Free Email Christmas Cards

Sending Email Cards for Christmas

There are a variety of advantages to sending email Christmas cards. With the large influx of cards many people receive, it can be daunting to sort and save all the cards post-holidays. Giving a Christmas card via email allows people to have receive your warms wishes without the added paper clutter.

The environmental reason comes to mind almost immediately for most people. Christmas cards and wrapping paper use thousands of trees each year, and precious few are saved for sentimental reasons. Recycling is not usually a viable option either, because the tape, glitter, and other accents cannot be recycled.

Time, always in short supply around the holidays, is also saved with ecards. No long hours printing addresses, no tongue papercuts from licking envelopes, and no cramps from writing your return address for the fiftieth time.

Lastly, of course, the biggest advantage is probably the cost. With the price of postage continually increasing, substituting even a portion of your usual cards with ecards can add up to substantial savings.

Where to find Free Email Christmas Cards

Now that you've pondered the advantages of sending free email holiday cards, you might be wondering where to find them. Following are some links and ideas to assist you in your search.

Free Subscriptions

Some paid ecard companies, such as American Greetings.com occasionally offer free subscriptions. While companies are unlikely to offer these free subscriptions around the holidays, if you hear of an offer of this kind during the year, take it and you'll be prepared to send your warm wishes via cyberspace.

Musician and Celebrity Web Sites

It might sound crazy, but next time you browse the site of your favorite musician or celebrity, you might want to look over the site for a free ecard offer. Five-time Grammy winning music artist Steven Curtis Chapman offered a free Christmas personalized ecard with the release of his CD All I Want for Christmas.

Free Ecard Sites

Although there is a plethora of companies offering free greeting cards, be careful which ones you choose to carry your heartfelt wishes to others. Some companies may use your e-mail address to spam you with marketing offers, so choose a site with a spam-free policy. Downloads can be contaminated with malware or spyware which would make an unwelcome Christmas gift and spoil the thrill of free ecards.

Look for reputable sites, keep your pop-up blocker on, and be wary of downloads. The following are sites known for offering free Christmas ecards:

• Blue Mountain
• Barnes and Noble
• Hallmark.com
• DaySpring.com
• SmileBox

Ecard Tips

• Sending a Christmas ecard to everyone in your address book won't win any popularity contests. For certain affiliations, groups, or clubs, it may be acceptable to send a universal ecard, but for most others, even coworkers, an individualized ecard makes a much warmer wish when personalized with a brief message.
• Choose cards that are appropriate for the sender -- funny cards might work well for your long-time buddies, but not for your in-laws. Refrain from sending animated cards to someone if you know they have an older computer that has a slow download speed.
• Always double check the address fields and make sure they are correct. Some card sites will send you a receipt of sending your ecard and even a message when your card has been picked up.
• If you are working with photos, video, or a free customized or personalized ecard, allow yourself sufficient time before the holidays to work with your selections,
• Don't wait until the last minute to send your free email Christmas cards; send them in advance of the big day so people will receive your message.

Free email Christmas cards are a great alternative for busy individuals as well as anyone who wants to help out the environment and save money at the same time. With a careful selection, ecards can be just as meaningful as any other Christmas correspondence.