Do you still send cards?

[justgeton]

Gone are the days I wrote dozens.. I still send to distant relatives.. older ones not on sm, and a few neighbours who seem to maintain the tradition.

To me it's such a waste, other than for those there's no other way of saying Merry Christmas... which I think was the original intention 🎄

After the year we spent £70 on Xmas cards we said never again. DD makes cards for our neighbours to go with their treat boxes and the only cards we buy are for MIL and GranIL as they are very traditional and if we didn't give them a card it would be all out drama. A lot of people I know are stopping cards now.

I haven't done for a few years, but I think I might this year as a little bit of joy popping through the post box might be needed this year

Yes. There's s lots of elderly relatives and friends in our family and I don't live nearby.
This year I'll be sending more out. Some extra cards and gifts to those who've helped to keep things going during tricky crap times

I haven't since the year I had 1 yo twins a d a chest infection in early December and something (most things) had to give. I've been sponsoring a place in a Crisis homeless shelter and sharing info about that on social media instead. However, I am considering sending some cards this year as we haven't seen people as often as usual (or at all in some cases).

No. Except for a couple of elderly relatives

I send to those that sent them to me. I started keeping a list a few years back when I sent out 100 and got 15 back. I keep those yearly lists in my email and look them up each year. People now get two "chances", otherwise they're off the list. I'm down to 21 now (I have to confess that I feel that anyone over 80 who is housebound gets an automatic card, I understand that they just can't do it anymore). It saves me a lot of money.

Yes. But only for people I don't see that often (say four times a year or less), plus close relatives. Not for local friends.

No, not after I divorced. Unless you include a personal message, it seems pointless and a waste of trees, effort and money.

@onyourway

I haven't done for a few years, but I think I might this year as a little bit of joy popping through the post box might be needed this year

Same here!

I love getting Christmas cards and have been really dismayed at how few I have received over the last couple of years. Most people I know don’t bother now, citing environmental and cost reasons. So it feels strange sending them, sadly and I won’t bother this year I think

I’ve gone one way and then the other. I used to really hate the obligation to send them - MIL commenting “Auntie Bee said your card must have been lost in the post”. Awful! You should send them because you want to send them, not to make it an obligation for someone to send back. So we didn’t send any for ages.

But now I’ve gone back the other way and enjoy sending them without any expectation of getting something back.

I don’t really get the idea of not sending due to social media either? I don’t mean I object to it, I just don’t understand. Surely the idea of sending a card is that you were thinking of the person, but that’s not the same as putting out a “to whom it may concern, Happy Christmas” type message. (I probably don’t understand how it works, I don’t do Facebook, but do others).

yes. not loads. I have barely any family, and a small social circle. I enjoy receiving them, and hope that the recipients do too. Because I probably only send maybe 25 or so, I have time to write a brief note.

my oldest friend worked overseas for a couple of years a while back, and while she was away we'd exchange postcards every couple of months. I really enjoyed seeing a card come through the door and sitting down with a brew to read it - a text message is great, but personal post is lovelier IMO.

Yes but not as much as I used to. Mainly to older relatives and friends who have moved away.

Yes, only to my DHs extended family, because my MIL gets on my case otherwise .... it's apparently my job because my DH cant be expected to remember 🙄 it makes my life easier just to buy the cheapest cards I can and send them

Yes, we love receiving them, so you've got to send them too! Will continue, especially this year when everyone needs a bit of cheering up. It's a good way of staying in touch, and social media is not the same at all as a handwritten colourful card arriving through the letterbox. We try to put personal notes in each one, even if it's just a one-liner.

Yes, and I like receiving them - they form part of our decorations.

I know the cost of postage is a major factor for a lot of people, but I think quite a few just CBA - admittedly writing them can feel like a real chore. The couples we know who’ve stopped sending, and say they’re giving the money to charity instead, are very comfortably off (I do know this) and could easily afford to do both.

I don’t know why people can’t just say they CBA if that’s the case. Instead of rather piously talking about the environment/giving to charity instead.

I still send Christmas cards but not usually to people I see in person.

I also 'inherited' a list of people to send Christmas cards after my Mum died.

I think I send @ 50-70 cards every Christmas-I try to write a personalised message in each. I have usually started writing them by now but haven't this year for some unknown reason

Back in the day I used to send around 200 cards every Christmas

Yes I do, I enjoy sending and receiving Christmas cards, we've moved around a lot so have a lot of friends all over the country and it's a nice way to keep in touch. I don't use social media so it wouldn't occur to me to just send generic messages. I send and receive about 100 cards, most will have a short personal message, I appreciate that I am fortunate in that I can afford it. I am currently furloughed so have made a start on writing my cards. And I agree, it is perfectly possible to send cards and give a donation to charity .

I send them to best friends and close family members. We try and put thought into the cards we choose and the messages that we write in them, so over the years I've got a collection of special cards.

What I find frustrating is when lots of cards and wrapping paper still have glitter, foil or metallic that can't be recycled.

The year my dad died 11 years ago I thought I just can’t be bothered last year due to my we only sent in-laws one very good friend who I don’t see much now and that’s it, they’re more trouble than they’re worth, we treasure the cards between us though.

I still like sending cards out and also receiving them, I also always put out ones from the previous years from my children and family, some of which are no longer with me

Nope, I hate them, always have, total waste of money. I do send birthday cards to certain people though.

In the last few years I’ve only reciprocated as I received them and the numbers have dwindled.
But this year, there are lots of people that I haven’t seen. They’re not quite close enough that I’d be organising zoom calls, but people I might see on and off on a normal year. So I’m going to send lots, and send them early.

I buy personalised cards for family, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews.
It costs a fortune.
I still send neighbours cards (charity Dementia Scotland)
Send E-Cards to friends.

Yes I do. My grandmother used to send cards to so many people she kept in touch with, and she used to get literally hundreds of cards at xmas. It's a flash back to a time passed and to not send cards would make me sad. I have relatives in their 90s who I haven't seen this year, they'll get a note and a photo of the kids.