In years past, we've been writing the annual update letter to accompany our family picture inside the cover of a snail-mailed Christmas card. Then we 4 girls take about 60 red or green envelopes to the post office down the street and stand in line, offering other customers to, "please go ahead of us," until our favorite clerk, Mr. Tony, is free to help us.
Yes, we actually have a favorite post office clerk. We've known him for nearly 10 years. He gives the girls cheap little lollipops with the U.S. Post Office emblem embossed on them. Back in the day, there used to be coloring books too. I think business isn't so good lately. But no matter--my girls relish the attention. Even Cuddlebug. Even if she enjoys it from behind my skirt.
Anyway...
For the 60 cards we send out each year, it used to be that about 30 folks would reciprocate. Out of guilt is what I'm guessing based on the postmarks.
But in the last two years, we're getting next to no response. A handful, maybe. Probably less. And I'm trying not to take it personally. Husband thinks it's simply because folks just don't send Christmas cards anymore.
What say you? Take my poll in the sidebar, will you please?
19 comments:
I'm with you. lol. We send out about 80 Christmas cards, and I get the feeling that some send cards back because of good old fashion guilt.
But the thing is, I would send them out anyway, even if people are getting away from that. I enjoy it, irregardless. It may be a passing thing, but I am old fashion that way. :)
~madeleine
I don't do Christmas cards and people who send them to me irk me because I figure if they haven't figured out by now that they're not gonna get one from me then they must still be sending them just to make me feel guilty. :) Anyway, every year I threaten to leave town. I love Jesus, love to celebrate His birth, but the hoopla gives me agita.
I love sending Christmas cards, it is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I send out almost 300--results of a gypsy lifestyle--and usually receive 80-90. As much as I love to receive, creating and sending is my joy. Our church for years did the "exchange cards here and give postage money to missions" which was great; now they encourage us to give more to a "buy a goat/cow/etc" program and forgo buying cards at all. I just do both, lol.
Interesting poll.
I never sent Chistmas cards. Not ever. I've never had enough time because I would want to write to each individual friend and that would take a year. I will say; however, that I enjoy the cards sent by my hard-working friends. I like to hear about their lives as they write them out on cute computer paper. And every year I say to myself, "I should do that." But I never do.
I send cards with an annual family letter to a small group of distant friends and relatives ... unfortunately that group is shrinking because of their ages, and the relatives that do reply just scribble or imprint their names. I love the Christmas holidays though, because for me, it's usually about music and church. I love the meal-making and the decorating and the shopping (now that I do most of it online). The one thing I loved was volunteering at the Little Church of La Villita Christmas dinner and had always hoped to make it a family affair, but they no longer have that dinner.
We, too, send out Christmas cards and get many back that we suspect are simply guilty reciprocations. What people don't realize is that we don't give to them with an expectation of receiving anything in return. The cards are simply our way of sharing the season with friends and some distant family members that we don't get to interact with on a daily basis. They are a celebration of God's ultimate gift to us- not some attempt to get them to mail us a card in return!
Yes, we will send out cards again this year. And by we, I mean my wife. She does EVERYTHING. She hand-makes her own cards...about 70 each year. And she writes the annual newsletter to update everyone on the year's happenings. This year's letter is the one we've looked forward to: our first Christmas with our daughter! I'll have to post a picture of the cards she makes this year. She always does such a wonderful job.
In 14 years of marriage I think I have sent Christmas cards twice.
But I am always amazed by those who send them with pictures and letters inside.
I just don't have it in me. But I will give you a great little jar of homemmade hot chocolate mix or something.
We have a lot of friends out of town. If it were not for Christmas cards, we would not stay in touch.
I think your husband is right. The tradition is dying, along with handwritten notes and letters.
Email has ruined us all. But I ask you this- How many times have you seen an email displayed on someone's mantel?
We usually send cards to family and friends who don't live locally and that we know we won't see over the Christmas holidays, usually about 40 or so. We never get as many as we send, I agree with your husband, people just don't send them any more.
I love to recieve christmas cards/christmas letters. I myself am not the best at getting them out at times. Last year, I didn't get cards out at all, the 2 years before I sent out New Years Cards. I personally love to get the letters, and especially enjoy recieving pictures in cards. I like to do that, because we live so far from out family, and people have said they enjoy seeing how the kids have grown over the year. I'm working on getting a GOOD picture of my boys to make for my cards. I usually do the photo card thing, because if I do regular cards, I want to write individually in each one, that takes forever. I'm thinking this year I may, for the second time in 16 years, send a photo card with a letter. We'll see.
I think you should just do what you enjoy doing. I do think people enjoy getting, but some people are just not card senders. I think that if you and the girls enjoy it, you should send them, maybe scale down your list if you want to.
