I’m not sending Christmas cards this year, I’m donating to charity

[UseAMuckySock]

Why is everyone announcing this on Facebook lately? Are we supposed to tell them how amazing and thoughtful they are?

What would be wrong with a text? They can read it just the same as a card?

I don't send many cards as I have poor fine motor skills and actually writing is difficult. My friends I hope don't judge me for this. I would hope they understand.

Same here. I don’t see how it is better to send a card vs actually calling or seeing the person over Christmas. We have all these means so why waste the money on a card.

We have received ten Christmas Cards and all but one has a handwritten message along with whatever the card says and we talk to those that send them every week and see them over Christmas except for this year but we will see them via Skype. If they want to spend their money that way fine but the cards ends up in the compost or in the recycling bin.

If someone sent me a Christmas card once a year, I rather them not bother when they could just have a few minutes chat. Cost less and more meaningful to me.

A general message saying that personal contact is too much bother, is not.

Who would ever say this?

And yes. We do all have busy lives. I'm disabled. I have limited capacity for extra support for people. I'm ND so I'd likely put my foot in it with a social convention and I also tire easily due to disability and after a day of work and managing my own life I am not able to provide much support if any. I pay for help for myself.

So family and friends don’t think you aren’t thinking of them/forgotten them just that you aren’t sending out cards?
it’s not new either I’ve been doing similiar for about 15 years.

I think it's easier to be cynical and rude about people doing things that make you fleetingly question your own actions - my pet theory also applied to eg vegans and eco warriors.

I think it’s lovely giving to charity I don’t think you need to tell everyone on your socials really sorry

So people who usually get one know not to expect one/be miffed by it?

I don't do fb anymore but assume there's also a lot of virtue signalling. I've cut back partly because I won't keep spending for people who don't bother with me, and partly because they probably won't arrive this year anyway 🤦‍♀️

I see no point in sending Christmas cards to people I see regularly especially family who we will be spending Christmas with. Yet DH does and guess which mug writes them 🤣

I would rather see a FB post saying that they are forgoing Christmas dinner and volunteering in a homeless shelter.

I think that elderly relatives who you don't see would love a card. I imagine myself being 96 and in a home and not receiving any cards 😞. I think it's quite sad.

@AnguaResurgam said it really well upthread “But I think its better to take it off something that impacts on you and yours, rather than cutting something that gives joy to others”. If you can’t be arsed to write Christmas cards that’s fine, if you want to donate to charity then great, but the two aren’t related for the majority of people.

I never send Christmas cards. I do donate to charities all year. The two things are completely unrelated for me.

This is the reasoning behind it I think. Because cards have become far less popular over the years I suspect the obvious link has been lost in that time.

And on the other side of that coin, I lost someone close to me 15 years ago and the one thing that makes me feel better is the idea donating to a charity to prevent deaths like that means less people will have to suffer they did, and like we did as a family. So if choosing to donate in their memory is seen as ‘who cares’ that feels like a slap in the face to me.

you see how that works? Different people are different and have different needs. We can’t please everyone, so we do what feels right for us.

As it goes when my child was dying, phone calls and visits were VERY welcome.

Christmas cards were a way for people who aren't really in touch any more to keep in touch. Social media serves the same purpose so they have become a bit irrelevant.

@ohioriver sorry about your mum. I think it is a nice thing. I miss my mum too and know exactly what you mean. I don't want her to be forgotten either.

@TheOriginalEmu I am sorry

I would be astonished if more than 10% of the people who CBA to send Christmas cards and do the whole “I am giving to charity instead” drama, ever actually get around to making that donation.

I started doing this 2 years ago, I didn't know it was a "thing" or considered "wanky". I only post on FB so people that don't receive cards from us don't get miffed. If that makes me a wanker, so be it. This year I've donated to the charity attached to the hospital we've spent a lot of time at this year. They provided a teddy for 8 month old DD last week when we spent hours in A&E majors. The kindness made me cry, especially after I'd had to perform CPR on my own child.

It's not really a drama is it? It's a quick FB post and £30 quid or whatever paid online to Shelter

It’s a delightful combination of laziness and virtue signalling.

Wow. Nice to know I'm lazy not disabled. Thanks.

I don't know a single person who thinks/does this.
Might as well say anyone who objects to it just feels guilty because they waste paper and money on an outdated ritual just because everyone else does it.

I must tell my physio and rheumatologist and orthopaedic surgeon that I'm just lazy not disabled next time I see them. Maybe I should just make my fingers work properly via the internet and write them a card. 🙄

I've just worked out that I've spent less than £10 on cards this year (inc postage) - I bought a pack of 50 cards from Asda for £2, the majority I give to people when I see them, and I've posted about 10 this year at a cost of £6.80. I think sending cards, in spite of the "faff" or whatever, is a lovely thing to do and I always send one to people I know feel lonely this time of year in the hope it makes them feel less alone and like they've been in our "thoughts".

I volunteer and give a lot to charity on the side too, but I wouldn't post on social media about it unless we were advertising an event or selling something to raise money that I thought would be of interest to friends. I wouldn't say "I donated £10 to this charity today!"

Oh aren't you a good person.
I'm doing both and also work for two charities...so what's your point?