{"id":1327,"date":"2020-10-30T20:04:50","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T20:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1327"},"modified":"2022-10-21T07:55:24","modified_gmt":"2022-10-21T06:55:24","slug":"can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration. The word Christmas is a shortened form of \u201cChrist\u2019s mass\u201d, and it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It\u2019s also known, less commonly, as the Feast of the Nativity.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that Christmas has evolved from its early roots, and is now celebrated primarily as a gift-giving festivity in most of the Western world. However, for many people, Christmas remains an essentially religious holiday.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a Christian, you may be considering whether it\u2019s appropriate to send a religious-themed<\/a> Christmas card, or any Christmas card at all, to somebody who isn\u2019t also a follower of Christ\u2014be that or somebody of a different religion (such as a Jew or a Muslim), or someone non-religious.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019ll find out whether you can send Christmas cards to non-Christians without the risk of offending them. We\u2019ll also talk you through sending a Christmas card to a non-Christian in a sensitive way.<\/p>\n

Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians?<\/h5>\n

December 25th<\/sup> hasn\u2019t always been a religious holiday. On the Roman calendar, this was the date of the winter solstice (which today occurs between December 20th<\/sup> and 23rd<\/sup> each year). The winter solstice was acknowledged and celebrated by religious and non-religious people alike, as it\u2019s the shortest day of the year \u2013 meaning that spring is soon on its way.<\/p>\n

But in the fourth century A.D., Christians decided that this was a fitting day on which to celebrate the birth of Christ (the precise date being unknown). Since then, in the Western world at least, it\u2019s been known as Christmas.<\/p>\n

And though it was originally a Christian celebration, one could argue that Christmas is now enjoyed by almost everyone in the U.K. in some way, regardless of faith.<\/p>\n

Only 53.6% of people in the U.K. identify as Christian, and yet you\u2019ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn\u2019t at least use the public holiday as an excuse to eat, drink, be merry, and swap gifts with friends and family. But what about Christmas cards?<\/p>\n

Are Christmas Cards a Christian Tradition?<\/h5>\n

Christmas cards occupy an odd place in the Christmas canon. They\u2019re as \u2018Christmas\u2019 as it gets, but they aren\u2019t as old as other parts of the tradition. They became popular when postage stamps became cheap enough for common people to use, and when mass printing became cheap enough to make them, in the first half of the nineteenth century. That\u2019s long after other traditions (like that of gift-giving) became common. It\u2019s also, of course, long after the religious aspects of the Christmas story were first celebrated.<\/p>\n

As such, even the earliest Christmas cards didn\u2019t necessarily feature religious iconography. The earliest printed cards featured images of celebrations, of animals, or of snowy scenes\u2014just like ours today. Cards with religious sentiments or imagery have long been available, but weren\u2019t ever the only kind available.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Christmas cards can be as religious or otherwise as you like. Christmas Connections<\/a> offer personalised cards with religious<\/a> imagery or text, and many more without\u2014so the choice is yours!<\/p>\n

Is It Offensive to Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians?<\/h5>\n

This all depends on the person. For the vast majority of people, Christmas cards have lost most (if not all) of their religious connotations. They\u2019ve crossed the boundary from religious <\/em>tradition to cultural <\/em>tradition, and people of all faiths and none can be a part of the same culture. That means you can safely assume that most people will welcome them, whatever their faith.<\/p>\n

There are always exceptions to every rule, however. A person with a strong faith in another religion might not appreciate a card with obvious Christian iconography, for example. And some people like Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses outright reject the idea of Christmas, cards and all.<\/p>\n

How to Send Christmas Cards to Those of Other Faiths<\/h4>\n

So how do you know which of your non-Christian friends and family members would appreciate a Christmas card, and who wouldn\u2019t? How do you know what kind of card to send, and how to go about selecting and sending one in a sensitive way? Here is what we\u2019d recommend.<\/p>\n

1) Consider the Individual<\/h5>\n

Take a moment to think about the person and what they might like. Are they easy-going, or are they uptight? Do they take their faith (or non-faith) very seriously\u2014is it a core part of their worldview or not? The less seriously the person takes their religion (or atheism), the less likely it is they\u2019ll have a problem with a Christmas card.<\/p>\n

You could also do some general research about the individual\u2019s religion (if applicable). That might give you a clue as to whether a Christmas card would be well-received. For example, although Christmas isn\u2019t celebrated in Islam, most British Muslims don\u2019t mind being given Christmas cards (as long as they don\u2019t contain Christian imagery or wording).<\/p>\n

