National Send a Card to a Friend Day is on Sunday, February 7, 2027, and it falls on February 7 each year. The idea is simple: mail a paper card to a friend, with no birthday or holiday required. It lands a week before Valentine’s Day, so it’s a good moment to write to friends, not just partners.
When Is Send a Card to a Friend Day?
It’s always February 7. It’s an unofficial day. To have a card arrive on time, mail it a few days early.
Who Started the Day?
No founder or start year has been documented.
Background: the first commercial greeting card
The first commercial Christmas card appeared in London in 1843. Sir Henry Cole asked artist John Callcott Horsley to design it, so he could stop writing so many holiday letters.
About 1,000 copies were printed. They sold for a shilling each at Cole’s shop, Felix Summerly’s Treasure House.
Why Send a Paper Card?
A card is something a friend can hold, reread and keep on a shelf. That’s why paper cards still sell: the Greeting Card Association says U.S. consumers buy about 6.5 billion a year.
The day takes away the need for an occasion. A card “just because” often means more than one sent on a birthday.
How to Celebrate the Day
- Mail it a few days early: drop cards in the mail by February 3 or 4 so they arrive around the 7th.
- Add something flat: tuck in a photo print, a pressed flower, a bookmark or a sticker.
- Host a card session: set out blank cards, washi tape and stamps, and write to three friends in an hour.
- Write to a childhood friend: name the street you both grew up on or a note you passed in school.
- Write to a friend who moved away: list three things in your town that still make you think of them.
- Send one to a teacher or mentor: a former coach or teacher rarely hears what their help meant.
What to Write in a Card to a Friend
Start with one specific memory, then say why it still matters to you. A concrete detail, like “the road trip where we got lost outside Nashville,” lands better than a general thank-you.
- “I was thinking about the time we…”
- “Something reminded me of you this week:…”
- “I never told you how much it helped when you…”
Frequently Asked Questions
Do square cards need extra postage?
Yes. USPS counts square envelopes, and cards with a coin or key inside, as nonmachinable, so they need extra postage. Check the USPS price calculator.
How much does it cost to mail a card overseas?
International postage costs more than domestic. Use the USPS price calculator for the current rate before you mail it.
Is there a whole month for writing cards?
Yes. The U.S. Postal Service recognizes April as National Card and Letter Writing Month, a second chance to write.
Sources
- USPS News – Facts on paper (Greeting Card Association figure)
- Mental Floss – The First Christmas Card Was Sent in 1843
- USPS – Calculate a Price (domestic and international postage)
- USPS – USPS Celebrates National Card and Letter Writing Month (2026)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 101 – Physical Standards (nonmachinable letters)