‘Tis the season for sending out holiday cards, but many of us could use a refresher first. While mailing festive cards is a long-standing tradition for some people, it turns out, not everyone knows the correct way to do it. While getting a card in the mailbox spreads cheer, no one wants to see a mistake in their name, or worse, in the sender’s own name.
Sometimes people get confused about when and where to put an apostrophe in names on holiday cards, but it’s pretty simple. You don’t need an apostrophe to make the name plural. The general rule is that names that end in “ch,” “s,” “sh,” “x,” and “z” need an “es” at the end to make them plural.
The Smith Family
- Do: The Smiths’ Christmas party is on Friday. Merry Christmas from the Smiths. This gift is for the Smiths.
- Don’t: The Smith’s will be out of town for the holidays.
The Jones Family
- Do: The Jones’ Christmas party is on Friday. Merry Christmas from the Joneses. This gift is for the Joneses.
- Don’t: The Jones’ will be out of town for the holidays.
The May Family
- Do: The Mays’ Christmas party is on Friday. Merry Christmas from the Mays.
- Don’t: The Maies will be out of town for the holidays.
To avoid common mistakes with holiday cards, experts advise:
- Double-checking/reviewing spelling, grammar and punctuation before sending.
- Asking the recipient how they prefer to be addressed if you’re not sure.
- Verifying current addresses for recipients.
- Using the correct postage so the card isn’t delayed or returned.
Source: USA Today