to think Christmas cards will die out?

[FestiveFruitloop]

There seem to be so many people doing charity donations instead now. Which is great, but as someone who really enjoys sending and receiving cards, it makes me feel a bit torn plus some people can be really virtue-signal-y about the fact that they're doing donations instead

There seem to be more people than ever doing donations this year, and I'm sure finances and the general situation are playing a big part in that. But it does make me wonder if sending cards will end up being something only a minority of people do. AIBU in thinking they're on their way out and that covid has sounded their death knell, in a similar sort of way to how it's dealt a hammer blow to high street shopping?

Its not very green is it, it's just one big waste of paper

I think they have been in the way out for a few years. We get less and less each year and I only send a few now to elderly relatives.

This topic is underwhelming

I'll see your 'waste of paper' and I'll raise 'your' new phone every 2 years, your eating out in restaurants, and buying fast fashion.

Christmas cards bring me joy.

Definitely. I have received 3 ' out of box cards' and a few special ones like daughter etc. Which I know well always get them as our family love buying and giving the individual ones.
. A few yrs ago I used to get prob 40 or more.
Equally I don't write many other than the family ones, and maybe 5 others.

I hope not, since I still send them and like receiving them.

I suspect that in many cases where people have stopped, it’s a) down to the cost of postage (fair enough), or b) they just can’t be bothered to write them - admittedly it can feel like a chore when you’re very busy. But hardly anybody’s going to say that, so they have to give a more acceptable reason.

As for those people who piously talk of environmental reasons, I can’t help wondering whether they’re also giving up buying water in plastic bottles and flying abroad for holidays, etc.

I hope they do die out. I'll be glad to see the back if them.

I agree its shame. I have a large extended family who I very rarely see and this is our way of just saying hi every year. They form part of my decorations every year. The cost of postage is high - would be nice if they could do a discounted rate through Dec for cards maybe. Enivornmentally, they are almost all recyclable and the distribtuon must be marginal compared to parcels and the lack of business post that has been so largely replaced by email.

Only the minority of our family and friends send cards now and of the ones that do, they’re all older. 15 years ago most of our family and friends sent them. I think it’s just become so easy and cheap to keep in touch with each other now that many people don’t feel the need to send cards. And kids see having to post cards as very old fashioned so I don’t think many younger people will send cards as adults. So yes I think it will die out.
Although we don’t send many cards, if I knew it was important to someone I knew to receive one then I’d send one. I’d prefer a text or phone call personally.

It's the cost of postage that's the real killer for me, generally.

I'm also hugely disorganised, but this year I sent cards. I'm a long way away and I've not seen any of my family in 15 months. I desperately wanted some kind of physical contact with them. A card was that. Unfortunately none of them seem to have sent any to me

@TeenPlusTwenties

I'll see your 'waste of paper' and I'll raise 'your' new phone every 2 years, your eating out in restaurants, and buying fast fashion.

Christmas cards bring me joy.

My phone is 4 years old, I didn't know eating in a restaurant was wasteful and I don't buy fast fashion, or at least if I do, I use it slowly.

But I am not keen on Christmas cards. I agree the postage costs are the killer but I also dislike writing them.

I stopped sending them several years ago. We used to send dozens of all of DH's extended family and the neighbours were counted.

One year I had just had enough and said I would do my family and he would do his. He agreed.

My family is really only my parents and my sister. I use Moonpig for them and add a small gift in with the payment. Usually one of their nice tins of biscuits or fudge.

DH never did get around to writing the cards he was so adamant about writing for his family, and promised so faithfully. So that hasn't been done since I stopped.

If I am honest, I found doing them a real chore and it always fell to me. Funny how it isn't even a job now that I have shared it out. It was just wifework, but this wife now refuses it.

I hope so. They're such a waste of resources. And yes, so are many other things, but that doesn't mean I can't wish we stopped engaging in this particular waste. Nor does the fact that some people like them mean I have to think "oh well in that case let's continue". Lots of things that are needlessly wasteful are enjoyed by many, that's the reason we're in such a mess environmentally.

cologne See www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/food-waste-eating-out-restaurants or www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Restaurants.pdf

When cooking at home, you don't put sides on your plate you don't like, and you make portion sizes suitable. You don't 'send things back' because they aren't perfect either.

Yes, I do. I think the underlying reason - whatever people might say about the environment or the cost of stamps - is that many people nowadays simply can't be bothered to sit down and write out a pile of Christmas cards.

I think this is a shame, as cards can make a room look festive in a way that electronic messages and charity donations never will. They were also a sign that someone had taken five minutes to think about you and do something to bring you pleasure.

It's yet another feature of our increasingly selfish and lazy society.

@DifficultPifcultLemonDifficult

I hope they do die out. I'll be glad to see the back if them.

Me too.

Sorry to all the card lovers.

I haven't done them this year, but that's more due tot he fact that life is complicated at the moment and I've had other things to do. My husband hasn't done his family either.

The only one I feel guilty about is not sending one to my parents, but I'm going to see if I can do something about that today.

I hope not. I like sending and receiving them.

I think there’s a difference between sending to loved and missed friends and family who I don’t see often - and really appreciate getting cards from - to a sort of blanket handing out to everyone in the workplace/school/neighbourhood. I will certainly keep sending the former and would be so sad not to receive those.

I was actually thinking this the other day. I only send cards to my immediate neighbours. I really can’t be bothered anymore.

I love Christmas cards, but I don’t send them out blindly to everyone I know. I send to people I won’t see but would like to send a little message.

@crotchburn Why did you bother to reply then?

I think it's a generational thing. I don't hand them out to everyone but I always send to mainly older friends and relatives as I think they'd feel slighted or hurt otherwise.

My DC wouldn't be bothered in the slightest but I do still get them jokey/sarcastic ones to see them smile.

I hope not. I like Christmas cards,...and I really hate the "no cards but a charity donation" people.

As I always say when this come us, you gave given up the one thing that might bring pleasure to someone else...why not do the cards and give up alcohol/turkey/plastic tat presents for yourself instead? Then the only person feeling the loss is you?

We’ve sent and received more cards than ever this year. My four year old especially loves them and she is so proud now she can write her own. She loves sending postcards to her cousins as well but we have a postbox directly outside our house so it’s easy to pop a little card in and make her day.