How soon do you have to send a thank you card?
How long do you have to send a thank you card to someone for attending your baby shower, wedding, or another gathering? How about if they sent you a gift for a holiday? I read that you are supposed to send a card within a month, but that seems impossible. I thought maybe a year, but my mother-in-law thinks that is far too long and is rude. How long do you have before it becomes rude?
Answers ( 1 )
Great question, Ellie!
Traditional etiquette for major events like a wedding or having a baby suggests a one year timeframe for writing a thank you note. For birthday and holiday gifts, it's about a month.
Often, the perception of politeness/rudeness can depend on a person's age or their embrace of traditional etiquette rules. If you're worried about seeming ungrateful, a quick look over your list of thank you notes recipients could help you prioritize.
One important thing to remember, though, is that people give gifts out of generosity. While a thank you note is an important gesture, most often the gift-giver is not giving under a quid pro quo of receiving explicit, written thanks (this is especially true for new parents!). With that said, sending a thank you note is always a lovely sentiment of appreciation.
To make the task of writing thank you notes a bit easier, a helpful template to follow is:
Salutation: Dear Name
First sentence: Basic thanks for the gift ("Thank you so much for the [gift item]")
Second sentence: A note about the item itself or how you will use/engage with the gift ("I can't wait to bake some new creations" or "Fido loves that can now go on more hikes"
Third sentence: I really appreciate you [how they engaged] (ex: "coming to the baby shower," always having my back," being such a good neighbor"
Closing: Gratefully/Thanks again, [name]
Good luck!
Keller Anne
Founder, PS Post