Getting Personal

                How To Ensure Your Cards Convey The Correct Message | Cards from GettingPersonal.co.uk
            
                We've all received a couple of dodgy birthday cards in our time. Whether it's from the aunty who just can't get your birthday right, or from your Nan who forgets it's actually your cousin that's an avid fan of anything with a pig on it and not you, it's fair to say that in their time, everyone will have received a few birthday cards that elicited slightly puzzled looks from both you and others who have seen it. 

Having said that, we've probably all been guilty of sending a few questionable cards as well. It certainly is easily done. You know how it is... you're absolutely rushed off of your feet at work, you're supposed to be organising a family holiday, you've agreed to host a dinner party tomorrow night and you need to do the shopping when you suddenly realise it's cousin Ben's birthday in two days time and you can't even remember how old he's going to be, let alone have a card ready to send. So in haste you either grab one of the birthday cards reserved in the cupboard (which we all know will inevitably be rubbish) or buy a card from the supermarket that looks vaguely appropriate. It's not until you've scribbled a half-hearted message, stuck the stamp on the envelope and shoved it in the letter box that you realise it's cousin Joey that likes football not cousin Ben. Cousin Ben is actually far more interested in rock music and motor racing, but it's too late now, the card's on its way and on his birthday he'll have a birthday card with Michael Owen on the front of it. Oh dear.

And if it's not cards completely unrelated to the lucky birthday boy or girl's tastes and interests, you can guarantee it's cards with the wrong age/anniversary on them. Of course it is hard to keep track of every friend and relative's age and unless you're hyper organised and actually write the year of birth next to the name of whose birthday it is on the calendar, working out someone's age becomes a guessing game of epic proportions. Like trying to work out how old you were the year you went to that music festival together and then working out what year the music festival was and then trying to add on from there. Nightmare. The safest thing to do in situations like this is to go for a card that doesn't have an age written on it, or if you can speak to a relative who does actually know how old the person in question is going to be!

Another important piece of advice when it comes to buying cards is to know your audience. Some people are much more sensitive than others and what you think is an innocent cartoon picture of a tipsy woman with a bottle of bubbly, your slightly touchy sister-in-law could take as an implication that she's a booze-wielding alcoholic. This kind of confusion certainly isn't going to make for comfortable family events in the future and so unless you're confident of the way in which the recipient will see the card, avoid frosty family gatherings by playing it safe and going for simple yet inoffensive 'happy birthday' cards. Surely no one can take offence to that?

As well as taking into consideration the way in which the recipient is likely to take the cards you send, also keep in mind their tastes. Your 73 year old grandma, for example, is hardly likely to enjoy garish neon pink birthday cards that read along the lines of 'have a funky birthday!', whereas your niece will probably expect cards a little jazzier than one delicately decorated with a watercolour flower arrangement. 

Likewise, only send cards that make specific references to certain hobbies or interests if you're absolutely certain it is actually the birthday boy or girl in question that likes Karate/fishing/Hannah Montana/fluffy little kittens. Otherwise, you're very much in danger of sending cards that incites a number of confused looks from the Manchester United fan on their birthday when they open a card randomly emblazoned with 'Happy Birthday No. 1 Spurs Fan!'. Disaster. 

So if you want to avoid embarrassment when sending birthday cards, spare a few extra minutes and think carefully about what message you'd like to convey and what message is conveyed by the cards in front of you. If you also manage to get the person's age right then you'll be on to a real winner!

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