Christmas cards

[RedHelenB]

to think it's a shame if the tradition stopped due to people deciding to give to charity instead?

Eh?

I honestly couldn't care.

If people want to send them fine as long as they don't expect one back from me

Bah humbug Sirzy

Yeah, better all those cards hanging on my door than some homeless people get a warm bed, or God forbid a cure is found for cancer.

YANBU - I hear a lot of people saying they don't send them but tell people they're giving to charity instead. While nice to do that if you are the sort who'd buy cards and stamps and then not get round to doing them anyway, or if you're the sort who'd get hundreds of cards, it's really nice for at least some members of the family like older relatives, cousins you don't see very often etc to get a card from you and be 'remembered' at this time of year.

"or God forbid a cure is found for cancer."

Or you could buy some cards from one of the cancer charities. I always buy Christmas cards direct from each charity that I support. My friends and family are very scattered, I don't "do" Facebook and neither do most of them so a Christmas card is very welcome, espcially to the elderly members of the family who think a mouse is a rodent .

See, why is it something that requires effort and is a nice thing to do for someone else the thing to be sacrificed for charity? It's never "I'm going to spend the money I'd spend on chocolate advent calanders and tins of roses" or "the money I'd spend on a tree" or "the money I'd spend on booze for Christmas" "Christmas outfit money" that's given to charity, it's the thing that takes effort to show people you've thought about them that you 'sacrifice' for cancer research or homelessness.

It's not really about giving up a Christmas expense for charity, it's about giving up a Christmas chore because you can't be arsed and justifying it with the smugness of charitable donation instead.

"It's not really about giving up a Christmas expense for charity, it's about giving up a Christmas chore because you can't be arsed and justifying it with the smugness of charitable donation instead."

Thumbs up emoticon

See to me sending a card doesn't show you remember someone. Write them a letter, pick up the phone and talk to them or heaven forbid visit them - much better way to show you care

Funnily enough Sirzy I do that as well. My relatives would still be a little if I didn't send a card, because, as LydiaWhickham has pointed out, the impression that is given is that you couldn't be arsed.

I sort of agree with you Lydia & it does seem to be becoming a trend. DD says teachers have told them that they are doing that instead of sending to the children & some other friends have announced it on facebook. I buy charity cards & tend to make one off donations round Christmas

Plenty of people don't bunbaker I know lots of people who only communicate when it is time to send a Christmas card so why bother?

I don't need to send people a card to say happy Christmas and that I care.

I just can't see the fuss!

I have posted christmas cards to friends and family this year although I do consider it to be a chore I'm afraid.
So far this year we have received only 2 cards (hooray, drives me mad wondering where to put them) so maybe many more people in my circle too are giving up sending them.
I was just saying to DH this morning that I don't think people of our DS's (24 & 20) generation will probably send cards.

I actually hate christmas cards...what a waste of money

I love Xmas cards! My MIL always sends the first one of the year and when that arrives I always know Xmas is on its way :)

I will continue to send them as I like making them, but I don't really care if people send me any or not!

Oh, I love xmas cards as well and agree completely with what Lydia said. And it is possible to do both - give to charity and send cards. My youngest's school have said they "can't" send cards. Who are they to decide?? (Oh, I know all the reasons before anyway posts them but it all feels so grumpy)

Sirzy

You
have a good idea but I have upwards of 130 relations (plus friends) with whom I keep in touch. The cheapest and friendliest way of doing it is sending a Christmas card and enclosing a brief note (but I can't send notes to all of them becaue I would have to write a note every day - or nearly. I hear from some of them before I send my cards so I'm not wasting my money. I love them all.

Love Xmas cards, would not be happy to get a donation onmy behalf instead. Most people spent what? £10 on cards? Poor donation IMO, notreally worth it.
Mindyou I'm awful, I've spent about £60 on cards. But I do love them.

Bearcat

What I do (well I've done it for at last 40 years) is to have ric rac ribbon (narrow ribbon) in several 6ft lengths. Take one length and drawing pin it on the top of a door where you would like your display to be. Hammer it down if it stops your door from closing. Use a dressmaking pin to secure your cards to the drop down ribbon and they are never in your way. When yo get to the one at the bottom, use a bit of double sticky tape to stick the bottom ard to the door. Experience wil show you why.

Count all your doors, multiply the number by 3 ( ribbons that could hang from them) and x say 120 cards and you are there. I keep one or two separate from the pinned ones but I have a tidy house!

Spot on post, Lydia. I like sending and receiving Christmas cards, it actually feels quite quaint and charming in this digital age. I only ever buy charity cards and I don't really get why anyone would buy non-charity ones to be honest; all the charity shops sell them if you're not organised enough to do mail-order.

"I don't need to send people a card to say happy Christmas and that I care."

I do because I don't live near any of them. A card is a nice, personal way of sending good wishes. Far nicer than a text message or Facebook. Besides, the older generation don't use/have mobile phones or computers.

Fair enough, I still don't see the point though and of course there are plenty of ways of communicating with people (all year round) which don't involve mobile phones or computers!

Charity cards are crap, the amount that goes to charity is negligable. So the amount that goes to the good cause in question probbaly isn't even quantifiable. My only card criteria is niceness. M&s usually always come through, if not then v&a, john lewis or paperchase. Choosing them is the most fun really.

"Charity cards are crap, the amount that goes to charity is negligable"

It depends where you buy them. If you buy them from a high street store or supermarket then the charity might only receive as little as 4%. Buying direct from a charity shop, or its website, guarantee they?ll get 100% of the profits after production and distribution costs.

This website lists all the charities that pay at least 75p in every pound to charity.

I`m doing both....donating to charity instead of cards but sending cards from myself and the family to those I care about, near and far.