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Original poster

When visiting someone’s house - do you read greetings cards?

151 replies

Username24680 · 18/02/2023 21:31

You pop in to visit someone - there are cards sitting on display (Valentines on this occasion). Would it enter your mind to go and read the cards?

OP posts:
thecatsthecats · 18/02/2023 22:08

Only a twat does this.

Flowerfairy101 · 18/02/2023 22:11

My in-laws do this and it's so cringe, it's always a card me and DP have exchanged that has something soppy in it and they are really formal people. They also visited after I'd put DD's first birthday cards away and asked me to get them all out so they could read them. Very odd. Especially as they asked zero questions about who any of them were from etc, they don't know any of my family or our friends by name .

Ooshie · 18/02/2023 22:14

If they’re on display surely they’re there to be read? I read DM’s and she reads ours. It doesn’t bother me tbh, if it had a private message in I wouldn’t put it on display. A lot of cards have the punchline inside so you have to open it and read it. It’s not something I do often though, mainly because I’m not interested but I wouldn’t care if somebody read our cards.

PinkRiceKrispies · 18/02/2023 22:16

When at a friends house once I did. It was a birthday card from her husband and he had wrote 'Tonight we can play guess where the sausage is'.
Grim. My fault for reading.

ItsLoudInMyMind · 18/02/2023 22:17

Depends who I was visiting & what cards.

Friends -nope.
Sister or DM -birthday & Christmas cards-possibly, valentines-no.

TerrysAllGoldGlisters · 18/02/2023 22:17

No. My MIL does this. I think it's inappropriate

butterfliedtwo · 18/02/2023 22:18

No. I think it's rude.

WimpoleHat · 18/02/2023 22:19

No. It’s basically pretty much like reading someone’s post.

afinishedkiss · 18/02/2023 22:20

Imagine how nosey and bored you have to be to get up and walk over to the mantlepiece to pick up somebody else's birthday or Valentines card and read it. Absolutely cringeworthy.

Headabovetheparakeet · 18/02/2023 22:20

This is one of those things where nosey people say 'if it's private then you should have it completely hidden, even in your own home' while a normal person understands that just because something isn't in a safe, doesn't mean it's for anyone to read.

WombatsAndGumTrees · 18/02/2023 22:20

No. They're not addressed to me and are personal. They're on display so the receiver can enjoy looking at them. I suppose I might comment if I see the front of a particularly pretty card but I wouldn't read it.

Abouttimemum · 18/02/2023 22:21

If we were celebrating a birthday of a family member then yes. But I wouldn’t walk into someone’s house and just start browsing cards randomly.

TokyoSushi · 18/02/2023 22:21

Jericha · 18/02/2023 21:32

My mum does. She's a habitual line stepper though.

Same 🙄

heatdeath · 18/02/2023 22:22

Of course not! The cards are displayed for the front image so I might admire that but I honestly can’t imagine picking one up & reading it.

Mermaidpool · 18/02/2023 22:23

No but dm does and I find it very odd

Chocolatesandroses · 18/02/2023 22:23

Nope definitely not

MrsColinRobinson · 18/02/2023 22:25

My MIL does and after 30 years it infuriates me. Massively rude!

It stops me writing the messages I'd like to my family because I don't want to share with someone who has no appreciation of boundaries.

Adrelaxzz · 18/02/2023 22:25

wishing3 · 18/02/2023 21:40

This!

Show quote history

I hate to admit it but I might if in the right mood and definitely not caught.

Oopswediditagain2023 · 18/02/2023 22:26

I read my parent's birthday and Christmas cards (in fairness, DM usually leaves out the ones that have funny messages in for me to read and have a giggle at!) and my mum reads my birthday ones so she can see who has/hasn't sent me one from the family so she won't send one to them 🤣🤣

SunshineLoving · 18/02/2023 22:28

Yes. I would read my parents' and siblings' cards. We are close and I am interested in who has sent them a card. I wouldn't bat an eyelid if they picked up and read one of mine. If it's not for other people to see, I wouldn't put it out.

I used to read my grandma's cards too, always with her in the room. She never seemed bothered at all.

If I was at someone's house I didn't know very well, I would probably want to read the cards but wouldn't.

If you're at a close family member or friend's house, it's definitely not rude IMO.

Adrelaxzz · 18/02/2023 22:28

Though it would depend who. My child is a definite possibility ( teenagers), my parents & sister probably. My friends probably not. U less the card was really funny or rude and then just to be nosy at who had good taste.

DramaAlpaca · 18/02/2023 22:29

No, of course not. It's very rude.

LampLamp · 18/02/2023 22:31

I feel like anyone who does this also looks in your bathroom cupboard.
Which is exactly what my SIL, MIL and ex-close friend do.

Gabby8 · 18/02/2023 22:31

Absolutely not, my sil did this and I was actually appalled. The card is for the person it’s addressed to.

LolaMoon · 18/02/2023 22:33

No. I don’t understand why anyone would?- greetings cards are usually quite boring. You’re unlikely to find anything scandalous or earth shattering in one