Do you think that Christmas Cards are becoming a thing of the past? I'm starting to think that maybe it is. I have always been one of those who gets their cards out early in the season and I always include a letter or note in the cards to the people we don't stay in day-to-day touch with throughout the year as a way to reconnect. I also always include a recent picture of my children. It seems that every year we get fewer and fewer cards from others and most of them do not have any correspondence or pictures, just their names either signed or printed on the card. I would love to know what's going on in their lives and see how their children have grown too! As of today, we have not received even one Christmas Card. My dh jokingly said that maybe our family and friends don't want to keep in touch, but I don't think that is it at all. I think that people just feel their lives are too busy to deal with it anymore which is such a shame. I think that if there is anything you should make time for, it is keeping in touch with family and friends.

By Kate on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 02:37 pm:

I'm afraid I am one of those who would like to see the tradition end. What I don't like is one thing you pointed out....just a printed card with a name at the bottom. And that's what they pretty much are. And cards from people I see everyday or keep in close contact with...well, I don't NEED an update from them, and I wish them Merry Christmas in person, so I find a card unnecessary. It gets time consuming and expensive. If there are a few special people in my life who are out of town then I send a card. But the majority of the special people in my life I see on a regular basis and cards just don't seem needed. And I've never understood exchanging cards only once a year as the sole contact. If your ONLY contact with someone is a once a year card, why bother?? Yet I receive cards from people like that every year. Many are relatives...but I don't see them! If we're not close enough to bother seeing each other, I think it is time to stop with a perfunctory card exchange. Yes, I'm a Grinch.

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 02:46 pm:

I just finished our Christmas cards today and will be mailing them out tomorrow. I try to write a short note in each one. I do send pics of the kids, but not every year. I used to send out quite a few cards, but have weeded the list down and no longer send cards to people who haven't reciprocated for several years. Sounds cold, but it takes time, effort and postage to send out cards. If they don't bother, I'm not going to waste my time. KWIM?!

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 02:52 pm:

If your ONLY contact with someone is a once a year card, why bother??

I have many relatives in Canada who we rarely see. Christmas cards are a nice way to keep in touch. We don't see each other often because it's a loooong way and hard for both parties to travel due to work, school, etc.. I'm not going to stop corresponding simply because they live far way. Several of them do e-mail, which is great, but most of the old timers don't. None of us are good pen pals, but Christmas cards are do-able.

By Yjja123 on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 03:39 pm:

I hope it is not a thing of the past!
I LOVE getting updated on peoples lives, even if it is once a year! I hear from a few family members (cousins) and long distance friends every Christmas. I look forward to it. I am told that they look forward to hearing from us too.
I send out cards with pictures, a newsletter and a personal message.

By Pamt on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 04:18 pm:

I'm like Yvonne. I send a photo card, a newsletter, and write a personal message in each card. We have lived in 5 states since we have been married and literally have friends all over the world from our missions experiences. It is a great way to keep in touch. I know that a lot of people think newsletters are braggy or egotistical, but I love to get newsletters and learn what people have been up to so I send them for that reason. One of our good friends from high school sends the funniest newsletter every year. He facebooked us yesterday to get our new address and we told him that the Christmas season doesn't officially begin for us until we receive his card.

As for the once a year thing...well, some people we do email throughout the year, but there are some high school friends, fraternity/sorority friends, former church members, seminary friends, etc. that we don't keep up with, but getting a card, seeing how their kids have grown, and hearing about what's going on is such a treat! I just love it!

Our family is trying to become very green and eco-aware. I was reading the other day that cutting out Christmas cards is one way of doing that. We recycle, use fluorescent lightbulbs, compost, don't drink bottled water, etc., but Christmas cards are one area that I won't be green about. I think we get way too few real handwritten bits of mail in life anyway and I'm going to do may part to keep the tradition alive.

BTW, I do agree with you though...if you are going to have pre-printed cards with no personal note, then take me off your list. Why bother sending cards?

By Reds9298 on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 05:14 pm:

We send photo cards with a newsletter as well. I love getting updates at Christmastime, but honestly most of the cards we get are a quick signature or just a photo card and that's it, which is discouraging.

I'm like Trina and also stop sending cards if I don't get one back after a couple of years.