Okay, I've commented entirely too long.
We send out Christmas cards every year~~ and I am glad to see that we are not in the minority. Even though it looks like it is a close call... and even though it is getting quite expensive to mail out all those cards!
We have made it a tradition,for that reason, to personally deliver our Christmas cards a couple of weeks before Christmas(to those families and singles who live close to us)and it has been great because not only does it save on postage,but it has provided lot's of opportunities for nice visits and may unexpected moments of sweet prayer and encouragement...
Oh yes, and I just read your Parenting Against Rebellion? post now and, I don't know if you read All these comments, but I wanted to take a few seconds to tell you how much I enjoyed that post, and how much it spoke to me, especially today. Just this morning I had a long talk with my own 12 year old,who came to me in tears,upset because his friends(Non-Christian friends from the neighborhood) mock him a lot and call him "stupid", because he doesn't know about or care about the things they are obsessed with~ certain video games and tv shows and movies,etc. that are very popular right now. I told him that he can count it a Blessing that he is so different than them. It is because his parents are protecting his purity, and because he is a saved sinner, different from them in the very sweetest of ways,in the very blessed of ways. And I told him that,instead of hating them, he needed to remember that the battle is not with people,but with powers and principalities, and that he should pray for them and their families to be saved.
It sounds a lot like what you would be doing. I'm happy to "know" other gospel-centered parents~ Keep Up The Good Work! You Are a Great Encouragement To All of Us Other Parents Christian Out Here. Thanks for being Iron sharpening Iron! God Bless!!
,,, I think I have you beat in the commenting-too-long, Melissa! Lol!! ;) :)
I had a baby last year and never got to it...isn't that horrible...hopfully all had mercy on me :o) I have high hopes to get the cards sent out and on time this year :o)
~simply stork~
I still do a letter every year, even when the year has been very difficult (well, I guess I did miss one year and sent a Valentine letter instead - we live in the Valentine Capital of the World - maybe I'll blog on that this year). I try not to burden people with the yucky stuff, but stick with uplifting - but not bragging! I have done pictures many of the years. Last year I made a copy of every year's letters and gave them to my kids. Don't know if they even read them, but they have them for when they're ready. I don't buy a card in addition, but use pretty paper, and write a personal note to some. I try to get it out early, because I like "reaction" mail, rather than me reacting. Does that make sense?
I'm not crazy about the trend of some of my friends to send it as an attachment to an e-mail, but it's better than nothing!
Good question.
Well, I think I checked at least 5 of those things in the poll...I try to send cards every year, and try to make them somewhat personal, but I'll admit it has gotten a lot harder as the years (and kids and activities) go by! I agree with the last poster that an email attachment is better than nothing! Ha! :-D
One thing I realy look forward to at Christmas is getting the cards with letters and pictures. One thing that irritates me to no end is the card that is just signed. Or worse I have a family member that has the computer sign her name and address the envelope. I ungraciously wish she wouldn't even bother.
I, myself, on the other hand always have grand intentions that never come together. Hence the card stock and rubber stamps strewn across my table at this very moment. The cards I send are not in reaction to the cards I have received but are a refleaction of my poor time management and over zealous intentions.
So, I'm in agreement with every one eles--send the cards. It is an activity you and the girls enjoy and you are setting the example of giving to your girls.
How I understand the dilemma! Love the last question on the poll...'pretending to be out of twon!" What a temptation!
I love getting newsy Christmas letters AS LONG as they aren't the "our kids are perfect, our life is perfect, and we are perfect" letters....you know the kind! But the letters that catch us up on what has been happening--the highlights--for each of our friends and loved ones are great.
We too have noticed that we are only getting Christmas cards from 1/2 of the people on our list. It seems people are slim-lining their Holidays.
I don't blame them! Every year it seems to get harder and harder to get the photos together, write the sentiment inside the card and put the printed mailing labels and self-sticking stamps on the envelopes! Imagine--we used to hand write all of the addresses and lick the stamps! Geesh!
Diane
I have always sent Christmas cards because I love keeping in touch that way. I have over 100 people on the list from high school and college.
This is the frist year I am thinking about skipping on the tradition - mainly due to cost. With postage costing $.41 and then the printing of the pic and the stationary...we are thinking of emailing something. I am just not convinced that it is OK for the budget.
I too love sending Christmas cards and sometimes only receive half in response which I'm okay with. I love being able to surprise someone in the mail and possibly bring a smile upon them.
Sadly, this type of correspondance is slowly diminishing which is sad because I love keeping momentos and possibly passing them down in the family....mmm, not as easy to do with an email but print it out and is somewhat cold in terms of the momento aspect.
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