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

[Username24680]

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?

I did say I wouldn't do it again now that I see so many don't like it! I wouldn't care if anyone looked at mine but I would object to them reading my post or looking in a cupboard. I wouldn't do it again now in case the person didn't like it.

I don't have a sad life or need entertainment. It's something I've seen people do all my life and I've never questioned it. I wouldn't do it again now after seeing that so many are offended by it. We all live and learn.

I display mine and any for household members for birthdays /Christmas, always have done, and I display them knowing they could get read but don’t expect them to generally.

I read at at immediate family or best friends but not anyone else.

No way, especially not valentines cards from and to your own children!

I think it’s rude. Especially Valentine’s Day cards- what are you expecting to find in there? Supposing there’s a sexy message- I’d be so embarrassed to be reading that as it’s personal and honestly a bit weird to be wanting to see that.

I might read mum's Christmas cards, other than that I wouldn't because I would have no interest.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it though, they're literally displayed. Nothing at all like reading post or rummaging in drawers or bathroom cupboards.

I think displaying valentine's cards with naughty messages is really really weird and embarrassing. By all means write them but if you don't want others to read them then put them somewhere private, not on the mantelpiece!

🤦‍♀️no it is to remind yourself that people love and care about you, on that occasion- and they have thought enough about you to send a message . Sometimes I keep them up because the sentiment or design, makes me smile, laugh or just because it is a particularly lovely card - especially if it is hand made.

I keep my cards up in my house for 1 week or Xmas cards over the Xmas period, for my benefit ..not to show off or entertain others .

Cards in my home are on display because I want to look at them, not as an "invitation" to all and sundry to be nosey!!

My ex-MIL used to head straight for the cards whenever she visited. Birthdays, Christmas, Valentines, Anniversary, the lot. I hated it. I always thought it was so rude.

I think displaying valentine's cards with naughty messages is really really weird and embarrassing. By all means write them but if you don't want others to read them then put them somewhere private, not on the mantelpiece

It’s THEIR house! They didn’t publish them on Facebook for goodness sake. By that rationale, I shouldn’t keep my medication in the bathroom cabinet and allow others to use my loo because that’s just publicly announcing to visitors what my medication is. Most people have a perfectly reasonable expectation that if they invite visitors to their home they won’t nosey into their private stuff. Geez. If someone leaves their personal diary on the kitchen table do you take that as your right as a visitor to read through it?!

This comes up on here from time to time and the people who read the cards are always ‘of course I read them, that’s why they’re on display’ and everyone else is ‘why would you do that?????’

My exMIL and SILs were the first people I’d ever seen do this. They had zero boundaries. They’re the reason I stopped putting cards with anything more than ‘from Name’ up in the living room.

Likening a mantelpiece to a bathroom cabinet is mindboggling to me. A bathroom cabinet is obviously private - it's behind closed doors for one thing.

A mantelpiece has a clock, photos, ornaments - things for people to look at. No one stores their antidepressants or Viagra on the mantelpiece.

Its more the question of why?- why do you need to read someone's valentines card?- what is the purpose of doing it.

Are you hoping to read something saucy? what are you expecting find there

This is truly mindboggling to me

Like I said, I don't because they're not interesting to me, but I wouldn't find it rude if someone read the cards displayed in my house. If any of them said something private I'd put them somewhere private like I do with anything else that's private.

Putting them on the mantelpiece is a million miles from signalling "private" to me.

@starfishmummy This is exactly how I feel 😅🤣
Not that there was anything remotely inappropriate for her to be reading in the valentines cards 🤷🏻‍♀️ I just think it’s weird to want to read other peoples cards in the first place!

It wouldn't cross my mind to pick up cards that weren't for me to read them. I think that's really rude!

I just don't understand how anyone can be that interested in someone else's cards!

My SIL does. She once opened a card that Dh hadn't even given me yet. I hate her🤣🤣 for multiple reasons.

Putting them on the mantelpiece is the normal thing to do. Looking inside other people's cards is not.

Why would anyone think it’s appropriate to read something that wasn’t intended for them? Something that says “Dear SOMEBODY ELSE…” and couldn’t be more obviously not addressed to the nosy parker? Some people really have no sense of decorum, manners or boundaries.

Yeah I don’t get it either but apparently anything on a mantelpiece = you have a visitor right to read it, even if it’s not addressed to you 🙄

Apparently because they are 'displayed' then they are fair game. WRT birthday cards I never really write anything other than To X, Happy Birthday, love from Sparkling. Riveting stuff and not worthy of a snoop. Not sure what the nosy people want to read.

Sister, parents, best friend? Yes. Anyone else, no, that's overstepping.

No definitely not. It is so rude.

People put cards on their mantelpiece for their own pleasure, in the wake of a birthday / anniversary / engagement / wedding / birth of a baby / Christmas / whatever.

If it’s not from you or for you, it’s nothing to do with you.