To be miffed about those who donate to charity instead of cards.

[Holymolymackerel]

Just seen a Facebook post from a friend saying they are donating to charity this year and not sending cards.

I've already sent their card because one of the couple is dd's godfather and because I wanted to send them Christmas greetings.

Why are the two things related? Cant a donation be given and send a card too.

I think that's the 'logic' elaina, yes.

We have this every year though. Surprisingly often, people who send cards out think it's some kind of inherently more positive thing to do than not sending cards, rather than just being a thing some people like doing and some people don't. The original post itself is clearly influenced by this attitude. It's very curious, attributing morality to a preference for more old fashioned forms of communication.

If if was really about the environment, they wouldn't buy any baubles/tinsel/other plastic decorations/quality street with plastic wrappers, and should donate THAT money to charity instead. Recyclable card is nothing compared to the rest of the waste.

It's just laziness combined with grandstanding. If you can't be arsed to do cards, just admit it, but don't pretend it's for the environment when you've just spent £20 on single use plastic 🙄

But that's not true. We re use the same decorations each year which you can't do with cards and stamps

If if was really about the environment, they wouldn't buy any baubles/tinsel/other plastic decorations/quality street with plastic wrappers, and should donate THAT money to charity instead. Recyclable card is nothing compared to the rest of the waste.

This is just whataboutery - the idea that unless you live in a recycled straw hut, walk everywhere and eat nothing but (unpackaged) oats then it's pointless considering the environment at all.

Which is ridiculous, of course. Plus, many people don't buy plastic baubles, and all the rest of it, but reuse the same decorations year after year (which I like to do anyway, and so does DS).

Yes, it's bemusing that people are saying it can't possibly be an environmentally motivated decision unless the person is also signing up to a list of other environmentally motivated decisions that I, a person who is making the less environmentally friendly decision here, have stipulated.

Like, do people really think nobody has ever done just one thing they think will help a certain cause, whilst also not managing to dedicate their entire life to it? That nobody's ever been unable to see the big picture? It's nonsense. Worse than whataboutery even, because while that's rather pathetic, it does at least make some degree of sense.

I can see how someone would say well I'm not being lectured to by someone who does X. That is at least a call an individual is well placed to make for themselves, and in some cases they'll even have a valid point. Claiming you're able to ascertain other people's motivations for a decision by checking their behaviour against a list you've made up, not so much.

It all stems from people thinking because they disagree with something, it can't exist. You're entitled to think there shouldn't be any connection between donating to charity and sending Christmas cards, but that doesn't mean people aren't explicitly connecting the two by giving card money to charity. You're entitled to think someone shouldn't be making certain environmental decisions unless they're also making others (though it may well make you the worst kind of whatabouter) but that doesn't mean people aren't abstaining from cards for the sake of the planet whilst not necessarily leading a carbon neutral life. It's an important distinction to understand.

@Holymolymackerel

Get a life

I hate receiving cards - they’re pointless and annoy me. And I can’t stand people who get offended by not receiving one.

YABU. Seriously, why does it bother you what others do? You should be sending because you want to, not because you want one back.
It's nice to receive them, but I don't huff if I don't get one.
Each to their own. Thinking about it, they're a nice tradition, but in the modern age of social media/ technology etc a bit outdated and expensive having to buy stamps to send them all off, not to mention the environmental impact of all the paper waste etc.