Christmas card etiquitte

So I was reading the paper the other day, when I came across this column. Someone was writing to the columnist to find out what was considered the proper etiquette in addressing envelopes. Well seeing as this is the time of the year many of us are sending out Christmas cards and greetings, I thought I would tell you what she had to say.

Everyone's living situation is different. Some people live together, so the question is do you send a card to each or do you send one with both their first and last names on it?

Or what about those married couples who hyphenate their names or who haven't decided which name should go first? Or those couples who are married and both go by their own last name? Or, if you are married and both go by the same last name do you address it Mr.& Mrs. J Doe? Oh this can be complicated.

Basically what she said was this. For married couples, if you know they both go by the husbands last name address it Mr.& Mrs. Doe leaving out the husbands initial as that is considered old school. If they both have different last names and there isn't enough room on the card she felt it was acceptable to just use the first name of both only. I must say I like that idea.

You see, I am one of those people that folks who send me cards aren't quite sure how to address the envelope. My husband and I have different last names. I have retained my ex's last name for two reasons. First, I have had that last name longer than I had my maiden name and everyone who knows me knows me by my current name. Secondly, it is extremely expensive these days to have all of your identification changed. Most of my friends use both names, may family use my full name and my husbands first name only. The one that I find the funniest is my ex mother in law. I love her to pieces but she still addresses envelopes to me as Mrs........ The funny thing is even when I was married to her son I never referred myself as Mrs. Mind you she was also one of those people who would refer to us as Mr. & Mrs. P.......using my ex husbands first initial....that always bothered me. Like I don't have an identity. But that is how they use to do things back then.

Anyhow, that is what I learnt and I thought I would share it with you. Just on a side note. I did do a little research on this topic and found that even the so called experts can't seem to agree on the correct way to address envelopes. So I think at the end of the day...if you know all the names that are to be used and have the space...put them on.... if you don't just go by the first names.


Cheers all!