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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

I hate sending and receiving christmas cards

65 replies

tangent · 14/12/2007 16:19

Do I have to join in? Just got one through the door from a neighbour i don't even like. I'm not christian and quite frankly don't have time to write 100 cards. Bah humbug.

OP posts:

honeyloops · 16/12/2019 21:20

Oh noooo, I hope you're not my neighbour - I feel bad now! We moved here not long ago and I put one through both side neighbours' letterboxes, just to be friendly because they've been lovely... I don't even normally do cards

mrsbyers · 16/12/2019 21:22

I just send to close relatives and friends , donate to a dog charity instead and if people don’t like it then tough don’t send me them - they’re just clutter apart from family ones in my eyes

phoenixrosehere · 16/12/2019 21:33

Yanbu.

I have my husband write them since it’s mainly his family that does them. I find it strange since we have seen them around christmas for almost a decade. I find it particularly wasteful when there are two-three sent together from the same person, one for us and one each for our sons who not only can’t read, but aren’t bothered. It all ends up in the recycling once we get back from seeing them all. However, I do like and keep the ones with pictures of the sender and their family. I think those are lovely.

Newkitchen123 · 16/12/2019 21:34

I'm not a fan
They're just clutter
I donate to charity
I won't have a better Christmas because someone sent me a card
I do think they're nice for elderly relatives and friends though but that's about it

Itstheprinciple · 17/12/2019 12:27

I don't get how they are clutter. I stick them up the side of the stairs and on the patio doors by the Christmas tree and they add to the decorations I think.

There are mixed messages really. Should ukd you send cards to people you will see anyway over Christmas or is that pointless? Should you send cards to people you haven't seen for ages or is that pointless?

When I take mine down after Christmas, I write a list of who we got them from and that forms the basis of my next year's list. There are people I still send to who don't do cards so you don't get struck off if you don't send one! But its a useful starting point for next year.

NoMorePoliticsPlease · 17/12/2019 12:33

I gave up years ago, I only send to people who really value them like lonely older people, Casual friends I email and people who matter more get a phone call. Weeds out all the 40 or so that havent seen for 40 years and have no contact with. Sendin a card to people you see to wish happy christmas to is just potty. Not good for the environment either. Make a donation to a charity of your choice but be aware some people get snotty about you putting the info out. More and more people are stopping it . There is not this frenzy in Europe. Just UK and USA

NoMorePoliticsPlease · 17/12/2019 12:35

@ Ralphiema
And you are very unpleasant. If thats the Christmas message you can keep it. Just think it through, this should not be an expensive chore just because you think so. Very MN

CharitySchmarity · 17/12/2019 12:40

I would love not to send any at all except for people I'm genuinely fond of who cannot be reached online or spoken to in person. DH still insists on writing cards to about 20 people he hasn't seen for years, doesn't mention at any time of year and in some cases wouldn't even recognise if he saw them. He also believes that if someone gives you one you have to give them one. It drives me nuts but he pays for them.

Mia1415 · 17/12/2019 13:25

I find this so sad.

I love sending cards and receiving them. I must admit that I do judge a bit people who don't send them back to me. I still send them one every year. Most I write a personal message in (not people I see regularly), giving some news or asking how they are.

I find it really sad and a bit depressing that people can't take a bit of time to remind people once a year that they are still thought about.

I also think its rather rude not to send a card when one has been sent to you.

BlaueLagune · 17/12/2019 14:22

I find it really sad and a bit depressing that people can't take a bit of time to remind people once a year that they are still thought about

I send cards to elderly relatives and friends, as well as a couple of people overseas, but that's it,

I also think its rather rude not to send a card when one has been sent to you

But that's just the same as forcing a friendship. If you don't want to keep n touch with someone, that's up to you.

BlaueLagune · 17/12/2019 14:24

I don't particularly like receiving them, either. What's the point of a card that simply says "dear jane and tom, love from peter and sarah"?

I would prefer to receive a letter or just an email with some actual news.

phoenixrosehere · 17/12/2019 16:26

I find it really sad and a bit depressing that people can't take a bit of time to remind people once a year that they are still thought about.

One can easily do that through this amazing invention called a phone or even gasps paying a visit.

How a generic card that only says a handful of words is so much better than calling or visiting is beyond me.

MineralSpinner · 17/12/2019 16:36

Our close friends are scattered all over the world so we send cards.

Moonpig is ace, I have all the addresses on there anyway from birthdays throughout the year, so just duplicate card and change the names. It really doesn't take long. You get a discount for bulk buy so it's very cost effective too.

Redwallisanovel · 17/12/2019 16:56

I've scaled back as much as I can to be honest because cards get on my nerves hugely.

The whole concept is ridiculous when you step back and look at it. Cutting down hundreds of trees, polluting the environment with ink to print them, wrapping them in plastic to sell them - all so we can send the word 'Merry Christmas' to people we might not see from one year to the next.

Then there is the obligation put upon whoever in the family is lumped with the job of maintaining the list and making sure you haven't offended anybody by leaving anyone out, forgetting their pets etc etc and then sitting down and laboriously writing the bloody things for a couple of hours.

Then you have to deal with the ones people send you. Having to display their taste in artwork which you may or may not care for. 20 odd days or more of trying to find somewhere to put them and picking the bloody things up again when they fall down which they do at least once a day.

Then at some point you take them down and stand in front of your recycling bin pondering each card and wondering if you can recycle it or not because it's got a bit of glitter/ribbon/plastic.

If it were up to me I'd just put them straight in the bin as soon as they arrive!

sandragreen · 17/12/2019 16:58

Does anyone else find that the blokes don't do cards so you're left with passifying their family?

No. That is wifework. Stop it!

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