A TRADITIONAL card is still the best way to send Christmas greetings, as most recipients prefer a card to a mobile-phone text or Facebook message, research by the charity Traidcraft suggests.

In a small survey carried out for the charity, 84 per cent of respondents said that they preferred to the greeting to be sent in a card rather than a text message. Just three per cent said that they liked it in a text, and only two per cent in social media.

The Archbishop of York, Dr Sentamu, a frequent user of social media, said that he also preferred a handwritten card at Christmas. “While social media and text-messaging are great and convenient ways to stay in touch with friends and family, handwritten Christmas cards really are the best way to show someone that you’ve taken the time to think of them at this special time of year.

“Sending a Christmas card is a simple act, but it really shows you care, bringing a feeling of goodwill perfect for the season to all who receive them.”

The survey was commissioned by Traidcraft in support of its Show You Care campaign, which encourages consumers to buy Fairtrade gifts and charity Christmas cards. The pollsters Public Knowledge asked 400 people about their preferred format for receiving af Christmas greeting.

To mark Charity Christmas Card Week (16 to 23 November), children (pictured) from Kirby Hill Church of England Primary School, near York, sent Christmas cards to children in Palestine and Nepal, where Traidcraft runs projects.

The children, members of the school’s fairtrade committee, loved to write and send cards and “do their bit” to encourage others, their teacher, Rachel Allen, said.