It is a tricky business, esp. when you are not that well versed into that whole social "stuff", e.g. finding the border between being awkward/clingy and having a "normal" interaction. Like I do this stuff what you are describing maybe once a year for the holidays. It always feels creepy to me approaching people without having some concrete "issue". I am at the moment pondering about creating a birthday database and sending out a handwritten note to anyone in my contacts for their birthday via snail mail. Again very tricky to figure out if this is "awkward" with people where I have not that much contact with, or if it comes across as classy.