I always send Christmas cards except to people abroad - the post is so expensive. I end them e-cards. Local cards go by hand. I have 4 strips that I peg the cards I receive to and any others get stuck to my living room door with blue-tack, I usually include a round- robin letter and of course I can email this to the people abroad. I have also found the younger people don't send cards and this is disappointing because it can be the only contact you have with them.
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Xmas cards 2021?
(111 Posts)Wide awake so up in the night drinking tea & looking at gransnet- at 4.30am!
Last year we cut our Xmas card list drastically - only sent to aged/single friends & family.
Think with the Covid problems it all seemed so wasteful on paper, card, postage etc when charities were struggling so much.
We e mailed Xmas greetings to those we could & also explained we were making charity donations instead of cards. Didn’t want them to think we hadn’t just forgotten them or had run out of time! Sent a few free e cards too - to those I thought would like them.
Seems a bit sad to lose the tradition but will do the same this year.
What are other Grans doing?
I cut down drastically a few years ago. Those that were ‘cut’ get an email and the money I save on cards and postage gets donated to a local charity
I still do cards, though now I've retired I won't have to do colleagues, including the ones I didn't get on with but it was expected!
I do a Christmas round robin letter too for all the people I don't see during the year. I know some people hate them but I've had a few friends say how much they look forward to mine. I try not to be too 'braggy' (is that a word?), and make it light-hearted. I get one or two that are really heavy going and much too long! My late FiL used to give details of every concert he'd sung in or attended all year!
If I have an email address I send the letter that way to save printing costs and paper, but still post a card.
One pack.of ten charity cards does me for siblings abroad and a few friends. All part of Christmas for me.
SuzieHi, I agree about all the resources wasted and we (having a good reason) drastically cut our list down many years ago. I further reduced to about a dozen elderly friends and relatives a few years back.
Some of us really don't like cards and don't read or display them. I used to resent all the writing and posting (a real chore) - and the cost - but felt duty bound to do it every year.
My cards are all written ready to post. For once I’m ahead and I do enjoy sending and receiving cards.
I still do cards albeit a reduced amount over the years. The postage though is becoming quite a burden compared to the cost of cards.
notgran I love your stickers! I’m not creative but that is actually achievable for me!
I still send Christmas cards. I like the idea of people knowing I’m thinking about them at Christmas. I love getting them too. Although like lots of people I get less now. Not just because we’ve lost a lot of people, but because some people just text or send e cards. I think that’s very lazy. I like to think about each person and match the card to them. I like to buy charity cards and also homemade ones from independent sellers.
I will still send cards this year, but as others have commented, the list gets shorter each year. People pass away, move away etc. I stop sending cards when I have had no response for three years consecutively (the response doesn't have to be a card received - just contact of any kind).
I have stopped buying cards with glitter, and always try to recycle the ones I receive.
Thank you MissAdventure.xxx
They are lovely silvertwigs and very clever and cost effective but people can’t display them! I receive some every year and just wish they were real cards I could put with others, and signed by the sender. They might not be as appreciated as you think.
I love sending and receiving Christmas Cards, and as many have said they add to the Christmas decorations around the room making the room look alive with colour !
Stamps are ok bought over the months from Sept onwards, put away and not really adding to the cost of Christmas (which is costly enough).
I think that Royal Mail should think about issuing a special Christmas Card stamp, to be used between 1st Dec and 25th Dec and costing around say no more than 30p.....this will keep the postage cost down and may entice people to send out more by post, so the Royal Mail don't lose too much money.
I also save money by putting cards for whole families in one brown envelope, asking the recipient to hand our for me, it does work out cheaper doing it this way if you can.
I use Jacquie Lawson E-cards. I’ve bought two years subscriptions for the last 8 years and o love them!
I agree with Bluebelle. Giving to charity instead of sending real Christmas cards to people is no substitute, I do both. It is a Christmas tradition I would like to always be there. A very sad sign of the times to stop sending real cards.
Christmas cards are such a lovely part of Christmas, the more and the glittery the better.?
I probably send and receive about 30 through the post and then about a dozen hand delivered.
I don’t add messages about the family in the cards, or do any round robins ( annual firelighters.)
We’ll write and send the usual ones. I like to receive them too. I exchange e-cards with some folk as well.
Each to their own.
i have an online catalogue that reduces all christmas cards to about 10p a packet, i have enough to do me about 5 years, i have 54 neighbours and most of them give me a card, i wrote this years cards back in january but will now have to re-write them as i lost my partner back in may, the only personal ones i buy are son&daughter in law, mum and grandsons. i keep special cards like christmas, birthday and valentines, i have cards from my husband who died 22 years ago, also from my partner and my son. some of my neighbours, the only cards they will get are from other neighbours, everyone is different so either send or don't send, do what keeps you happy.
I only give cards to my sons, partner and best friend, I don't post them because postage often costs more than the cards these days.
Love to send & receive Christmas cards. Charity cards mostly but special cards for family.
I love the whole business of sending and receiving Christmas cards. One hardly has time to keep up a correspondence with fifty odd families and individuals even with email so a once-a-year exchange is wonderful and part of the Christmas magic.
I have a tradition of choosing classical art printed on good card. I usually send Renaissance painting prints of the nativity or mother and child variety. This year, however, the 'Museums and Galleries online shop' had an offering of Dutch winter masters so I have gone with these as they are beautiful pictures. I have already bought my Christmas stamps (had to extend the mortgage but what the heck!)
The DH and I sit one Sunday afternoon at the beginning of December and write our cards, remembering and thinking about the people we are sending to. We use our fountain pens and ink - never a biro.
I always include a Round Robin newsletter and try not to be too boastful or annoying. I keep it light and newsy with bad jokes and plenty of goodwill.
The cards are then posted on the Sunday nearest the middle of December which this year will be the 12th December. Then I feel really Christmassy.
I also love the sound of Christmas envelopes pattering onto the doorstep and opening missives from friends and family.
Afterwards I make gift labels from the cards for use the following year.
I try and buy mostly charity cards, often in the sales. I like sending and receiving them. They make lovely decorations by themselves. I try and match each card l send to its recipient. I write a card for each of my pupils and give it to them at the end of their last lesson of term. I also have a tub of Cadbury’s Heroes and they are allowed to choose two each. Collecting parents and younger brothers and sisters are also offered the tub.
Still send Xmas cards (charity ones), love to do this and receive them brings a smile to my face and hopefully the people I send them to.
I’ve always sent cards in the past and enjoy receiving them, but this year I’m undecided.
I’m trying to be more green so am wrestling with the idea of not sending any and just putting out a Christmas greeting on FB
I usually make a donation to charity anyway but would make an additional one in lieu of cards.
Still not sure though.
I have always enjoyed receiving and sending Christmas cards.I buy Charity cards also. I include a letter with a photo or two if I can remember the technology. Friends/family who saythey are no longer sending annoy me.This year might be hard as my DH died and I’ve only to sign my name this year. I’ll need to get them posted early as some people on my list won’t know my sad news. I hope this tradition does not end.
M
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