Christmas Cards

[Nora03]

Lovin’fl - “cards are terrible/stupid who creates them they suck”. There is a huge card making industry of crafters who make little works of art greeting cards. I’m one of them and proud of them. Crafters are kind and generous and don’t have anything mean to say. It’s a fun hobby and I love it. But you are entitled to your opinion.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I'm 57 and have sent out 38 cards. We used to send out 60-70 but have cut back a lot. We send a photo card with a family pic of my husband and I, are grown sons and their girlfriends.

As of today, we have received 12 cards. Most seem to arrive the week before Christmas.

Christmas cards are one of my favorite traditions. I hang up all of the ones we receive on our door and usually leave them there for the month of January to enjoy. My favorite by far are the photo cards.

I've always LOVED the "newsletter" cards, but don't do one myself. I don't see them as "bragging" at all and truly love hearing what people have done throughout the year. Sadly, we only receive a few of those now.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

I did make out like a bandit as my mom got 20 beautiful cards from her community's fundraiser for $2 for me. That I can afford! I really enjoy seeing the pictures of kids I don't get to see very often, but I don't do photo cards since it's just me and DH. I do get specific dollar store cards for immediate family (parents, sibling/spouses, niece and nephew).

It's so interesting how some find them a burden and some enjoy sending/getting them. I don't mind if I send and don't get one in return. Also, if everyone waited to get one first, no one would ever send a card! I think it's definitely a dying tradition. I absolutely agree if there is a part of a holiday that you don't enjoy it's totally fine to stop doing it. I did not enjoy our family cookie swap (enjoyed seeing everyone, not the cookie part). My SIL just restarted it this year after a 8-10 year hiatus and I politely declined. I don't want to bake 8-10 dozen cookies nor am I eating them. But I appreciate people who put the time and effort into beautiful baked goods.

Anyway, just my thoughts....I'm so glad so many people responded. It's so interesting to read everyone's perspective!

 

[bluezy]

We're in our late 50's and send about 150 cards to friends and family. It's always a photo card (on good stock) with pictures of us and our kids with their families. Sometimes it's one picture of the entire group on the front of the card with a few "fun" pictures on the back and sometimes it's a collage of pictures of the family because we forget to take a picture of the group when we're all together at some point during the summer/fall. And I address all of the envelopes by hand because I'm old fashioned like that.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I'm a little behind on My Christmas cards. I need to get started on my 2014 list.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

I'm a little behind on My Christmas cards. I need to get started on my 2014 list.

How do I add myself to the list? LOL

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I just mailed 2. There won't be more than a handful after today.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Lovin’fl - “cards are terrible/stupid who creates them they suck”. There is a huge card making industry of crafters who make little works of art greeting cards. I’m one of them and proud of them. Crafters are kind and generous and don’t have anything mean to say. It’s a fun hobby and I love it. But you are entitled to your opinion.

I think she meant the sentiments in the boxed cards - some of them are pretty far from what I'd write myself.

But I'm picturing your handmade cards as gorgeous on the front and with space inside to write a message. I made mine once years ago (before we sent quite so many ) so I know the work that goes into them. I'm sure they are extremely pretty!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

How do I add myself to the list? LOL

I have added you to my 2024 list. You should be receiving it by oh 2050 or so at present pace. But don't hold me to that.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I've noticed that this tradition is really dying off in the last several years. We're getting less and less now that many of our friends now have adult children and the tradition seems to stop. Sometimes we'll get a "one-off" if a family has a big life event like the wedding of their kid. But I'd say we get maybe 25-30% of the number of cards we used to get from the people in our lives. We stopped sending them about 5 years back. We don't have kids, and the cards just seemed super generic....like the kind you get from your Dentist or CPA.

It just started to feel like another chore that was unnecessary. We used to give our younger niece and nephews and great niece and nephew cards with money in it when we saw them over the holidays. Now they've all requested Venmo...lol! They're not "cash" kids....so funny how times change.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I haven't sent Xmas cards in years. But I do get a few and just had a student WhatsApp me for my address so she could send me a Xmas card which warmed my heart.

 

[Lady Hiss]

I send them to friends and family who live far away to maintain our connection, let them know I’m thinking of them, and tell a little about how our family is doing. In return, I like to hear about their lives as well. I find it meaningful when a card contains a personal note with some little memory or something to show that friendships and family still matter.

This year we’ve received many photo cards without any personal touch - printed by a computer, addressed by computer and all the sender does Is put the stamp on (maybe?). While I enjoy seeing how ‘the kids have grown’, I wonder if they even think about who they’re sending the card to. I know everyone is busy and that’s why those cards are so popular. Not my favorite trend, but better than no card at all, IMHO.

 

[bluezy]

I'm a little behind on My Christmas cards. I need to get started on my 2014 list.

We have friends who *never* (even before they had kids) get their cards out on time. Sometimes we receive their card around Easter....sometimes it's summer. One year they managed to get it out between Christmas and New Year and that as the closest to Christmas we've ever received it.

 

[lovin'fl]

I think she meant the sentiments in the boxed cards - some of them are pretty far from what I'd write myself.

But I'm picturing your handmade cards as gorgeous on the front and with space inside to write a message. I made mine once years ago (before we sent quite so many ) so I know the work that goes into them. I'm sure they are extremely pretty!

Yes, sentiments in store cards and boxed cards are a bit silly anymore. I like simple. It's tough to find a card to send anymore that's just simple and not iver wordy and too gushy.

I wad a card crafter at home myself. Haven't done it in a long long time. And got rid of most my supplies when we moved 18 months ago. But wish I'd get back into it.

Didn't mean to offend any card crafters. But the store bought cards are worded way off of what I'd say in a card. From a not mushy and simple gal here.

 

[Magical2017]

I stopped sending them. It felt like a waste of paper. There are other things I would rather do for holiday traditions. I do keep the cards we receive but toss them in the trash on December 26. Most of them are photo cards and are not signed. I used to like sending and receiving them when people would write a note on them.

 

[Pooh2]

We send about 40, receive about 25.
The older folks enjoy getting cards in the mail and still send them.

 

[Meriweather]

I'm one of the older folk
I sent about 10. Most of our family is gone....except the kids. We lost touch with almost everyone from where we lived before.
We have received from "real people" and 5 from charities we donate too.

 

[TippyThomas]

The majority of the cards I send are to people that have no other way of delivery. They are not online and would not accept electronic versions of cards so I send them out in the mail. I'd say it's about 12 to 15 or so each year.