \u201cWe\u2019re sending early because of the photo deadline.\u201d Most people will understand.<\/p>\n<h2>Questions related to how early is too early to send out holiday cards<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q: Is it okay to send holiday cards in November?<\/strong><br \/>\nA: It\u2019s okay, but only after Thanksgiving. Sending them before Thanksgiving is considered too early by most people. The exception is if you\u2019re mailing to a different country or if your holiday (like Hanukkah) falls early in the calendar. Otherwise, wait until at least the last Friday of November.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: What about sending New Year\u2019s cards?<\/strong><br \/>\nA: New Year\u2019s cards are more flexible. You can send them anytime between Christmas and mid-January. Actually, many people send \u201cNew Year\u2019s\u201d or \u201cHappy New Year\u201d cards to avoid the Christmas rush. That\u2019s a smart move if you\u2019re running late\u2014or if you want to be different!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: Can I send holiday cards in early December?<\/strong><br \/>\nA: Absolutely. Early December is the sweet spot. It\u2019s not too early (since Thanksgiving has passed), and it\u2019s not too late (since it\u2019s before the mail rush). Aim for the first or second week of December for best results.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: What if I\u2019m sending cards to a close friend or family member who loves getting cards early?<\/strong><br \/>\nA: Then go for it! If you know someone who genuinely enjoys receiving holiday cards early, there\u2019s no rule against it. Just be aware that most people prefer them later. But close relationships can handle a little early cheer. Just don\u2019t do it to a random coworker.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: Is it rude to send holiday cards after Christmas?<\/strong><br \/>\nA: Not necessarily. Cards that arrive after Christmas but before New Year\u2019s are still fine\u2014they\u2019re considered \u201choliday\u201d cards, not just Christmas cards. You can even send them in early January as \u201cNew Year\u2019s\u201d cards. But if you\u2019re sending specifically \u201cMerry Christmas\u201d cards, try to have them arrive before December 25th.<\/p>\n<p>So, to sum it all up: <b>how early is too early to send out holiday cards?<\/b> The magic rule is: wait until after Thanksgiving. That\u2019s the unofficial start of the holiday card season in the U.S. If you mail them before the turkey has been eaten, your cards might feel like they jumped the gun. But if you hit that post-Thanksgiving window through mid-December, you\u2019re in the golden zone. And if you miss the boat, don\u2019t panic\u2014late cards are better than no cards. Just make sure to send a heartfelt message, and your friends and family will appreciate the thought no matter when the postman knocks.<\/p>\n<p>public holiday calendar.COM Thank you for reading, I hope this article can help you fully understand the <b>subtle art of holiday card timing<\/b>. If you have more questions, like \u201cShould I include a family photo?\u201d or \u201cIs it okay to send digital cards instead of paper ones?\u201d please feel free to contact us. Happy mailing, and may your holidays be filled with warmth\u2014and not too many glitter explosions from that envelope you\u2019re sealing!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello everyone, I am your dedicated public holiday assistant. Recently, a little friend consulted me about the title of how early is too early to send out holiday cards. Now I will summarize the relevant problems, hoping to help the little friends who want to know. Okay, let\u2019s get real here. Every year around mid-October,&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26501,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","slim_seo":{"title":"When Is the Right Time to Send Holiday Cards? (Hint: Not Before Thanksgiving) - Public Holiday Calendar","description":"Hello everyone, I am your dedicated public holiday assistant. 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