Christmas “News” letters

1summer 😅😅

We don't send any but receive one from a cousin we don't see or hear from often. We get on very well and maybe speak once or twice a year. Have to say though not a Hermione in sight, no conservatory building or house decorating, just general information about what the various family members have been up to including a few funnies and some future plans. Always nice to see future plans from somebody recovering from lung cancer.

You should have invited yourself to go and stay in those people’s holiday home in Cyprus, 1summer! I’d loved to have seen their faces when strangers turned up.

We have friends dotted all round the UK and abroad so some years I do a RR letter. I used to get quite a few, too. There were two stand-outs each year, one from someone whose family always had a whole host of astonishing diseases to complain about and someone else who thought that everyone would be interested in the nano-seconds shaved off their marathon running times and the minutiae of the husband’s competitive sea-fishing hobby. I quite miss getting those letters now!

Urmstongran

^ I don't think some individuals realise that, apart from major events, the minutiae of most people's lives are quite boring.^

Note to self - I must remember ‘less is more’ when posting on the GM thread and soops Dickens!

I do tend to witter on a bit ... 😁😁😁

... not at all Urms!

We all 'witter' on GN - usually about a specific issue which someone has raised, and that's a different thing altogether - we're kind of comparing notes about something that interests us.

Witter away!

1summer you win first prize!! Wonderful 😂
🥇

Cabbie21

I much prefer to have a letter( personalised preferably) than merely a card with a signature. If that is all I hear, year after year, I feel there isn’t much point.
I get about ten Round Robins each year, mostly on email now, and they are all interesting and relevant. There is no boasting, quite a few disasters. The only one I hate starts Dear ( blank).

More or less that, maybe 8? I write a short basic letter online then vary each one as appropriate plus some pix.

Friends plus one family member am fond of but lives in NI.

I care about them and want to know what's happening but they are honest joys and sorrows.

It was before social media, Gagajo.

^ I don't think some individuals realise that, apart from major events, the minutiae of most people's lives are quite boring.^

Note to self - I must remember ‘less is more’ when posting on the GM thread and soops Dickens!

I do tend to witter on a bit ... 😁😁😁

@ Isummer - that says it all!

I feel left out. I have never recieved or sent a round robin Christmas card. From what I have read here I here I hope I never do.

1summer 😂

MerylStreep

I never get them. People I havnt seen or heard from in ages obviously know I don’t give a shit. 😄

Hahahaha, I love it.

We get one every year, I find it fascinating to hear what they have been up to each year. We heard about the children growing up, the Universities they went to , careers, weddings. The holiday home they bought in Cyprus and the long stays described in detail. They sold it last year due to ill health. Etc etc.
But I haven’t a clue who these people are, it is addressed to the couple we bought our house from 26 years ago who went to live and work in South Africa. They are obviously not close as they don’t know this.

I never get them. People I havnt seen or heard from in ages obviously know I don’t give a shit. 😄

I believed Simon Hogart had done for these but it seems not. My first arrived yesterday. I’m too well behaved/sensible/considerate etc to write the reality of 2022m especially March - October for me and my loved ones.

HettyBetty

We have friends who don't send a letter, but send a recipe each year. I enjoy that, even if I don't actually cook /bake it, far more than the details of a visit to a third cousin three times removed who I've never met.

I think that's a great idea.

I used to receive the other sort - as Urmstongran said, they were very popular around the 80s. They were from people I wasn't closely acquainted with and frankly, they were tedious. I don't think some individuals realise that, apart from major events, the minutiae of most people's lives are quite boring.

I remember further back when guests coming over for dinner would bring their photo' album with them, to show you their holiday photo's. My heart would sink... "here's John by the entrance to our hotel with his hat on" - here's John again, with his hat off"...

I suppose it really depends what is put in these letters. If they are chatty, newsy ones, I think that’s fine. I like to hear what people have been up to during the year. Boastful ones, on the other hand are not so good. (Though to be honest, ones I have received haven’t been boastful).

Guilty as charged! I have done a Christmas Letter for years. I'm sure some are thrown away unread but many others thank me for them and send me their's. One year as I mentioned on another thread, I decided as my children were now adults I would stop sending them. My sister had relatives and mutual friends contacting her to check all was ok with me and mine. So I continue and rather like the feeling of self affirmation I get from composing and sending them.

These were very popular with (some) people in the 80’s weren’t they? To be honest I thought the practice had died out with the advent of social media as a lot of people like FB apparently as a way of keeping in touch with acquaintances. I’m surprised some folk still bother to type it all out and actually print it off. Maybe they send them to ‘oldies only’ as they assume they don’t have t’internet. Of course some actually don’t, then there is a reason of sorts I suppose.

My Australian son in law calls them ‘the humble brag’.

A lovely idea Lucca.

I only used to get one but I stopped sending and they ve ceased now it used to go in the bin I had no interest or knowledge of what she was telling me I didn’t need to know her husband was playing widow twanky in the church pantomime and how often he practise I d never seen their house or even town so why did I need to know what improvements they d done hideous things
Love it sodapop

I only get one of these,from friends I was with at University 40 years ago. We haven't met in person since the mid 80s. In some ways it's nice to see their family grow and develop. They are however impersonal as there is a gap left to add name. They are written by the husband. Like others they do seem to consist solely of achievements/ holidays. On the surface it all looks very perfect. I've often been tempted to do one,there are some relatives who live in different areas of country. I only achieved it once,normally its a few paragraphs on an enclosed letter!

I’m just re-reading Hello from the Gillespies, which is set in Australia. About the wrong letter being sent out to the round robin mailing list one Christmas and everyone finding out what’s really going on. It’s a good one for getting into the Christmas spirit.

Hollysteers what a beautiful Christmas memory for you to treasure.

Kate1949

Oh yes the Christmas Round Robin. I get one every year from someone who has a perfect life, perfect children, a soon to be born probably perfect grandchild. The holidays they've had, how well they are all doing and what the cat had for tea.

Oh crikey, that could be me, except it's what the dog had for tea. 🐕
I'm ever so boring really!

I like them if they have photos and have clipart snowflakes and holly leaves splattered all over them for effect. Any political or world news content is a definite No No for me.