Send a bit of joy to the people in your life.

You truly can’t beat a good card to express your love; the written word has been a tool of declaration for as long as we could write, and it often beats physical gifts like flowers, or teddy bears, or chocolates (although we wouldn’t say no to those too).

A heartfelt card is both the most meaningful gift you can present, as well as the most cost-efficient, although it can admittedly be difficult to write a mushy gushy message for your significant other no matter how long you’ve known them. Even at Lovin we struggle to put into words what our loved ones mean to us, and we do this for a living. Restaurants, pastries, gigs – we have no issue putting our love into words. But for our friends and fam, it’s a bit trickier.

However, there’s no denying the euphoric feeling when you pen the perfect poem or note; it’s nearly better than receiving one yourself. That’s why An Post is here to help with a bit of inspiration.

Taking to the streets of Dublin, the team got to the bottom of the Irish language of luuuurve- and one thing is for certain we keep things fresh and interesting in that department:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ConS-nPrlyL/

So whether it’s a birthday, an anniversary, a late Valentine’s Day gesture, a get well soon, a congratulations, or a we’ll miss you kind of occasion, we’re here to help you figure out how to put that love into words.

5. A Cheesy Pick-Up Line

A cheesy pick-up line is one of the best ways to crack a smile from the person you love. It’s a way of complimenting your partner without being too serious, and they never go out of style no matter how cheesy they are. Here are a few of the best:

• Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only Ten-I-See.
• Want a raisin? No? How about a date?
• I hope you know CPR because you are taking my breath away.
• Are you a time traveller? Because I see you in my future.
• If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together.

4. The Soppy Approach

If you’re looking for a card that could read as lyrics to a Celine Dion song, or your aim is to make the recipient cry, then we’ve got you covered. One of the terms that came up continuously when An Post took to the streets of Dublin was “I love you to the moon and back“. Another popular iteration of that was “I love you to the stars and back” but hey, make it your own. If you have a favourite country or restaurant, insert that instead. This works no matter the addressee, be it your favourite aunt for her retirement, or one of your pals who’s going through a tough time.

The ultimate soppy message of course is a poem, but if you don’t fancy yourself a poet, why not include one of your faves? Or if that’s not their bag, a nice quote never goes amiss. For a send off, this Winnie the Pooh one is always a winner.

“How lucky am I to have something so special, that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

Tear to a glass eye.

3. The Not-So-Subtle Terms of Endearment

You’d be surprised how much love you can show through a few simple words. No one is asking you to be W.B. Yeats. Throw one or two (but no more than three) of these into the simplest of messages and you are sorted. An Post found these to be the most popular terms in Ireland’s love language:

• My love, my light
• Sweetie
• Darlin’ (used significantly more than the classic darling)
• Honey
• Pookie
• Schmoospie Poo, Googally Bear (Monsters Inc style)

2. The Pun

There is a very special and select group of people out there who love a pun more than anything (guilty) and a very good pun will go down an absolute treat if your partner is one of these. If your card doesn’t reflect the message, get your Art Attack on and draw in something to accompany it.

Here are a few if you need some inspo:

• You have a pizza my heart
• I love you from my head tomatoes
• We’re a matcha made in heaven
• You’re all that and dim sum
• Bee mine
• I love you a latte
• Orange you glad we’re friends

1. The No-Frills Message

There’s something sweet about the no-frills, casual message, especially if you or your loved one are no-frills, casual kinda people. This can also be a good route to go down for pals, partners, family members who shudder at in-person emotional displays. Us Irish can be an awkward bunch, so if you want a love message that doesn’t read like one, we suggest you go with one of the following:

• I think you’re deadly
• You’re my cuppa tea
• You’re the bees knees
• Tá grá agam duit
• I like you a lot more than I originally planned (depending on their humour)
• There’s no one else I’d rather sit across the table and look at my phone with than you.

Or if you’re someone of few words, a simple Le Grá would suffice. For all the gaeilgeoirs out there!

Sending a card is the most classic way of showing off your love and you can get €2 off your An Post Love stamp booklet, available from now until February 15th. Whether it’s writing to relatives and friends or communicating about joyous occasions like weddings, engagements and family birthdays, the distinctive An Post stamp will instantly notify the recipient of the love you feel for them.