to not send any christmas cards this year?

[christmasmadness]

is it really necessary to give cards to people I see all the time or send cards to other people that I never see?

I don't think so. particularly if all you say in the card is "To X, From Y". I just pass greetings on in person.

I'd like to stop but I think people will be worried they've offended me! They are a PITA though - writing them takes ages, stamps cost a fortune, I always miss the second class post and have to go for first and then they end up in the recycling bin. None of those I receive ever say more than 'to Cambridge, DH and DD Happy Xmas love from x, x, x and x' either - how pointless is that?!

No! Please do not send cards willy-nilly. It's an anachronism, send them only to people you want to and you know will appreciate them, so probably about one I expect.

I dont send any. The only person I ever sent a card to was my mum when she was alive, as she had a bit of a strop if she didnt get one, but she was one of those people who used the number of cards strung up and flapping around the room as an indicator of how popular she was... (I loved her dearly btw!).

I hate cards being up in the house, and they dont get put up here if we get any.

I'm not doing it either.

We only send to family and close friends now, over the 12 years we've lived together I have managed to cut the amount of cards sent by a huge amount, we maybe only send about 20 now. Everyone else gets ecards or our very best wishes given in person

Tbh I wouldn't notice if someone didn't give me a card as I don't have a checklist of people who give them to me.

I stopped Xmas cards years ago. If someone in work gives me a card, I thank them and say that I don't do Xmas cards so please don't think I've forgotten you. Never been a problem I think

I just put a general message on Facebook for friends.

I do give DP a card but that's filled with sentimental slushy stuff

Of course not. I haven't for years, because I just can't be arsed I make a donation to Amnesty International forgot last year though of the rough equivalent of what I used to spend on sodding cards and postage. It's great-I get to be Bah Humbug about cards and saintly all at the same time.

oh good!! I might not bother then and will save myself a lot of time and money!!

My friend from abroad thinks we are crazy for giving cards to people we see regularly. A card is send in place of a personal greeting. I can see her point. I am doing very scaled back cards this year. Stamps are so bloody expensive now aren't they unless you know a pensioner who can buy you some at last years prices

I only send a couple of cards, both to older relatives who really like to receive them. I usually make a donation instead, generally to Shelter or Oxfam.

This is one Christmas chore I hate and dread. I know older people really like the tradition of cards but with people now in regular contact via email etc it all seems like a lot of trouble for nothing. I think a lot of people also use the amount of Christmas cards you get as a guage for how popular you are, which doesn't really make sense either as a lot of the people who send you cards don't make any effort to see you for the rest of the year. They're really just ticking your name off a list.

Oh I am the only person in the world who loves buying Christmas cards, writing them and sending DS1 to the post box.

I yippeed with joy when DP asked me to sort out his company ones.

I am clueless to why. It's not a popularity contest as I usually forget to hang a stack of them up.

I think it's cos' I see it as happy post.

Then again the majority of the cards I write are for friends and family who live no where near us.

I find it a chore and have been scaling back my list over the last few years. None of my distant family use Facebook so I still send cards to them, but I am drastically pruning this year's list.

I'm cutting right back this year and its quite simply because of the cost of stamps. I am not worried about who I do or don't receive cards from and hope my friends will feel the same. I will still send to the older generation but literally a handful for me this year (plus the ones going to school for the children - but I don't mind that as they cost pennies to buy and don't need stamps). I realise I may be a bit Ba Humbug but there is enough to spend money on at this time of year. I will call people I can't see and speak to them instead.

I've decided to embrace the card giving tradition this year and am having really cheesy ones made...which my older relatives will probably love.