HOW TO
Address Holiday Cards
WRITTEN BY ASHLEY MAY
D
on’t get caught wishing
someone Happy New
Year’s. Holiday cards
can be trickier than
they seem. Aside from
tracking down mailing
addresses, there’s grammar and
etiquette to worry about.
Here’s what you should know before
sticking stamps on those envelopes:
WRITE THE ADDRESS IN ALL
CAPITAL LETTERS
Addresses should be printed in all
capital letters, according to the U.S.
Postal Service. This is to ensure that
your cards arrive at the correct
addresses.
MISS OR MS. OR MRS.
FORMAL TITLES
Sharon Schweitzer, an international
etiquette and modern manners expert,
says you should always opt for formal
titles.
That’s Mrs., Ms., Miss and Mr. Tra-
ditional addresses for married couples
use a man’s first and last name: Mr.
and Mrs. John Kelly. But, it’s also 2018.
So, per Emily Post guidelines, including
the woman’s name is acceptable, and a
woman’s name can go before a man’s.
For unmarried couples, use her
maiden name, such as Mr. John Smith
and Ms. Mary Williams. Divorced
women have the option of using their
ex-husbands’ last names or using their
maiden names. A legal name would take
precedent. Widowed women can still be
addressed with the late husband’s name
(Mrs. John Smith) or using a Mrs. or Ms.
in front of the woman’s name (Mrs. or
Ms. Jane Smith) — ask the recipient’s
preference, Schweitzer says.
6
HOLIDAY 2018 | (201) FAMILY
For married women keeping their
maiden name, use her first name and
maiden name and her spouse’s first
and last name. Emily Post advises using
Ms. in this case. For women who are
engaged and those living with a spouse,
use Ms. with the woman’s maiden name
until married, Schweitzer says.
IN BUSINESS, MS. IS USUALLY THE
MOST APPROPRIATE.
With all of that being said, how you
address your cards often depends on
your social circles. “Many people are
very informal, and how a holiday card
is mailed doesn’t impact their world,”
says Schweitzer.
HAPPY NEW YEAR OR HAPPY NEW
YEAR’S OR HAPPY NEW YEARS?
Do: Happy New Year. Season’s
Greetings. Only capitalize the name of
the holiday, not references to events in
the new year. Example: Angie is having
a baby in the new year.
THE SMITHS’ OR SMITH’S
OR SMITHS?
Last name: Smith
Do: Merry Christmas from the
Smiths. You’re invited to the
Smiths’ holiday party. From
the Smith family.
Don’t: From the Smith’s
Last name: Jones
Do: The Joneses. The Jones
family. The Jones’ holiday party.
(When a name ends in “s”
add “es”)
Don’t: From the Jones’
Last name: May
Do: The Mays
Don’t: The Maies
Names ending in “ch” (unless
it’s pronounced with a hard k, like
“monarch”), s, sh, x and z require
an “es” to make them plural. All
other names simply use “s.” ●
Miss is an unmarried woman or
young girl under the age of 18. Mrs.
is a married woman. Ms. can be used
for any woman, no matter her marital
status.