Create a personalised animated Diwali card

By the evening of Diwali most phones hold the same dozen forwarded images, several of them arriving twice. They are read for half a second and never opened again.

A written greeting stands out simply because somebody typed it. It carries the recipient's name, it says something meant for them rather than for a list, and they can answer it — which is more than a forwarded picture ever asks for.

Writing a Diwali message that is not a forward

• Use their name and mention their people. Asking after the household turns a greeting into a message.
• Refer to something real. Last year's visit, the sweets they make, the fact you will miss being there. One detail is enough.
• Keep the wish simple. Light, health and a good year covers it. Stacked metaphors read as a template.
• Write in the language you speak to them in. A mixed-language greeting sounds like you. A formal one sounds like a card.