French people do not usually send Christmas cards
Cartes de vœux are used to send festive wishes for both occasions at once
Best wishes tend to include both Christmas and New Year's, rather than sending two separate cards
Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock
French people traditionally send cartes de vœux rather than Christmas or New Year cards. The vœux (wishes) are understood as being both for Christmas and New Year's Eve and are traditionally sent in-between both celebrations.
They can however be sent a few days prior to Christmas and up to the end of January.
When cartes de bonne année are used the sender often offers best wishes for New Year’s Eve and perhaps includes Christmas too.
They are traditionally sent to family members and close friends. The contents are generally simple happy holiday wishes to the recipients but they are also used to give news and updates similar to a ‘round robin’ card.
Read more: Festive French phrases and words for the Christmas period
Bonne Fêtes
The tradition is so deeply entrenched that most pre-written cards sold in retail stores sections or stationery shops often imprint Bonnes Fêtes, in the plural form, rather than Joyeux Noël or Bonne Année.
These cards are available and the tradition of sending them during Christmas / New Year does exist but is far less common than in the United Kingdom or the United States.
Cards sold in stores often have a traditional design, it is not as common to design Christmas or New Year cards with family pictures as it is in the United States.
Read more: Discover French magical Christmas châteaux in the Loire valley
Although the number of cards sent has declined over the years as SMS and phone calls are increasingly chosen to pass on well-wishes, holiday cards continue to be sold in considerable numbers.
Cards are seen as an affectionate and caring gesture, going the extra mile as opposed to sending messages by social media.
