The Christmas card retains its crown as the most popular festive greeting

The Christmas card still retains its position as the preferred festive greeting despite competition from text and e-mail, research from Royal Mail revealed today.

More than eight in ten people (84 per cent) prefer the personal touch of a Christmas card from friends and family, the study showed. It also revealed 60 per cent of people like to receive a hand written letter as a seasonal greeting while only three in ten people (32 per cent) like to be sent a festive text message.

The figures have been released as Royal Mail reminds customers sending Christmas greetings that its pricing system changed in August.

The research, which was based on the opinions of over 2,000 adults, also reveals the importance of Christmas cards in maintaining a social network, with nearly a third (28 per cent) claiming they will send a Christmas card to people they have not seen for up to a year. And a quarter said they will send a Christmas card to people they have not seen for as long as seven years.

Christmas cards can also reportedly play a role in re-establishing relationships with six out of ten people (63 per cent) saying they are more likely to get in touch with someone who had sent them a Christmas card.

Other findings show:
• Christmas cards have a long lasting impact – a third of people said they will keep Christmas cards from loved ones for over a year. This is especially true for females, with 39 per cent stating they will keep cards for over a year, compared to just 22 per cent of men.
• In comparison, nearly a quarter of us (21 per cent) will delete Christmas text messages within three hours
• A quarter of respondents prefer charity cards (26 per cent), compared with homemade cards (22 per cent) and traditional cards (21 per cent)
• Only a fifth of respondents claim they will not recycle their cards this Christmas

Alex Bachelor, Marketing Director at Royal Mail, said: “We may now live in a society dominated by instant messages, but this research proves that despite our busy lives we still yearn for the personal touch at Christmas. If the true meaning of Christmas is about giving and getting in touch with family and friends, then this research shows that it is still well and truly alive.”

Royal Mail’s Christmas postbag will include two billion items, including 750 million cards.

Customers can find more information about Royal Mail’s new pricing system on www.royalmail.com, by asking at their local Post Office®, or by calling the dedicated customer helpline on 08456 113 113.