People Who Still Send Out Holiday Cards Every Year Have These 11 Rare Personality Traits

Research shows that sending out holiday cards is often associated with better mental health, including boosted self-esteem, better social connections, and a reduced risk for loneliness. According to psychotherapist Amy Morin, as long as you’re not cultivating an aura of expectation, pressure, and stress around sending out these cards seasonally, you can reap these benefits.

Many people who still send out holiday cards every year have certain rare personality traits, and considering it’s a relatively special practice in our digital age, a number of personal benefits to be achieved from taking the time to indulge in the writing aspect. Even if it’s simply a matter of tradition, this holiday practice says a lot about your personal values and mental health.

People who still send out holiday cards every year have these 11 rare personality traits

1. They’re perfectionists

perfectionist woman writing holiday cards at home Ollyy | Shutterstock

While perfectionism may sabotage mental health and personal wellness for people who push off sending their holiday cards to the last moment and delay planning them in advance, for those who make the time, it could be a healthy practice. Of course, the root desire for sending the cards should be connection, rather than validation.

If a perfectionist person finds joy in their holiday schedule and sticking to tradition, that’s a rare personality trait that amplifies their personal health. But if they’re perfectionists falling into procrastination habits or sending cards to boast about their success, that’s much less productive, especially during this stressful time of year.

2. They value connection

man who values connection writing letters at home Rawpixel.com | Shutterstock

While our culture today may be somewhat void of social connection, people who still send out holiday cards every year have a special passion for holding onto traditions centered around connecting with their social circles. Even if it’s not convenient or easy, they make an effort to hold onto these practices that make people feel seen, connected, and special, even inside their own homes.

While these holiday cards may not necessarily offer the kind of intimate emotional expression that writing a personal letter would, receiving mail like this instead of a text or call can often make people feel incredibly special.

3. They’re loyal to their people

loyal woman writing in her notebook at home PeopleImages | Shutterstock

Even if they’re across the country or world from their close friends and family, people who still send out holiday cards and take time out of their schedule to connect are effortlessly loyal. They aren’t passive about friendships or on autopilot when catching up — they’re intentional, engaged, and loyal.

According to communications professor Rachel McLaren, even if it seems like a small holiday ritual, people who receive holiday cards do feel special and connected — like someone is truly thinking about them, even amid the chaos of life.

4. They’re sentimental

Sentimental women smiling while buying holiday cards. Xavier Lorenzo | Shutterstock.com

According to a study shared in Cognition and Emotion, sentimental people who harbor healthy levels of nostalgia are often more intentional about their friendships and harbor closer social circles than those who don’t. Especially in our age of entitlement and convenience, this kind of intentionality is a superpower — and one that people who still send out holiday cards every year often boast.

Even if it means stepping away from their busy lives, jobs, and digital habits, they’re putting in the time to send out a sentimental holiday card, usually with a personal flair that makes people feel connected and special when they open it.

5. They’re thoughtful in subtle ways

thoughtful man sitting at home writing cards PeopleImages | Shutterstock

Even though many people typically recognize that the little things are most important in romantic relationships, what about the thoughtfulness that adds to family dynamics, platonic friendships, and social circles? In our age of selfishness, a little empathy and intentionality can go a long way.

It’s one of the rare personality traits that people who still send out holiday cards every year have that others lack. They’re thoughtful in subtle ways — sending out holiday cards to close friends, checking up on someone going through a hard time, and showing up for the people in their lives that others tend to overlook.

6. They’re quietly generous

thoughtful woman being quietly generous making holiday cards Oksana Klymenko | Shutterstock

Even if it seems like a subtle practice that we all acknowledge as collectively “good,” generosity is more powerful than we give it credit for. Not only does it activate reward pathways in the people we direct it toward, but we also tend to boost our own happiness, mental health, and self-esteem by making space for it in our daily lives.

In the holiday season, when many people are struggling, grappling with stress, and confronting hard memories, this kind of generosity with a thoughtful holiday card can truly go a long way.

7. They’re ‘old souls’

man who's an old soul writing holiday cards at home Trzykropy | Shutterstock

People who believe that relationships deserve tending to and practice old-school rituals like writing letters are the same ones who also religiously send out holiday cards every year. Even if everyone else has transitioned to less thoughtful, convenient, digital alternatives, they’re old souls at heart and appreciate the intentionality of snail mail and handwritten letters.

They may not care about the tangible, material things that many people center on in the holiday season, but they are careful about nurturing meaningful interactions and relationships.

8. They make space for healthy nostalgia

woman making space for healthy nostalgia putting up holiday decorations PeopleImages | Shutterstock

While someone who gets too wrapped up in the nostalgia of the holiday season may miss out on healthy experiences in the present, people who still send out holiday cards every year have a rare personality trait of appreciating it with balance.

According to a study shared by the American Psychological Association, feeling nostalgic over the holiday season may even promote better mental health in these individuals. So, it’s not just about committing to traditions mindlessly or making space for connection, but nurturing and safeguarding the nostalgia they felt doing the same rituals decades ago.

9. They’re keeping a tradition going

woman who's keeping a tradition going looking at holiday card Pixel-Shot | Shutterstock

Whether it’s a tradition that they’re upholding to honor a family members or simply a nostalgic tradition that they’re not ready to let go of, people who still send out holiday cards every year often have rare personality traits that push them toward old-school traditions.

Even if they’re the only person in their family, social circle, or friend group to keep the tradition alive, they find joy in making space for it every year. While it might stress them out occasionally, the root cause behind their intentionality with tradition holds strong.

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10. They care about other people

caring man at his desk writing Rawpixel.com | Shutterstock

Instead of trying to protect their own comfort, time, and freedom during the holiday season, people who still send out cards every year often put their empathy in the spotlight. They know that the holidays aren’t always easy for everyone, no matter how much they post on socials or suppress their emotions, so they let their care influence their rituals.

People who still send out holiday cards every year have these rare empathetic traits, many of which seem to be largely dissipating from culture every year. They care about making sure people feel seen and have small pockets of joy in their lives, even if it comes from opening their letter.

11. They’re patient

patient woman writing holiday cards at home gonzagon | Shutterstock

Anyone who’s planned or sent out holiday cards knows that you need patience to complete the process. Taking the photos, tracking down addresses, and writing a note to everyone takes a ton of time, but for people who still care to do it every single year, there’s an element of care added to it.

People who still send out holiday cards every year have the rare personality trait of patience. For the people and things they care about, they don’t mind planning ahead and devoting their time.

Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.