These Are the Most Popular Holiday Cards in 2021, According to Minted

I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing I find more therapeutic than sitting by the Christmas tree and writing out my holiday cards every festive season. And, if you’re anything like me, you would have sent them out in mid-November and be way ahead of the game. If you’re still to send out your greeting cards for Christmas 2021, there’s still time.

Minted.com has released its holiday card findings for 2021, and the report indicates Americans are eager to “finally” return to normal this holiday season. Many people are seeking renewed connections with friends and family, and there is high demand for more formal and traditional holiday greetings and designs. 

While pandemic-related keywords that trended in 2020 are noticeably absent on 2021 holiday cards—Mask mentions are down -83%, social distancing mentions are down -96%, and Netflix mentions are down -85%—there’s one keyword that has seen a dramatic rise: the word “vaccinated” has increased by a whopping 983%.

The report also found that minted.com customers are eager to return to their pre-pandemic lives. Mentions of the term “finally” increased by 73%; the word “normal” increased by 12%; travel-related terms such as “flight,” “plane,” “hotel” and “Airbnb” rose by 41%; and terms around being reunited (“reunion” and “reunited”) increased by 90%.

Minted also found that traditional messages, designs, and photography remain ever-popular for 2021 holiday cards. There’s been a rise in people using the traditional “Merry Christmas” greeting, and red has been the most popular color for designs. According to the report, last year’s trends included front stoop photos taken from a distance and informal collages of families at home or on Zoom; this year, Minted has seen a return to professional photography, coordinated clothing, and formal staged poses.

Finally, with an increase in pet ownership across the U.S., pets are a popular pick for holiday cards this year—mentions of pets increased by 31%, and cat-themed holiday cards are two times more popular than dogs for 2021.