In our dining room, there’s a wide casement opening that leads in from the living room. And every year, as soon as the first holiday cards start arriving, we hang them all the way around that opening. By Christmas week, it’s layered and imperfect and full. Cards overlap. Tape shows. A few bend at the corners. And it becomes one of our favorite decorations in the entire house.

Growing up, we did the exact same thing but on the French doors that led into our dining room. Same spot, same ritual, same house. My mom would start with one card, then another, and before long the doors were completely framed. I remember standing there, reading every name, studying the handwriting, noticing which families used the same photo year after year. It felt ceremonial in a quiet way, like proof that we belonged to something bigger than just our four walls.

I didn’t realize until much later how deeply that stuck with me. Now, when we tape the first card up each season, it feels less like decorating and more like opening a door. The season has officially become more festive. People we love are checking in. Life is happening elsewhere, and it’s all finding its way into our dining room.

Over the last seven or eight years, that doorway has grown to include something else that means just as much to us: Christmas cards from you.

Every year, cards arrive at our PO box from readers. Families we’ve never met in person. Handwritten notes tucked inside. Photos of kids growing up. Updates about moves, milestones, losses, new beginnings. We hang those cards right alongside the ones from our closest friends and family. No separation. No special section. They all belong together.

Those cards give us a real sense of who you are and the lives you’re living beyond the screen. They turn names and messages into something tangible. They remind us that this community is made up of real homes, real tables, real Decembers unfolding all at once. And truly, that’s part of what makes this season feel so magical for us year after year.

I love that holiday cards are one of the few things we still display purely for connection. They’re not styled or curated. They don’t need to match. They just show up, asking to be seen. And when you walk through our house in December, you pass through that opening and are literally surrounded by friends, family, and readers who have all become part of our story too.

And since we’re on the subject, here are a few other simple, lived-in ways to display them around your home.

1. A staircase moment
If you have a staircase wall or railing, string twine or ribbon along it and clip cards as they arrive. It turns a pass-through space into something quietly celebratory and feels especially cozy at night.

2. On the fridge, but make it intentional
Instead of scattering cards across the fridge, group them together in a grid or loose rectangle. It’s practical, yes, but also surprisingly charming. Bonus points if kids’ artwork sneaks in between.

3. A mantel or shelf lean
Prop cards along a mantel, piano, or long shelf, slightly overlapping. It feels relaxed and editorial, and you can easily swap them out as new ones come in.

4. Inside a glass-front cabinet or hutch
If you have a china cabinet or glass-front bookcase, tuck cards inside for a layered look behind your everyday dishes or books. It’s unexpected and feels very collected-over-time.

5. A bedroom or hallway surprise
Hang cards along a bedroom doorway or a hallway wall you pass through daily. It’s a small reminder, first thing in the morning or last thing at night, that you’re held by a wider circle than you realize.

I always think the best holiday traditions are the ones you don’t plan. They’re the ones you inherit, repeat without thinking, and one day realize you’ve carried with you into a new chapter. For me, hanging cards around a doorway will probably always mean Christmas. And I love that, years from now, our kids might remember it the same way I remember those French doors, and maybe even the feeling of being surrounded by people they haven’t met yet, but somehow already know.

And if you’re someone who still sends holiday cards, just know how deeply they matter to us, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sending us one. We hang every single one, year after year, and they become part of the season in a very real way.

If you’d like to send one, our address is PO Box 485, Cleveland, TN 37364. No pressure at all, just an open door. We’d love to see a small glimpse of your life, and make a little more room around the doorway for you this December.

What We Do With Our Christmas Cards Every Year