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What Are the Most Popular Holiday Cards?

DIRECTIONS: The table below shows the top ten most popular holiday greeting cards mailed in the United States.

Kind of
Holiday Card
Number Mailed
in the United States
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Christmas2,700,000,000
2. Valentine's Day1,000,000,000
3. Easter160,000,000
4. Mother's Day150,000,000
5. Father's Day100,000,000
6. Thanksgiving40,000,000
7. Halloween35,000,000
8. St. Patrick's Day19,000,000
9. Jewish New Year12,000,000
10. Hanukkah11,000,000

Use the table above to help you answer these questions.

  1. For which holiday are the most cards mailed each year? _______________________
  2. How many cards are mailed on Valentine's Day? ____________________________
  3. How many more cards are mailed on Mother's Day than on Father's Day? _________
  4. For which holiday are 35,000,000 cards mailed? ______________________________
  5. How many Halloween and Thanksgiving cards are mailed in all each year? ______________________
  6. How many more cards are mailed for Jewish New Year than are mailed for Hanukkah? ____________________________
  7. How many cards are mailed on Mother's Day and Father's Day combined? ________
  8. Do you think more holiday cards are mailed in February or in March? Explain your answer. ______________________________________________________________
  9. How many Hanukkah and Christmas cards are mailed all together? ______________

THINK ABOUT IT! Birthday cards aren't listed on the table above because birthdays aren't official holidays. How many birthday cards do you think might be mailed in the United States each year? Explain your answer on the back of this paper.

Source: Top Ten of Everything by Russell Ash; Dorling-Kindersley Publ.; all numbers estimates.

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