how to
Address Holiday Cards
D
WRITTEN BY ASHLEY MAY
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.
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.
Sharon Schweitzer, an international
etiquette and modern manners expert,
says you should always opt for formal
titles.
That’s Mrs., Ms., Miss and Mr.
Traditional 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.
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HOLIDAY 2018 WAYNE MAGAZINE
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.” ●
FORMAL TITLES