Christmas Cards - a dying breed?

[gazza77]

We've received and sent less than ever this year. Elderly relatives decreasing in numbers, no one bothers at work anymore and nor do most friends. We've received 12 so far, 10 from people over 60 and 6 of those 10 are from people 70+. 

Do you still write and send cards? I'm expecting to be down to pretty much zero received in the next 10 years based on current trends. Little surprise really, as it's increasingly expensive based on cards and stamp prices.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

The Goose household has received just about as many as usual, haven't counted them but must be 30 or so. We've sent to everyone we normally do and received from them all as well.

[Red Willow]

Immediate family, a few neighbours thats the lot for us.

[Padge]

I have never understood giving a christmas card to someone you are going to see over christmas, or who you work with and you will wish them all the best on the last work day together.

They only make sense if you  send them to people who you won't see and wish to pass on your personal greetings.

 

[Gerrumonside ref]

I still like to send them as it makes me stop and think of other people even if for a brief amount of time.

Thats always a good thing.

I also appreciate receiving them as it takes a bit of effort.

[Stirlin]

I always send a personalised card from Funky Pidgeon .com to my sister in law who is 89 yrs young , she says seeing her name on the front of the card is as good as getting an Xmas present.

[Padge]

10 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

I still like to send them as it makes me stop and think of other people even if for a brief amount of time.

Thats always a good thing.

I also appreciate receiving them as it takes a bit of effort.

But if somebody down the road can't be @r$£d saying merry christmas in person but thinks a piece of cardboard makes you suddenly a friend, what does it really say about you're relationship with them?

[Gerrumonside ref]

13 hours ago, Padge said:

But if somebody down the road can't be @r$£d saying merry christmas in person but thinks a piece of cardboard makes you suddenly a friend, what does it really say about you're relationship with them?

I don’t know and that’s one I guess for you to puzzle out.

[Tommygilf]

14 hours ago, Padge said:

But if somebody down the road can't be @r$£d saying merry christmas in person but thinks a piece of cardboard makes you suddenly a friend, what does it really say about you're relationship with them?

It's not always "can't be arsed" though is it?

People live all sorts of lives with work and kids, in lots of areas simply don't see their neighbours as often as 30 years ago. Writing a card and making that effort is a much nicer way of doing it I think than doing nothing because you don't happen to pass in the street.

[Ackroman]

The trend seems to be to give to a charity instead of sending Christmas cards and then go on Facebook to tell eveyone.

I can't think of a better example of virtue signalling. 

Saves myself, the wife and kids bothering to write to "friends" who clearly aren't. 

[gazza77]

5 hours ago, Ackroman said:

The trend seems to be to give to a charity instead of sending Christmas cards and then go on Facebook to tell eveyone.

I can't think of a better example of virtue signalling. 

Saves myself, the wife and kids bothering to write to "friends" who clearly aren't. 

That was the trend amongst my social circle 10-15 years ago. Nowadays we've just got to no-one bothering with either (or the unlikely scenario of donating quietly). 

I never understood why the two needed to be mutually exclusive.

[Futtocks]

I remember signing card after card at work for our customers at Christmas, until my signature started to lose any meaning and my hand began to cramp up. A wasteful activity that I don't miss any more than I expect the recipients do.

Now I attach a card to one present for each of my family. I do post cards to a very few special old friends, but every year I have to delete another address or two, as people die.

Edited January 3, 2025 by Futtocks

[JohnM]

It's not so much the cards that are a dying breed. It's more than the senders are a dying breed. We're sending - and receiving - a diminishing number each year.  Even though we are in contact with friends around the UK and beyond in varying degrees throughout the year, cards often communicate their latest news, upcoming hip surgery details  etc. Fortunately, we now only get one "newsletter" telling us how brilliant they, their high-acheiving children and grandchildren are. Most cards, though, do carry at least a few handwritten notes, not just "Merry Christmas".

Edited January 4, 2025 by JohnM

[JonM]

A quick count up says we've got about 60 (and presumably that means my wife has sent a similar number). On a quick look through, I can only see two from someone younger than me. As JohnM says, a reasonable proportion of them have some kind of message or news inside. Haven't sent any myself in at least a decade, but I have noticed that a lot of younger relatives, grown-up children of friends who've known all their lives etc. do appreciate cards for university graduation, moving house or whatever just because they don't get much through the post.

My wife volunteers at a local foodbank. People might be pleasantly surprised at the number of anonymous financial donations they get.

[Copa]

I received 3.

I mostly received text messages, or similar, from people on Xmas day.