Christmas Cards, Yea or Nay?

[Cat Herder]

Is writing out 50+ Christmas Cards and mailing them every year still a tradition or is it dead?

[GirlMomma]

I do it! I actually just send photo cards because of the kids

[Snowmom]

I gave up a couple Christmas' ago.
It used to be a reason to create a collage of photos of the kids. But it just gets too spendy between printing and postage.

I now just stick to posting a pic once a year on social media.

[e.j.]

We still send cards out but our list has grown smaller than it used to be.

[Blackcat31]

Same here. I can't in good faith just not send any as I've always done so. Something my mother and her mother etc all did. But my list of people has grown smaller as some no longer participate and some are no longer with us. Either way I still can't give up the tradition.

A few years ago, we did a Christmas card exchange with providers on the board. It was fun! I still exchange cards with one provider that hasn't been on the board since probably 2012/2013.

[Cat Herder]

I am seriously considering giving it up. I don't feel joy when I do them, like I did a long time ago. I printed off the list this morning to start them and felt depressed about it most of the day.

1. Most of the people I looked forward to sending them to have passed away.
2. My kids are grown and gone so won't be in a picture, photo cards look sad after that to me, just two old geezers in ugly Christmas sweaters.
3. I typically send 70ish and receive about 9. Always arriving a week or so after I mail out mine. "You haven't given me a gift! You've given me an obligation!" comes to mind.
4. None of the people left on the list have called or talked to me, in person, in well over 10 years (many since their own kids/grandkids grew up or spouse died/remarried).
5. The majority of the list is on social media, so a simple post or text is possible.

I already bought the fancy cards, personalized return labels, special Christmas stamps and glittery envelope seals. I have not skipped a year since 1988, so it probably feels like a much bigger deal to me than it is?? Aghhh... My original list was my mothers given to me when I reached "adulthood" to carry on the tradition.

[Blackcat31]

(((Hugs))) I know exactly how you feel.

I now only send to those that send to me.
Some years they are first to send, some years I beat them to the mailbox but I’ve definitely pared my list down. Those that reciprocate simply because I sent one aren’t top of my list at all and eventually fall off completely.

I say send a card ONLY to those you know appreciate it and those you consider real family/friends. 😊

[Cat Herder]

I went over the list again and there are only seven people left I am remotely related to, I've met two of them. The rest are related to or somehow associated with my husband, his work or my mother-in-laws work people (late 80's).

This tradition may be past it's time for me.

[Valerie928]

It's dying, not totally dead but getting there. I only send to family that sends to me also and some friends. I used to go all out.

[Alwaysgreener]

I quit a few years ago. I may or may not still have a box of unused ones in the Christmas Totes. If I give them to the deck, I sign my kids names and not mine.

My mom still sends out cards and I still get the random photo cards from people. I got a photo card from a new dcf with a long story on it, really early, it arrived just before Thanksgiving

[Annalee]

I'm not a good card-sender...period...my mom is an avid birthday, thinking of you, anniversary, whatever card sender.....she's loved for this but I didn't get that trait..

[Cat Herder]

I used to do all birthdays and anniversary's' too. lol!!! I had to stop because I was out of the loop on divorces and made a couple embarrassing guffaws. I also have a hard time sending a birthday card without something inside them, so was going broke and making people uncomfortable.

I am not great at social cues since the majority of my familial relationships were triangulated and I was never actually a physical part of them. If that makes sense? They were someone's elses (my moms dads, in-laws, DH's people relating info back and forth to me, never first person)

I was rarely treated like a whole person, on my own, by any of them. Just so and so's daughter, wife, grand daughter, daughter-in-law, niece, etc.... I was loaned out for babysitting, cleaning, etc when the adults went out but never to spend time with me, even my grandparents. Curse of being born to 14 years olds, I suppose?? Some still call me by the wrong name and I have always just answered. lol!!! What can you do? They were elders. Embarrassing them by pointing it out would be crazy rude at this point.

[Alwaysgreener]

"Some still call me by the wrong name and I have always just answered. lol!!! What can you do? They were elders. Embarrassing them by pointing it out would be crazy rude at this point."

I can so relate. My name is mispronounced and misspelled so much that I stopped using it. I went through high school responding to three different names. When look for my name in written form, I have to look for six possible spellings plus the other names my name is pronounced as. When I meet someone for the first time and they pronounce my name correctly, I am caught off guard. However I have also been yelled at for not responding when called or not recognize my own written name when misspelled.


that I realized she had mispronounced my name.

[flying_babyb]

I send to family and a few neighbors. Usually card with my 3 cats lol

[Cat Herder]

Now, my neighbors I like to get gifts. Just like the daycare kids. That I enjoy. This year I am putting together little breakfast baskets with honey bran muffins, bagels, local jams, cream cheeses & fresh creamery butter (local dairy), nuts and fruits. There are only 7 homes in my neighborhood, so it is affordable and fun.

[flying_babyb]

Cat Herder I do cards for all the people on my floor (5 other apartments) and a gift for a few of them that are meaningful Like bird man who shares a wall with mine and has to hear me sing, the old lady with no family, and of course DAVE, my package picker-uper who brings me dinner all the time (he lives along and over cooks) and is retitred so he brings in my packages

[NatureMama]

I have a Marine who is now out and two current Marines serving. I belong to a couple of Marine Mom fb pages and we do Christmas Card and Mother Day card exchanges. So much fun and love seeing them come i from all over!