Christmas Cards

I have written our Christmas cards! First time ever I have done it in November. I laid it all out on the dining room table and did 10 a day. It even felt enjoyable!

Mostly done just close family to take care of. I have to deal with it over a couple of weeks as I loathe doing it too. Trying to cut down each year people who I will probably never meet again.

Had my cards written out since October. Just a couple of letters to write....same letter just tweaked for recipient. I don't mind signing cards.

Did mine a couple of weeks ago, around 10 a day, doesn't seem a chore then. Why is is generally the women who write the cards? I do push cards for DH's immediate family in his direction so he can sign them too, but I do all the rest!

I love to recieve cards and they have always formed part of the decorations in our house. Especially when the children were at school and I worked there too. We would have 100+ strung around the through lounge/diner. I would write about 50 back then.
Now I post 5 and hand deliver another 15 or so. We have a small family and having always lived in the same area we don't have lots of far flung friends. I'm amazed people have so many to write. The list starts to shrink at our age, all the relatives of mum and dad's generation on both sides are dead now.

I think I shall do mine this afternoon - less than 20 to do. I was surprised when I bought 5 family cards at the weekend which came to £19.99 - DH harumped!!!

We haven't sent cards for years.

They are a waste of time and money

I haven't even bought all mine yet.
I fished in drawers and cupboards yesterday to find the 24 which I bought in the January sale so just a few more to buy plus family ones.
Like so many, it is a job I hate although there are less each year, but I do all the posting ones one day and the hand delivered the next. It seems to come round very quickly.

I wrote mine in an afternoon last week. They are still waiting to be posted, one to go to South Africa, and one for New Zealand. They are getting less every year (phew). When we first got married, my DH had what seemed like thousands of Aunts and Uncles. ?

DH did our cards 4 years ago for the first time as I announced I was having a cull he was appalled that I would ruthlessly cut off people!
He has done them ever since.
Perfect?

I have taken to putting a notice on FB advisin my friends that the money this year has been spent on....whatever cause I decide to donate it to. A few older relatives and friends get a card because it means something to them.........but I find sending bits of cardboard through the post a bit wasteful unless the recipient really wants it.

I do find it a chore but can't bring myself to stop the habit.

I sat for hours the other day writing out cards and I still have more to write eg for members of groups we attend. My husband writes ONE per year -to me, but would be fair huffed if I missed anyone out! This year I am cutting out a few folk that we rarely see and will wait to see if they send us one or not. I am planning to use the local Scout Post for cards in our own county as it's only 35p each and it helps the kids too.

Oh! I knew there was something I needed to buy today...

As a 70 year old I still value the tradition of sending Christmas cards as they remind me of the traditional Christmases we had before everything became so commercialised. In fact I enjoy receiving cards more than lots of presents, most of the cards we get are from friends mainly in our age group. These friends go back to our younger years and hold special memories.

I love receiving cards but what a chore to write them. 'Luckily' I have had to have the electrician in so wrote them and letters in one go whilst the electric was off. First time ever done in November.

I have the addresses on my old [email protected] and print them on to sticky labels. This has reminded me that I need to do an update and copy the labels to the laptop. Not writing envelopes does save time.

I'm still writing mine. About 40 left to do. I know it can be expensive but I wouldn't drop the custom for anything. I love to receive cards from people I hardly ever get to see all year. I hate the recent trend of a message on Facebook telling all that they are giving money to charity instead of a valued card to friends and family. I have always thought that charity giving was to do with a little self sacrifice not making others do without.

I love to get cards, therefore I must expect to write them. I generally sit down to write them during early December to 'get them out of the way'.
A rubber stamp can help with a generic message so all I have to do is add my name.

I do the same as chelseababy and have the labels on my computer. They usually need updating but make life a little bit easier!

I stopped doing them 10 years ago. I donate the equivalent in £ to Shelter to provide Christmas dinner at homeless shelters

Don't understand why you would send a card to people you see regularly. Wish them a happy Christmas face to face! I send personal emails which are much more detailed than a card.

If you feel like that why bother at all? I’d find it lacking in any genuine sentiment of good will to receive an e-mail greeting. I enjoy making my cards with love. All Sunday and yesterday I spent making 30+ little cards for DGD’s classmates - it’s her first Christmas at school. I worked at a primary school for a few years and sent a simple homemade card to every child - there are always unpopular children and if I made just one of these children feel included then the effort was worthwhile.

I didn’t send any cards last year and since the sky didn’t fall in I won’t be sending any this year either. I think spending the money on a charity is a better idea and majority of my friends and relatives feel the same.