During this time of year, there are many things to be thankful for - family, good health, employment, friends, and maybe a gift or two. While we feel thankful, we may forget to take the time to send a note of our appreciation. December 26th is National Thank You Note Day, so this is a good time to refresh yourself on the fine art of thank you notes.
Throughout
history, people have sent notes of appreciation. The Chinese and Egyptians would exchange notes of goodwill on pieces of papyrus. As paper become more available to the general public, the popularity of hand written notes increased. The invention of postage stamps in the 1840's allowed individuals to send notes and cards to anyone, not unlike the much later introduction of electronic cards (ecards) which are a popular today.
Yvonne and Yvette Durant are identical twin sisters and etiquette activists. Yvonne took a few minutes out of her day to answer a few thank you note questions for us.
EC: When is a thank you note necessary?
YD: A thank you note is necessary when someone has done something for you such as - invited you to an event, a dinner, a party, and always if they've paid for the evening. (I would leave out boyfriends, girlfriends and family if they are not distant.) Thank you notes are also in order if someone sent a sympathy card or note to you.
EC: Should I send a hand written or email thank you note?
YD: Handwritten is the best. Everyone should have a box of note cards in their home and young people should be urged to write them. Recently, I wrote an email of thanks but added "Before I entrust my gratefulness to the US Postal System, I just want you to know what a great time we had." A day later, I sent a note. This may be overkill, but go with your gut. We know that email is the way of the world these days and an email thanks is better than none. But, there is nothing like the power of paper and ink. You will be remembered for that.
EC: What about thank you's in the workplace?
YD: A thank you note after an interview is a good thing to do. In the workplace, there could be more gratitude so if someone has done above and beyond their job to help you, a thank you note is great. Of course, one would prefer their boss to thank them in the paycheck, but that is a whole other subject.
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About Yvonne and Yvette Durant: Yvonne is a freelance writer and copywriter by trade and has written numerous articles for major newspapers and magazines. She now blogs on the HuffPost. Yvette is an executive assistant and had her own personal shopping business wherein she worked for high end clients and learned a lot of the do's and dont's. She loves the art world, collects, and is a fan of classical dance. They were born and reared in Brooklyn. In their household, manners were required. Talking about thank you notes rings a bell for them - they've had stationery since they started writing, and still freshen their stationery wardrobe when they are low on supplies. Visit their website, Yvonne and Yvettetiquette: Modern Manners for the 21st Century.
