The true cost of not sending a Christmas card

Relationships could be at stake this year if people fail to send physical Christmas cards to friends and family, new research reveals.

The study by Royal Mail found that 16 per cent of people have retaliated after not receiving a Christmas card by removing friends and family from their own festive greetings list. People in East Anglia (20 per cent) are most likely to remove people from their Christmas card list while the Scots (13 per cent) are more tolerant.

The study also revealed that: 

• 18-34 year olds and people in Northern Ireland are more likely to cancel a Christmas visit in retaliation for not receiving a Christmas card
• 11 per cent of 18-24 year olds have spent less on gifts for people who did not send them a Christmas card
• 18-44 year olds are most likely to have ended a relationship with someone who has failed to send a Christmas card 

Such is the impact of the physical Christmas card that 84 per cent of people expect to receive them from family. Nearly three quarters of people (73 per cent) expect to receive a Christmas card from close friends.

Royal Mail’s Stephen Agar said: “This research shows that sending a physical Christmas card is a great way of reminding friends and family how important they are to you.”