By Kate on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 06:04 pm:

Oh let me be clear about something...when I said why bother with once a year cards, I meant why bother with that when the person lives right in town. I have lots of people who send cards who live right here, but we never see each other. If we live right here and don't care enough to SEE each other, I wonder why we're bothering sending cards with just a signature on the bottom once a year. I completely understand once a year CORRESPONDENCE cards with people far away. But if the far away people just jot their name on the bottom with no update, I just wonder why. I love the newsletters and photos, too, but there are way too few of those types.

By Kaye on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 07:28 pm:

Well i just ordered preprinted photo cards. This is the first year in many years that I haven't handmade my cards. I am trying to figure out how I will write something in these cards and it be noticed...LOL. I thought about adding like an index sized card with the photo. Now the only reason I did the photo is I had the cutest idea, and then couldn't make it happen for less than 100 dollars. I wanted walled sized individual pics of my kids, instead of the typical group photo. Well when I collage them on my computer then they don't hold enough resolution to print well. CRAZY.

So it was important to me to do the individual pics for many reasons, most of those on my card list will understand. We also have moved quite a bit, so I send out about 100 cards. I don't get near that many though. Anyway the big reason is just how much my kids have changed. My oldest dd, lost that baby look she had a year ago, she is almost 14 and looks adult, crazy. My youngest has been doing quite a bit of therapies, vitamins, etc, and he has finally lost that "austistic look", his eyes are normal, I wanted my friends who have all been praying for us to really get to see him, not the little dot he becomes in the group.

Anyway, I love cards, it is my favorite thing about christmas, i love reading the letters and hearing people be excited about their families.

By Yjja123 on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 07:49 pm:

Are you are referring to the photo cards that do not fold like a greeting card?
If so, I have used those before. I made another card the same size (in card stock) and printed our letter on it.
I have not used that type card since then. It does make it awkward to include a message. The index card will work.

By Reds9298 on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 08:01 pm:

Snapfish now has a stationery card to go with the photo card, so you can write a note to include with the photo card. I've always done my photo cards with them, but decided to do a newsletter this year so I didn't try the stationery cards. www.snapfish.com

My friend makes a cute photo sheet instead of a newsletter. She has 2 boys and prints out an 81/2 x11 sheet with 6 or so pics of the boys over the year, then a brief caption. It's really cute and gives the recipient a photo record of some big events for the year.

Kaye-I ALWAYS made my own Christmas cards before I had Natalie. I really enjoyed it, and would do them all in the summer when I wasn't working. Now I'm so into scrapbooking that card making just seems uninteresting to me now. My friend still makes beautiful Christmas cards. I just receieved hers the other day and remembered how much I used to be into it!

By Bellajoe on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 08:39 pm:

I love getting Christmas cards, especially with pictures of my friends and families kids. It's nice to know that they think of you and keep you on "the list"
I ordered mine on Snapfish and sent them out with a little newsletter but I only gave the newsletter to people who dont' know what we've done this year.

So far,i've only gotten 2 cards. I hope I get more!

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, December 9, 2007 - 09:11 pm:

I like getting Christmas cards and I love reading the newsletters. I'm not sure why Christmas letters get such a bad rap. I want to know what people are up to.

I had such an insanely busy weekend, I didn't get too far on my cards. I did start working on the Christmas letter, though.

By Kaye on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 09:25 am:

Since I didn't make my cards this year, I am going to make staionary cards, this size of index cards so that I can write a note to the person. I will try to keep them simple!

By Vicki on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 10:09 am:

I love doing and getting Christmas cards! I have had mine done for a few weeks now, but just got my stamps this morning. I will likely send them out at the end of the week or beginning of next week. I have gotten 4 cards already. I don't like to send them too early and not too late either.

By Reds9298 on Monday, December 10, 2007 - 10:59 am:

I think we've gotten around 6-7 cards so far.

By Ilovetom on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 01:48 pm:

I think it's a dying tradition. I still send one, but with my children getting older I guess it will die out here too.

I love getting them. Especially with a note or a picture. It doesn't matter to me if I only hear from them once a year.

It's a huge 2008 from us. Two graduating from high school and one from U of A. Ours looks like this:

By Annie2 on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - 03:49 pm:

Great picture! Your children are beautiful.
I send out cards every year to family and close friends, with a pic of the kids and a small note in each card. I may not do it this year, though, we'll see. I'm just running out of time.