1

A Christmas card is a greeting card that is decorated in a manner that celebrates Christmas.

Il biglietto natalizio è un biglietto d’auguri decorato in modo da celebrare il Natale.

2

Typical content ranges from truly Christian symbols such as Nativity scenes and the Star of Bethlehem to purely secular references, sometimes humorous, to seasonal weather or common Christmastime activities like shopping and partying.

I contenuti tipici variano da simboli autenticamente cristiani quali scene della natività e la stella cometa a riferimenti puramente laici, talvolta umoristici, a scene di paesaggi  invernali o di attività caratteristiche del periodo natalizio quali lo shopping o feste con familiari ed amici.

3

Christmas cards are exchanged during the Christmas season (around December 25) by many people (including non-Christians) in Western culture and in Japan.

I biglietti natalizi vengono scambiati durante il periodo di Natale (intorno al 25 di dicembre) fra molte persone (compresi anche non cristiani) nei paesi occidentali e in Giappone.

4

Some Christian groups (such as Jehovah's Witnesses), however, disdain the celebration of holidays without explicit Biblical authorization, and so neither celebrate Christmas nor exchange Christmas cards.

Alcuni gruppi cristiani (quali i testimoni di Geova), tuttavia, disdegnano la celebrazione di festività che non abbiano un’esplicita autorizzazione da parte della bibbia e per questo non celebrano il Natale né si scambiano biglietti d’auguri.

5

A common practice is to send cards all of the same design (sometimes a group of related designs), enclosed in envelopes made of colored paper.

È abitudine diffusa spedire biglietti che abbiano tutti la stessa immagine (a volte, un insieme di immagini stilisticamente correlate), inseriti in buste fatte di carta colorata.

6

Some people have family photos, often with everybody wearing holiday outfits, made into cards.

Alcuni trasformano in biglietti di auguri le loro foto di famiglia, dove spesso ognuno indossa per l’occasione abiti che richiamano il periodo natalizio.

7

Many people send cards to both close friends and distant acquaintances, potentially making the sending of cards a multi-hour chore in addressing scores or even hundreds of envelopes.

Molti inviano i biglietti d’auguri sia agli amici più cari che ai conoscenti [più] remoti, il che rischia di trasformare l’invio dei biglietti natalizi in un lavoro noioso di molte ore che consiste nello scrivere indirizzi su decine o addirittura centinaia di buste. 

8

The greeting in the card is usually personalized but brief.

Gli auguri scritti sui biglietti sono spesso personalizzati, ma brevi.

9

Some people take the annual mass mailing of cards as an opportunity to update everybody with the year's events, and include the so-called "Christmas letter" reporting on the family's doings, sometimes running to multiple printed pages.

Alcuni colgono l’opportunità di questo scambio di massa di biglietti d’auguri per aggiornare parenti ed amici sugli eventi accaduti nell’ultimo anno ed allegano la cosiddetta ‘Lettera di Natale’ in cui raccontano cosa è accaduto ai vari membri della famiglia e cosa stanno facendo, arrivando a scrivere parecchie pagine dattiloscritte.

10

While a practical notion, Christmas letters meet with a mixed reception;

Pur essendo una nozione diffusa, le lettere di Natale suscitano reazioni diverse;

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recipients may take it as boring minutiae, bragging, or a combination of the two.

i destinatari possono interpretarle come un insieme di particolari noiosi, vanterie, o una combinazione di entrambi questi aspetti.

12

Since the letter will be received by both close and distant relatives, there is also the potential for the family members to object to how they are presented to others;

Poiché la lettera sarà ricevuta sia da parenti vicini che lontani, c’è anche il rischio che i familiari obiettino a come vengono descritti agli altri;

13

an entire episode of Everybody Loves Raymond was built around conflict over the content of just such a letter.

un intero episodio di ‘Tutti amano Raymond’ fu costruito intorno alle discussioni provocate dal contenuto di una lettera di questo tipo.

14

Many businesses, particularly smaller local businesses, also send Christmas cards to the people on their customer lists, as a way to develop general goodwill and to retain awareness.

Molte ditte, in modo particolare le ditte locali relativamente piccole, inviano biglietti di auguri di Natale a coloro che figurano nel loro elenco clienti come strategia per generare un'atmosfera di cordialità e per mantener viva la propria presenza.

15

These cards are almost always tasteful, and do not attempt to sell a product, limiting themselves to mentioning the name of the business.

Questi biglietti sono quasi sempre di buon gusto e non tentano di vendere un prodotto limitandosi ad indicare il nome della ditta.

16

Unique variants on the concept

Varianti eccezionali al concetto tradizionale

17

In 2004, the German post office gave away 20 million of free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell of a fir Christmas tree, cinnamon, gingerbread, a honey-wax candle, a baked apple and an orange.

Nel 2004 la posta tedesca ha distribuito gratuitamente 20 milioni di adesivi profumati col risultato di conferire ai biglietti d’auguri una profumazione di abete, cannella, zenzero, candela alla cera d’api, mela al forno e arancia.

A Christmas card is a greeting card that is decorated in a manner that celebrates Christmas.

Typical content ranges from truly Christian symbols such as Nativity scenes and the Star of Bethlehem to purely secular references, sometimes humorous, to seasonal weather or common Christmastime activities like shopping and partying.

Christmas cards are exchanged during the Christmas season (around December 25) by many people (including non-Christians) in Western culture and in Japan.

Some Christian groups (such as Jehovah's Witnesses), however, disdain the celebration of holidays without explicit Biblical authorization, and so neither celebrate Christmas nor exchange Christmas cards.

A common practice is to send cards all of the same design (sometimes a group of related designs), enclosed in envelopes made of colored paper.

Some people have family photos, often with everybody wearing holiday outfits, made into cards.

Many people send cards to both close friends and distant acquaintances, potentially making the sending of cards a multi-hour chore in addressing scores or even hundreds of envelopes.

The greeting in the card is usually personalized but brief.

Some people take the annual mass mailing of cards as an opportunity to update everybody with the year's events, and include the so-called "Christmas letter" reporting on the family's doings, sometimes running to multiple printed pages.

While a practical notion, Christmas letters meet with a mixed reception;

recipients may take it as boring minutiae, bragging, or a combination of the two.

Since the letter will be received by both close and distant relatives, there is also the potential for the family members to object to how they are presented to others;

an entire episode of Everybody Loves Raymond was built around conflict over the content of just such a letter.

Many businesses, particularly smaller local businesses, also send Christmas cards to the people on their customer lists, as a way to develop general goodwill and to retain awareness.

These cards are almost always tasteful, and do not attempt to sell a product, limiting themselves to mentioning the name of the business.

Unique variants on the concept

In 2004, the German post office gave away 20 million of free scented stickers, to make Christmas cards smell of a fir Christmas tree, cinnamon, gingerbread, a honey-wax candle, a baked apple and an orange.