2) Opt for a Non-Religious Card<\/h5>\n

Another way to minimise any potential offence is to pick a non-religious Christmas card. A person of another faith might take a card with lots of Christian iconography on it badly. Avoid cards depicting Nativity scenes, angels, and the like. It\u2019s also best to avoid Christmas trees<\/a> and, though he\u2019s not necessarily associated with Christianity, Father Christmas.<\/p>\n

Luckily, there are many non-religious (but still beautiful and tasteful) Christmas cards out there. Opt for a simple illustration of a robin, or a photographic card depicting a snowy woodland scene, for example.<\/p>\n

3) Write a Personalised Message<\/h5>\n

If you write a personalised message inside the card, this will show the person that you\u2019ve thought about them. If you sent a bare-bones card, they might think they\u2019re just another name on your Christmas card list, and that you hadn\u2019t taken their faith into account. But a handwritten message will indicate that you\u2019ve put thought into the gesture.<\/p>\n

If you order through Christmas Connections<\/a>, you can also edit the standard greeting that comes printed inside the card. Avoid mentioning the word \u2018Christmas\u2019, if possible. You could wish them \u2018Season\u2019s Greetings\u2019, \u2018Happy Holidays\u2019, or even a \u2018Happy New Year\u2019 instead.<\/p>\n

4) If in Doubt: Ask<\/h5>\n

Finally, if you\u2019re still unsure whether sending a Christmas card would be appropriate or not, simply ask the person in question. They won\u2019t be offended by being asked a straightforward question. On the contrary, they\u2019ll likely be touched that you thought to ask, and that you took their faith (or lack of it) into account before sending them a card.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, this does mean that the card won\u2019t be a surprise any more. But if you really don\u2019t know whether they would take receiving a Christmas card well, then you ought to be safe rather than sorry. This will avoid any potential awkwardness \u2013 and you\u2019ll know what to do in the future, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration. The word Christmas is a shortened form of \u201cChrist\u2019s mass\u201d, and it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It\u2019s also known, less commonly, as the Feast of the Nativity. There\u2019s no doubt that Christmas has evolved from its early roots, and is now celebrated primarily as a gift-giving …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,96],"tags":[53,50,157],"class_list":{"0":"post-1327","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christmas-around-the-world","8":"category-christmas-cards","9":"tag-christmas-cards","10":"tag-christmas-traditions","11":"tag-personalised-christmas-cards","12":"anons"},"yoast_head":"\nCan You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians? - Christmas Connections Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians? - Christmas Connections Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration. The word Christmas is a shortened form of \u201cChrist\u2019s mass\u201d, and it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It\u2019s also known, less commonly, as the Feast of the Nativity. There\u2019s no doubt that Christmas has evolved from its early roots, and is now celebrated primarily as a gift-giving ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Christmas Connections Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-30T20:04:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-10-21T06:55:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/AG0256.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/\",\"name\":\"Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians? - Christmas Connections Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-30T20:04:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-21T06:55:24+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f9c39db4b99441e7e7424856d3a43e95\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Christmas Connections Blog\",\"description\":\"Personalised Christmas Cards Suitable for Corporate, Company, Business and Personal Use.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f9c39db4b99441e7e7424856d3a43e95\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f45c174d613b900586fe7e01350dd365?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f45c174d613b900586fe7e01350dd365?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians? - Christmas Connections Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians? - Christmas Connections Blog","og_description":"Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration. The word Christmas is a shortened form of \u201cChrist\u2019s mass\u201d, and it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It\u2019s also known, less commonly, as the Feast of the Nativity. There\u2019s no doubt that Christmas has evolved from its early roots, and is now celebrated primarily as a gift-giving ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/","og_site_name":"Christmas Connections Blog","article_published_time":"2020-10-30T20:04:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-10-21T06:55:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":440,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/AG0256.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/","url":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/","name":"Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians? - Christmas Connections Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-10-30T20:04:50+00:00","dateModified":"2022-10-21T06:55:24+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f9c39db4b99441e7e7424856d3a43e95"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/can-you-send-christmas-cards-to-non-christians\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Can You Send Christmas Cards to Non-Christians?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/","name":"Christmas Connections Blog","description":"Personalised Christmas Cards Suitable for Corporate, Company, Business and Personal Use.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f9c39db4b99441e7e7424856d3a43e95","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f45c174d613b900586fe7e01350dd365?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f45c174d613b900586fe7e01350dd365?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"url":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1327"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1327"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2216,"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1327\/revisions\/2216"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christmas-connections.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}