It’s just about time to send out your Christmas cards to ensure that they arrive before Christmas Day, so follow these simple tips for creating a great holiday letter this year.
Be Yourself
How do you “be yourself” in a holiday letter? Actually, the point is to write the letter the way you would talk to a friend or family member. Using your own voice in the letter makes it more fun for you to write, and more fun for others to read.
Tell A Few Stories
We all relate best to stories, as they’re easy to remember and we can form a picture of the events in our minds. Rather than listing the year’s activities or accomplishments in your holiday letters, tell a few stories that illustrate them—a great story will ensure that the recipient of your letter will be sharing it with others soon.
Keep It Short
Holiday letters should be one page long, and it’s best to keep them single-sided as well. A lot happens in a year and it may seem difficult to keep the letter short, but consider your audience—they just want the highlights. You can include a couple of pictures as well, but don’t go overboard with those either. Feel free to start with a draft. This is where the computer makes writing holiday letters so easy: start by writing down a few ideas, then go back and fill them in with more detail. It doesn’t hurt to just start writing, and if the Christmas letter ends up being too long you can just trim it down to the best parts. A letter that is short and sweet will be appreciated and enjoyed by all.
Give Details When Necessary
The recipient list of your Christmas letter may be comprised of friends, family and even people who don’t know you well (your spouse’s relatives or friends perhaps). Don’t leave anyone in the dark by not providing enough information. When mentioning your kids, include their ages in parenthesis the first time you mention them. When referring to a relative or friend, give their full name and/or their name with an explanation of how you know them. For example if you have a great story about a neighbor, refer to them as your neighbor in the story. It’s great to tell a story about your vacation but be sure to give all the relevant details: where you went, what time of year it was, and who were you with. It’s not necessary to go into every detail, but make sure that the story will be clear to someone who has never heard about your trip. Try to mail your letters by mid-December to ensure they arrive on time. Many people travel for the holidays, so if you put your holiday letters off until the last minute, many won’t receive it until after they return from their vacation. Featured photo credit: Little girl writes letter to Santa via Shutterstock
