It’s really interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts on this. When I was single, I painstakingly wrote cards to many friends. For a while I did a letter. Once picture cards became the rage, we transitioned, and mostly didn’t do a letter. The last few years we’ve switched to a picture postcard that allows for short updates on the back. We tape all the cards we receive on our wall to be able to look at for the months after Christmas. They generally come down at Easter, but this year needed some extra cheer, so I’ve left them up. I just counted–we have about 50 cards. (We usually send ~150.) Put me in the love-sending-and-receiving-them camp!
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I started a Christmas letter many, many years ago, when I got hand cramps from writing the same stuff in many cards. I usually included a family picture and the greetings were often sent after New Year, and once as late as St. Patrick’s Day.
Recently, I have skipped years. It took me a while to get back to it after my husband died. But as I have had some life events (downsizing, retiring, grandbaby) I do them some years. I do get encouraging feedback from several folks.
This year’s is brief - how the year started - a photo of me, my kids, their spouses and grandchild in a tropical place in January and how it ended - the same people with a Zoom Thanksgiving screen shot.
Now to address the envelopes.
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Just returned from mailing the last of my cards. No names came off my list this year. Two were added.
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I have an extra long list this year. I’ve been fighting with my printer since I always make my own cards at home. But I found some old glossy card stock that seems to be working so I’ll try to get out a bunch tomorrow before the snow arrives.
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I’ve been doing Christmas cards with my mom for year’s and me ( a GenZ baby) will do them as well since my mom has been crying randomly since I turned 18 (because im grow up now)I thought I would cheer her up and dress up as an angel for our photo cards this year. She loved it.
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I love the photo cards of everyone’s kids, especially those of kids I don’t see all the time! We have friends all over the country (and even overseas) and like to see their kids. Even my more local friends, I hardly see their children any more. I tend to keep them for the year and then throw away except for the ones from family.
I find the cards that are just name signed (or printed) less interesting and those go in the trash after the season.
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I’ve kept sending cards (usually photo cards that include grown kids in one shot, and just spouse and I in another) every year but one or two. I’m still frantically working on this year’s because I write a multi-paragraph individualized note on the back of each so it takes a lot of hours. We still get about 50 percent the number we send out, in return. What touches me most is that we are getting cards from all our married nieces and nephews, which is a newish phenomenon. Even get one from the adult son/DIL of a favorite cousin. So maybe the card-sending trend will continue into another generation!
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I’m impressed. I have a short printed update and then I had a few sentences (at best) of something more personal.
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I like the kid pic cards. For many years I sent card pics with my kids in holiday PJs. One year I know I “insulted” one friend because I ran out of picture cards and sent her a plain card.
I have been sending fewer cards for the last couple of years, but this year I bought “big fancy cards” (I’m actually thinking they may be a little too much, but too late now), and I sent out quite a few. I figure if I can bring a little happiness to some people during this pandemic it was worth it.
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I love the kid pic cards too! Most of the people on my Christmas card list are college friends or families we’ve been friends with since our kids were in preschool together. I love seeing how the children have grown and changed from year to year.
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I love sending and receiving Christmas cards. We send out about 160, family, HS friends, college friends, former work friends . . .and we get cards back from probably 75% of that group. I love seeing everyone’s family and hearing what folks are up to.
We include a quick update that is very self deprecating. The hard part is going over the addresses before I print the label. Taking off the folks who have passed is always difficult
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Whats been fun this year is that we’ve gotten lots of calls, texts and emails (as well as cards) in response to our holiday card. That’s been nice.
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I send out cards every year. Every year I would buy my cards from Papyrus store. (my favorite that is now closed) I had two boxes and mailed them out. Every year I tell myself I will cut down my list to those that keep up with me but again this year I sent one to everyone. Next year I will cut it down to only those who have made an effort to keep contact with me.
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I’ve gotten more cards this year than I have in years. (And also sent out more as well.)
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Surprisingly me too.
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I got more cards than in past years as well. This is the first year in a long time that I didn’t send cards (didn’t feel the Christmas spirit). Several trends I noticed (anecdotal data)–almost every card was a photo card, few people signed their cards or wrote anything personal–cards had printed signatures or signatures were part of the design, e.g., “Happy Holidays from the Smith Family.” I also got more cards from “paid friends”, e.g., companies/people with whom we do business.
I also think I received more cards this year than in the past couple of years. I did send out photo cards this year since we had a family photo from father’s day which was our first outdoor dining experience since the shutdown in March.
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Received a lot of cards this year though did not send any. I love them all whether they have a newsletter, unsigned, personal note- doesn’t matter to me- much better than junk mail or a bill, lol.
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So far, feel like we have gotten fewer cards, but actually got several yesterday so the mail may be slow. Love whatever cards come and makes me think of each person/family. Also somewhat bittersweet, thinking of those that passed away this year and who no longer will receive our card.
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I haven’t sent any in years. This year, we received MANY more than we have in a long time.
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