When it comes to Christmas cards, a number of questions are regularly asked by British, American and Canadian expats in France: Are Christmas cards a thing in France? Do the French send greetings cards? Where are all the Christmas cards? This is because, in France, greetings cards are much less culturally important than they are in other countries. Whereas it may be a seasonal tradition to send a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” to everyone on your carefully curated Christmas card list, the French are less enamoured by card-based well-wishing and their high streets are almost completely devoid of specialist greetings card shops.
If you are used to visiting your local card-mongers, charity shop, supermarket or even local newsagents to buy a big box of reasonably-priced Xmas cards, ready to spend an evening (or many) writing your seasonal greetings to loved ones, then you may be confused by the lack of bumper Christmas card packs in France. Equally you may baulk at the price of individual Christmas cards (if you can find them), making you wonder how best to fulfil the festive task of sending a personal, physical greeting to everyone on your list. The thought of not sending Christmas cards is practically unconscionable, especially as you risk being removed from other people’s Christmas card lists. Fortunately, The Trading Post imports cards, in decent-sized packs, which are perfect for distributing far and wide, helping you to keep in touch regardless of geographic distance. Social media is all good and well, but it’s no substitute for a dedicated, personalised postal delivery, featuring all your news from the past year.
It certainly seems that, in French culture, greetings cards are “less of a thing” and are certainly deemed unnecessary if you are giving someone a gift, or wishing someone a happy birthday, in person. In the New Year it is common for people for send/receive cartes de voeux, which effectively convey a similar message to the British Christmas card, but it does not seem to be quite as widespread a phenomenon.
So, answering the question, where can I get Christmas card packs in France, the answer is clearly right here, at The Trading Post. We deliver all over France, with many collection points where you can receive free delivery with no minimum order. Check out The Trading Post’s Christmas section for all manner of greetings cards, gift wrap and other fantastically festive items.
