The holidays are all about letting people know you care, and what better way to do that than by sending a Christmas card? 

Christmas is quickly approaching and so is the deadline to send your loved ones Christmas cards. Wanda Gant got an early start on her Christmas card sending on Monday. She dropped off a few cards at the McMinnville Post Office and hopes to bring joy this holiday season. 

“Families are not as big as they used to be and families are scattered,” explained Gant on her way to the Post Office. 

Sending cards is a way to connect with family members during the holidays. Giving someone a card can also help them feel less alone during the holidays. 

“I think cards are important for a lot of people,” she said. “I was thinking about all the people who are alone. People are so busy doing their own thing and there are all these older people who are by themselves and they are not getting out. It can be lonely.” 

Christmas is the largest card-sending holiday in the United States according to Hallmark. Englishman Henry Cole first conceived the idea of Christmas cards in 1843. He and his artist friend John Horsely created them as a way to encourage more people to use the British postal system. Today, Christmas cards have become a tradition for most people.

National Christmas Card Day is celebrated on Dec. 9 every year. There are many different types of Christmas cards. Some families take a group photo and send that out each year, while others pick up a box of cards to send. Either way, a Christmas card can help put a smile on someone’s face this season and let them know you are thinking of them.