Holiday Traditions and Connections

Inspiring holiday tales and recipes, plus tips for keeping in touch with loved ones this season.

Inspiring Holiday Traditions

Thanksgiving Is a Beast
The trifecta of family, overcrowded rooms, and excesses of food and drink can bring out the insanity in anybody. But as Karen Russell attests, even the craziest holiday—when spent with loved ones—is something to be grateful for.

Etiquette Questions, Answered: Holidays and Gifts
Real Simple's Modern Manners columnist helps you navigate holiday etiquette.

More Holiday Traditions

How to Take Great Holiday Card Photos
Use these expert tips to avoid red eye, overexposure, and more seasonal photo no-no's.

Readers’ Recipes From Their Family Kitchens
Six readers pay tribute to their moms and the family recipes they cherish the most.

Holiday Card Checklist

One and a half billion Christmas cards are delivered each year—and sometimes it feels like you’re personally sending out that many. If you want to navigate the season’s mailing frenzy with less stress, follow these tips to make sure your holiday cards are bought, stamped, and shipped on time.

• Update your address list. Go through your address book and update any information that’s changed since last year. Fill in any missing information and make sure zip codes are accurate (omitting a zip code is better than including the wrong one). Find ZIP codes or ZIP +4’s at usps.com.
• Write a list of the people to whom you will be sending cards, ideas for what kind you’d like to send (photo cards, e-cards, good-old-fashioned paper), where you will purchase them, and the estimated amount each card will cost.

  Related: Etiquette Questions, Answered: Holidays and Gifts

• Shop for cards. Some stores put holiday goods out by Halloween. You’ll get the best selection if you start early. And if you’re ordering cards online, you’ll want to have plenty of time for them to arrive. You can skip a mailing step later by ordering from a site like Peartreegreetings.com, which gives you the option of ordering coordinating return-address labels.

  Related: 36 Magical Holiday Cards

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