If you send out cards during the holiday season, it might be more important to add acquaintances to your recipient list than close friends or family.

• The big picture: The connections we have to people in our outer circles — the "weak ties" — are often more influential than the strong ties we have to a handful of close people. And sending out annual cards is an excellent way to nourish weak ties, New York Times columnist Peter Coy writes (gift link).

🔬 Zoom in: Coy references the research of sociologist Mark Granovetter, who noted that while we have strong ties to a small circle of people we see or talk to very often, we have weaker ties to many more. Think former and current colleagues, first and second cousins, former neighbors, old teachers, or grade-school buddies.

• The weak ties collectively can be more powerful.
• We're likelier to be exposed to new ideas through them because those people are more likely to have life experiences significantly different from our own.
• That could mean anything from a great book recommendation to a referral for a new job.

🤝 Zoom out: Weak ties have strength, but it can be tricky to figure out how to maintain them. That's where holiday cards come in, Coy writes.

• It's the perfect way to break the ice with an old friend and spread some good cheer.
• If you're up for it, print or buy cards en masse but personalize them. Even a single, handwritten sentence that's specific to each recipient goes a long way.

The Boston skyline is seen through branches in this sunset captured by reader Sreejit Mohan from his hometown of Arlington, Mass.