12 holiday themed card decks you want to see
by Alex J Coyne © Great Bridge Links 2021
I don’t know about you, but I’m never sure what to buy for people once the holidays arrive. If this sounds familiar, remember that holiday gifting doesn’t have to be hard if your giftee play cards!
Different card decks can make the perfect gift and fit so nicely into a stocking! Each year we like to tour the web and see what’s out there. So here’s a look at some of the best holiday themed card decks for December 2022, from A Nightmare Before Christmas Tarot to the USPCC Ornament playing cards deck.
From Penguin Magic – Christmas Playing Cards, Ornament Edition
This limited edition Christmas deck features ornaments and cute animals, these cards will add magic to any trick you perform.
USPCC Ornament Deck
The USPCC Ornament Deck is from the United States Playing Card Company. The Ornament Edition is their third Christmas deck, and the best one yet! I love these decks – and they are very reasonably priced at around $15. Other Christmas decks from USPCC can be found here.
Bicycle Santa-Back Playing Cards
Do you know someone who needs a big, fat, jolly, bearded man on their playing cards? Everyone does. The Bicycle Santa-Back Playing Cards are made by one of the world’s best card makers, and have that unmistakable perfect Bicycle smoothness to them. Watch for an upcoming article about the history of this legendary playing card company.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The creator of Charlie Brown was a well-known bridge enthusiast throughout his life. Schulz would put the occasional nod to bridge in his work to the delight of fans and bridgeurs. No deck is more appropriate for Charlie Brown and Peanuts fans than this one, with illustrations from the classic Christmas story.
Clarkmas National Lampoon Christmas Vacation
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation came out in 1989, and it’s as essential to holiday spirit in some households as eggnog or holiday gifts. The Clarkmas Deck is made by Aquarius, and makes a great gift for anyone who cannot get through the month of December without this film – or very, very serious Chevy Chase fans.
Exploding Kittens NSFW Christmas Greeting Cards
Sorry – our writer stuck this in without us knowing about it. What could we do? Exploding Kittens is one of the best trading card games for passing the time – and quirk makes it fun for the whole crowd. Here’s a set of NSFW Christmas Greeting Cards perfect for the adults with a sense of humor.
FlonzGift Christmas Gnomes Playing Cards
This deck features vintage images, a different on one every card, taken from posters and magazines. Really cool
Rudolph Playing Card Deck
Featuring the classic Rudolph cartoon and all its characters.
Krampus Playing Cards
The Krampus playing card deck designed by Monte Beauchamp is just about one of the creepiest card decks you’ll have seen all year. In the early Christmas traditions of Europe, the Krampus was St. Nikolaus’ dark servant–a hairy, horned, supernatural beast whose pointed ears and long, slithering tongue gave misbehavers the creeps! At Christmastime, St. Nicholas rewards children who’ve been good all year–but those who have behaved badly are visited by the Krampus!
Cute Penguins and Polar Bears – Christmas Cards designed by Natalia Silva
These decks are available from Penguin Magic – yes they also sell cards and we love their decks!
A Christmas Tarot
A Christmas Tarot brings tribute to the original story by Charles Dickens with 78 original tarot cards that help to tell the tale. The deck takes its inspiration from the ghosts of past, present, and future – and it’s illustrations all pull from the story’s familiarities. Powerful, and a great thematic tarot.
A Nightmare Before Christmas Tarot Deck
A Nightmare Before Christmas is a holiday classic. It’s a great traditional Christmas story, but with an edge that makes it a favourite everywhere. Here’s a special Nightmare Before Christmas Tarot set, with accompanying guidebook that describes each card and its meaning in detail.
Tis the Season Christmas Trivia
If you want to play more than your 52-card standards this year, here’s a fun Christmas trivia game that covers different holiday subjects like movies, music, and world holiday traditions. Questions are in the mid-range, and the whole family can enjoy this. Trivia sets like this work well with the Trivial Pursuit board game pieces, or you can have fun just quizzing each other around the fireside (or card table).
Here’s to ending 2022 on a good hand!
