The wording on Christmas cards

They don't really ALL have Merry Christmas on them. I have seen them with all kinds of text. You must have been unlucky in the ones you found.

I make my own cards and use 'Season's Greetings' for anyone not religious, or something more appropriate to the recipient if I know them well.
For bought cards I agree blanks are useful.

Quite a lot of cards now seem to say Seasons Greetings, which I prefer. It’s more appropriate to send to people who are not Christians and people of no faith.

It can be difficult to find the sort of cards EP mentions, especially if you want to buy them from a particular charity to support them and spread the word, as I like to do. I’ve had this problem when wanting to send a card to someone whose Christmas will not be merry, or who I know is of another faith, though for the latter ‘Season’s Greetings’ is ok. It’s also not so easy nowadays to find a proper ‘religious’ card - I have a relative who is a vicar and send him a card with appropriate wording, not just a religious picture. I have resorted to the demon Amazon I’m afraid for the odd card for someone who doesn’t fit the Merry Christmas robin mould. They sell and deliver everything but it does make a single card expensive, especially when postage costs are taken into account. I do however always try to remember to use ‘Amazon Smile’ which gives a minuscule donation to charity.

I don’t usually have a problem in finding cards with an appropriate message. I send cards each year to Jewish friends and ex colleagues and find plenty with Seasons Greetings or something similar. Another option could be to find a plain card with maybe a snowy landscape and write your own message. What matters most is the fact that a card has been sent. I have always been glad to receive cards at a difficult time and didn’t pay much attention to the printed message.

I would disagree with your basic premise- I have bought cards with all sorts of greetings- Merry Christmas being only one.
Seasons Greetings seems to be the most common and nobody can take exception to that.
But of course you will know the origin of the word “merry” ?
Merry", derived from the Old English myrige, originally meant merely "pleasant, agreeable" rather than joyous or jolly

Hence “God rest ye Merry, gentlemen” (not “Merry gentlemen” )meaning “may god keep you agreeable”

That’s interesting Maw, I do enjoy your little snippets of knowledge.

ElderlyPerson, sites such as moonpig or funky pigeon allow you to choose your own greeting on a good choice of cards

I make my cards and for anyone bereaved I put Thinking of You at this Time , I never use Merry , but prefer Happy

EPI think you will find that most of us would be more sensitive to the hypothetical situation that you describe and wouldn’t send a card with an inappropriate message to the widowed lady.
In my experience there are choices of greeting and I quite like the blank option if I am including some news in the card.

This site might be helpful, OP. All proceeds from the sale of the cards go to charities and there is an advanced search facility, part of which allows you to look for certain words on the greeting inside. This card, for example, came up when I searched for the word peace.

www.cardsforcharity.co.uk/dove-alzheimer-s-society-christmas-cards.html

Parsley3

*EP*I think you will find that most of us would be more sensitive to the hypothetical situation that you describe and wouldn’t send a card with an inappropriate message to the widowed lady.
In my experience there are choices of greeting and I quite like the blank option if I am including some news in the card.

I am sure that most people would be sensitive. It is just trying to find a card with which to act with that sensitivity.

As did 33 others, I should add!

LauraNorder

*ElderlyPerson*, sites such as moonpig or funky pigeon allow you to choose your own greeting on a good choice of cards

Yes. I use Papier for cards myself, though I only learned of Papier earlier this year, so I have not used them for a Christmas card yet. I use Papier as their cards have a matt finish. I think the others may be glossy but I am not sure.

Thank you for the suggestions. I will try to have a look.

Ime, you can buy Christmas cards with all kinds of messages on them, not just Merry Christmas. There are even cards that say something like ‘Thinking of you at Christmas’ on the front and which have an appropriate message inside for those who have reasons not to celebrate.

Are you looking at cards in the shops?
There is a good choice, especially those sold by the charity shops.

I usually buy my cards from the RNLI, and lots of theirs say ‘With all good wishes for Christmas and the New Year’ which is suitable for everybody I think.

LauraNorder

That’s interesting Maw, I do enjoy your little snippets of knowledge.

Thank you LauraNorder
It comes in handy for pub quizzes and the like.
Paw always prided himself of being a fount of entirely random useless knowledge. I have a tradition to keep up!

A Christmas topic in September!

Casdon, I too am a fan RNLI cards, one particular year showed ballerinas in yellow RNLI wellies. Love the beach hut ones and Father Christmas arriving on a lifeboat. Yes you’re right the greetings are usually fairly non religious and not a ‘merry’ in sight.
Our son is an RNLI volunteer so extra special for us to support them.

Maybe we’re talking about last Christmas Jane, some of us haven’t celebrated that one yet.

> But of course you will know the origin of the word “merry” ?^

Actually I didn't, but I do now, thank you.

> Hence “God rest ye Merry, gentlemen” (not “Merry gentlemen” )meaning “may god keep you agreeable”

Well, that's two new things learned from one post then, thank you again.

Well, um, well, we used to sing it and nobody ever said. Never suspected that it meant otherwise.

I can't stand 'Happy Holidays' on Christmas cards. It's so American.
I prefer to buy charity cards especially for charities that I like to support.

ElderlyPerson
Here you go, and not a merry in sight.

shop.rnli.org/products/harbourside-christmas-cards-v21?variant=18328484413536¤cy=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAjwndCKBhAkEiwAgSDKQQQAKwzyMHS_-razNEO27nnSagrX5TqPNt7A51Uh6_Wsp64FJperVBoCg0wQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds