How Do You Address the Holidays On Your Site?

By Julia DiNardo of Fashion Pulse Daily

With holiday cheer (and promotions) practically everywhere this time of year, I started to contemplate how to best talk about the holidays on a blog.  When it comes to the “big” ones, or even the “not-so-big ones,” how do bloggers express celebratory exclamations (what is appropriate to say or wish to readers), as well as what kind of content is innovative and creative, to run in conjunction with a holidays? It can be difficult territory to navigate, as we certainly don't all celebrate the same religious holidays, and other ones, such as Valentine's Day, might prove to be sensitive for some (I know that know when I'm not dating anyone around V-Day, it can be a total eye-roll inducing occasion).

On FashionPulseDaily, I tend to stick to a tight handful of holidays that receive some form of acknowledgement, which are usually just the “big” ones.  I honestly don’t really know what I could say about some of the Federal and national holidays, such as Presidents’ Day, Washington’s Birthday, and Columbus Day, so I feel more comfortable not saying anything at all about some of these. If it's appropriate to compile gift list recommendations and favorites, I tend to do that in the weeks leading up to that particular holiday.  I usually don't have any content run on that day except for brief “Wishing everyone a happy ____,” trying to keep it as secular as possible so that no one feels left out.

In order to get a sense of protocol and preference, I asked a few veteran bloggers how they've dealt with it on their sites:

Jessie Artigue of Style & Pepper says:

“I generally address the holidays on my blog from a fairly personal perspective.  Instead of worrying too much about being politically correct, I like to give my readers sneak peeks of how we'll be celebrating within our own family.  I do always try to let them know that no matter how they'll be spending the next month and a half, I hope that they feel blessed and know how much I appreciate them!”

Eileen Dautruche of Miss Whoever You Are says:

“To be completely honest, it depends on how I'm feeling. Overall, I stay away from wishing a Happy [WHATEVER] unless I mention it in a quick post simply because it can get overwhelming (hence why I avoided it last year). This year, however, I am doing a few guides centered on items I personally love and would give to friends.”

Christine Bibbo Herr of NYC Pretty says:

“Yes, I do try to acknowledge the holidays. I think it provides a platform to play with fun and festive ideas on our sites. If you look at my Thanksgiving post, I was able to get a VIP pic near the parade balloons too! I hope to keep up the spirit for all the holidays to come and to create fun and festive new posts for each!”

What do you do on your site during the holidays?

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9 Responses

1. 

   Jeanie December 11, 2012

   I play it safe and refer to this time of year as the silly season. Perfect for promoting things like tutorials for ‘…xxxx… this silly season’.

   Reply
2. 

   Elena December 11, 2012

   I love talking about holidays on my blog, and for each occasion I create colorful fashion illustration, it adds more fun to posts. I agree with Jeanie that tutorials are perfect for holidays!
   Elena
   http://dcinstyle.com/blog/

   Reply
3. 

   Heaather December 12, 2012

   Thank you for the article and as always the insight in to blogging. It inspired me to create 12 days of posts leading up to the holiday – a new post each day providing my readers with the promise of more when they return tomorrow. Keeps me focused and on topic and meeting my goals – something that can get lost in the hustle of the holidays. Tutorials, tips, inspirations, maybe even video blogs with style ideas are all great attractions.

   http://www.obsessless.com/the-obsessless-blog/2012/12/11/celebrate-12-days-of-chic.html

   Reply
4. 

   Sarah December 12, 2012

   I usually forget about the whole holiday themed thing… I’ll do lots of shopping posts all year around vaguely related to holidays but then again sometimes I’ll feature outfit ideas as what to wear on fireworks night etc.

   A little “hope you’re having a wonderful …. ” usually does it though 🙂

   Sarah x
   sarahloves.co.uk

   Reply
5. 

   Kate December 12, 2012

   I think each blogger should feel free to express/wish whatever it is they celebrate! If I went to a blog and they wished me a happy hanukkah or kwanzaa I’m not going to be offended… it’s a kind gesture, a wish for happiness, and the specific reason really doesn’t matter to me. I think we need to just appreciate the fact that no matter what exact words are being used we’re all wishing each other a happy season – appreciate the kindness & wish it back, in whatever form you celebrate!

   Reply
   • 

     julia December 12, 2012

     Hi Kate,
     I think this is a GREAT perspective to take! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

     Reply
6. 

   Lauren - Slowburn Fastburn December 12, 2012

   I agree with Jessie! I only mentioned a few big holidays on my blog this year, the Fourth, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, but I tend to do it from a fairly personal standpoint. After all, my blog is a glimpse into my own life.

   lauren
   http://slowburnfastburn.com

   Reply
7. 

   Sarah @ Tulle and Trinkets December 12, 2012

   As my blog is more personal, I write about celebrating Christmas, because that is part of my life. I know I love to read posts about any and all holidays, no matter if I celebrate them or not. I love how diverse our community is, so I would encourage bloggers to write about what they celebrate freely!

   Reply
8. 

   Petya December 14, 2012

   In my blog I write about my personal style and sometimes about personal experiences or events. It’s mostly a personal lifestyle blog, so this year (It’s my first Christmas like a blogger) I decided to write about my Christmas and how I will celebrate it.

   http://instyle21.blogspot.com

   Reply