To think this is strange from my neighbour?

[Pekitothebunny]

This morning I woke up to a pack of Christmas cards that have been posted through my door. They are new Christmas cards, still sealed within their pack, unused. A note came with it saying “hi, it’s Janet from number 5. I bought these for you to send out to the neighbours next year”

Huh? Why would anyone do that? She’s isn’t my direct neighbour, she’s like 4 houses down. We don’t speak or have any kind of relationship. However, since we moved in a few years ago she has always sent us a Christmas card, and I assume she sends them to everyone on the street. We don’t bother with Christmas cards and never send them out. Could it be that she’s offended that we never send cards so this is her not so subtle way of hinting that she will be expecting a card from us in 2025?? Why would anyone care so much?

Im planning on just throwing the cards away and ignoring it. Would anyone else find this weird?

I don't send cards to anyone, even when they've sent a card to me. Total waste of time and energy.

She's mad OP!! Post them back through her door with a note saying thank you for the consideration but you won't require them.

Tell her you’re a Jehovah Witness and don’t celebrate, but as she’s mentioned it can you talk to her about the religion. She won’t ever talk to you again 😂😂😂

Jesus the cheek.
Id post them right back to her letterbox, i wouldnt even bother with a note.
Just send em back and ignore.
I dont send them, i hate christmas cards, load of shite.
If she says anything, id simply laugh and say i figured you were having a laugh cos who would be so rude?
People baffle me.

Given your further comments regarding her attitude toward people I’d be putting them back through her door with a no thanks note attached.

Thing is you don't need to say anything or make any excuse. You don't owe her anything. Just post them back and leave it at that.

😂 I love her.

it sounds like someone is feeling lonely and isolated in this cold world of ours and wishes her neighbours were as friendly as her. I think many of us take people for granted and don’t really understand how much community and neighbouring care is needed and appreciated for people less fortunate, vulnerable, ageing or simply without family and as many friends.

I guess you could be defensive or you could be the better person and go over for a friendly chat to make sure she’s okay.

Charity shops do NOT want Christmas supplies in January... they want them in November. They often ask not to send stuff out of season as they can't store them so they end up having to pay to get rid of them.

I endorse the note about being kind to the environment. I send about 15 cards, largely to people of my parent's generation for whom this is a done thing. For anyone below this level I either message, rely on Facebook, or I do for some send an ecard. Quite straight forward to do. This is very passive aggressive and I would politely respond.

How on earth is it lazy to not do something you have no obligation to do and whats money got to do with it?

There is nothing smug about it but your post is wildly entitled and judgemental.

Christmas cards are wildly outdated, wasteful and useless. Even our kids school hasn't done them for the last 5 or so years and for the last 20 years prior thats the only place I have known that did do them.

Well I like Christmas cards but I think she’s incredibly rude. It’s up to her if she wants to send cards, and up to you if you want to; they are not compulsory.

If she really wanted to create a more neighbourly community she’d invite everyone round for drinks and mince pies or similar, and actually get to know them. This just comes across as trying to make you feel bad.

I never made any "announcement", i stopped doing christmas cards before the internet was invented, and im not smug, i actually jsut couldnt give a shit about christmas cards, find them dust collectors, outdated and wasteful. But I dont call people who do like them names either.
And i manage to donate to charities all year round, i dont wait until christmas either.

That’s what you need to do. What she has done is incredibly rude and presumptuous.

Oh this has given me such a laugh today.

Suggest using them as gift tags for your presents next year instead. Not for Janet at number 5 though.

If you bump into her you could say for religious reasons you don’t send out Christmas cards.

Are they all the same design, @Pekitothebunny ? If they are, I’d be tempted to send her one every year, until the pack runs out. Just her. Bit of a long game, but it would tickle me to know she would know you were only using one of her own cards every year and it was just for her! Once they run out I might even go and ask for some more 😂

Brilliant. Do nothing and she’ll be seething by next Xmas When she doesn’t get a card from you.

let her be. Sounds like a right nutcase.

I love that. With some insanely enthusiastic message about making up for lost time and lots of exclamation marks.

😂😂

I have literally never seen an announcement like what was describe, I highly doubt they are wildly common but even if you or PP have seen that in your specific circle its NOTHING to do with the thread.

Neither is your announcement about donating to charities regularly anything to do with the thread (but ironically the very thing PP was claiming is so tacky).

She declared people who do not send cards as lazy, cheap and smug for no reason so very much did call names.

Em, i was agreeing with you?

This. I’d would approach her and just keep the cards in case they come in handy rather than to routinely send iyswim

My late mum has a large family - she was 1 of 7. Each of 6 of them have between 2-4 kids and of those many also have 1-2 of their own.

It's now my dads responsibility to deliver cards.

I think he has a new found respect for my mum come Christmas 😂 (after writing about 100 birthday cards spread over the 12 months previous to this!)

Me and my siblings always ask "are you writing from us all" 😇

What a snotty attitude you have.

That’s hilarious op. Talk about batshit passive aggressive! You don’t know her, and you defo don’t want to, lol.

Just post them back with a note stating that you won’t be doing that next year and never.

I used to exchange cards with the neighbours, but we're all getting older and - I think - at the stage where we're not feeling particularly festive. Three of us in a terrace of three were widowed during lockdown and the couple across the road are not in good health.

The immediate neighbour and I exchanged cards, and I exchanged cards with another neighbour whom I've known for more than 40 yrs, but that's all.

The OP's neighbour might just be a bit lonely, but everything else that's been said about her suggests that she's a bit strange.

The best gloss is that maybe she thinks she can kickstart everyone in the street into giving cards next year.

If OP is feeling particularly wicked, she might consider shoving a card through the neighbour's door on 6th Jan - Eastern Orthodox Christmas Eve.