Google has just released a nifty new feature that allows you to send family and friends themed holiday greeting cards via email that include maps of a particular destination, a Street View picture or a Places marker (i.e. the Eiffel Tower).

First you choose from a holiday cover, add a recipient and personal message, and you can then include directions to a location (similar to the way you would input directions on Google Maps). You can also choose from adding a Street View Image or favorite Place.

While the feature seems to be geared towards holiday greetings for now, it seems that it would make sense to launch a broader implementation of the Maps-focused email cards year round. Users could send cards with images of areas where they have visited or send an invitation with a particular address.