Birthday/Christmas cards on display at home - are they free for anyone to read?

You do seem overly angry about this thread? Your posts are increasingly intense.

Everyone else is posting in a pretty measured way, the harshest thing anyone has said as far as I can see is that reading someone else’s cards is a bit nosey (which seems fair!)

Maybe go and have a cup of tea?

I would think it was very rude for someone to pick up and read my cards. Just because something is in view within my home doesn’t mean it’s fair game to be picked up and examined.

Look with your eyes, not your hands! If you have to pick it up, it’s not for you to look at 🤗

It’s reading somebody’s post, so no I’d never think to read the inside of a card and would find it very strange and intrusive if somebody read my cards.

I only do this at my parents’ house if I’m very notes. I can’t imagine doing it in anyone else’s house as I don’t generally roam their sitting room.

If a card is standing up then most likely you can see the inside without even picking it up. A relative would probably do this in a 'ah, it's nice that cousin Joe still keeps in touch' way. I can't even be arsed to read messages in cards half the time so likely they are just seeing who it's from. If it is personal 'what a terrible year it's been/ I have never forgotten that night we spent together' kind of message then you should probably keep the card in a drawer somewhere.

You can bend your head round to look at it. But not touch it and pick it up.

It feels quite nosy to go over and read the inside... But that said, if they're out on public display I don't think you can be entirely surprised that someone might nosy inside! I probably wouldn't do it, but I feel if you really don't want them read they should be somewhere else.

Don’t put it on the mantelpiece then!

And by the way I’m sure it’s just generic shit written in there anyway!

I guess you act like normal person and say: “Oh this card looks lovely - the one with a rat on” and the person who owns the card says: “It’s cute isn’t it - it’s from Great Aunt Bernice.” And you both know Bernice, so…

I find it mad that people think looking at lovely messages even from people you don’t know to someone that you do know and care about is somehow an invasion of privacy?

When the card is ON DISPLAY. It’s a bloody card, not a PIN. Not your secret photos. It’s a bit of reinforced paper with lovely sentiments.

I am 47 next month, I should be too young to tell people to grow up. But some people seriously need to. My god.

I'm super nosy but I wouldn't because I know it's rude. Other people do though.

I think it’s really rude and intrusive to read a personal message clearly intended for someone else. It’s not for you. It’s not addressed to you so don’t be so bloody nosey and show some respect!!!

I would never look inside someone's birthday card

how would you know who it's from without looking inside first?

I would consider it akin to there being a pile of letters under the coffee table.

I wouldn't leave private papers out in the living room if I was having visitors. Not that I think they would deliberately read them, but it would be embarrassing for the guest if s/he inadvertently caught sight of them or spilled something on them. Not hard to shove them away in a drawer or desk or keep them in a different room.

I just can't imagine a world where I would care about this! It's so so trivial! Who cares? If it's that private, don't have it out. Surely anyone who comes to your house is a reasonably close friend or relative?

You had them on display meaning they are available for people to look at, no idea why you are confused.

Yes of course they are

Cards displayed in the living room ok for people invited I to your home to look at. Keep any private ones in bedroom.

Because you both know the sender and it’s nice to read their sentiments to your mutual loved one?

I read the cards at my parents or my siblings' houses, and they would do it at mine! I just hide any I don't want them to see.
I wouldn't do it at anyone else's house though, unless I could have a sneaky peek while they were out of the room!

Some people on this thread are seriously weird. ”Oh look at how much I am loved and admired by looking ONLY at the outsides of my cards!”

If you don’t want people to read the inside of cards then keep them in your bottom drawer. My goodness. It’s not like they are opening an envelope. They are not going through your mail. Why are people so stupidly precious? What on earth is in the cards that you don’t want people to read?

NO! No one can read the inside of my cards - despite the fact that they only stand up by being open and displaying half of the inside text - just admire the naff glitter penguin. They’re hardly works of art!

Lesson well learnt, birthday cards are no longer displayed 🤣 I did consider burning them to hide all evidence once.

My mum always reads my cards and I don’t care but I also think “why are you interested?” I would never read someone else’s because…why would I be bothered what’s inside them?

I think there is a split on this - it used to drive my Mum mad that her MIL would open and read all our cards (even taking them out of cardboard holders at Christmas) as she felt it was akin to reading someone else's post or nosing in their bedroom, but the MIL evidently didn't feel the same as she wasn't discreet!

I would find it a bit odd if people did this. Admire the picture on the card sure, but why are you reading the message inside? No reason other than pure nosiness. I would consider the picture as being on display rather than the message (as you would either have to pick up the card to read it, or contort yourself sideways).
I would consider it askin to there being a pile of letters under the coffee table.
Or even just ornaments on display. You wouldn't pick them up and scrutinise them without asking first.