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Original poster

For everyone who hates printed Christmas letters

85 replies

OldieMum · 13/12/2004 11:19

Simon Hoggart gives us some extracts from the pick of the crop: \link{http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,1369884,00.html\here}

OP posts:
coppertop · 13/12/2004 11:27

PMSL! :o

It brought back happy memories of last year's round-robin thread too. :o

Gobbledigoose · 13/12/2004 11:30

OMG - I'm shredding mine now!

MariNativityPlay · 13/12/2004 11:31

No need to do a link from the other thread on awful christmas cards now Grin

Gobbledigoose · 13/12/2004 11:31

BTW - mine's not bragging - there's nowt to brag about! It tells of ds2's ridiculous tantrums and the fact that we've had a shit time trying to sell our house with no luck.

Still, I've decided it's too boring for words and they're going in the bin before I lead everyone to hate me!

Issymum · 13/12/2004 12:07

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request

Flumberrysauce · 13/12/2004 12:10

Ha ha GG. In light of this thread, I have decided to write one!! am just sending it to DP for his comments.

It goes on about how great I am at supporting the family, an exciting day out to Sheppey Island. How he is still enjoing his 'little' pin money job. And how our babies favourite toy is a blow torch.

Gobbledigoose · 13/12/2004 12:11

PMSL!!

juniperdropofbrandy · 13/12/2004 12:19

OMG Grin my sides are splitting!

"you gave me a diamond and all I had to do was polish it" blaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhh

BTW does anyone know of mum's even slightly resembling above? I do and one day on the way back from school she was grumbling that she'd tackled the teacher for extra reading books in the holidays and they'd said she's given them as needed. When she showed the book her dd was on (braggingly iykwim) DS1 - same year - said 'yeah, i read that one it's ok' Not bragging by any means as my piece of coal has his faults but her face was a picture Wink

Blackduck · 13/12/2004 12:32

I think what I hate about them is how unpersonal they are - I find that offensive somehow. I woud rather have two lines hastily scrawled in the card with the edited highlights than these things.

wickedwinterwitch · 13/12/2004 12:51

Fantastic! 'the pyramids, (overrated)' could have come from David Brent.

motherinfestivemood · 13/12/2004 12:53

Issymum - I want yours!!!!!

anorak · 13/12/2004 13:15

Brilliant, oldiemum...should help anyone tempted to write one to stay on the straight and narrow Grin

snowdonim · 13/12/2004 13:15

ROFL!! The 39,000 word round robin - it must have cost a fortune to post!!!Grin

motherinfestivemood · 13/12/2004 13:19

Am getting quite enthusiastic about the idea. 'The Inferiority Complex got rid of the mouse problem by acquiring a cat, which in its turn gave us fleas. We are looking at local schools for DD1, but have reached a deadlock between MI's snobbery (she doesn't like the local school) and DP's slobbery (he thinks it would be the easiest option). Neither of us have crashed the car recently, but house repairs are reaching a dizzying total. We have made several trips to the local park but found it overrated, so have reverted to encouraging the Inferiorettes to slump in front of unsuitable telly'...

What do you think?

BRANdybutter · 13/12/2004 13:30

I've never received a round robin letter - am I a social pariah? I've never written one either, I barely manage to get Christmas cards out to family, even if I had the time and motivation I can't remember more than 8 weeks in the past so there wouldn't be much to say.

Issymum · 13/12/2004 13:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request

juniperdropofbrandy · 13/12/2004 13:33

You could make it up Brandybutter Wink I've only recieved a few - usually from abroad. Now I get them by email but they're still generic. I breeze through them b4 replying - personally to each may I add

turquey · 13/12/2004 14:00

Fantastic article Oldiemum, LOL. I might get the book for my SIL, round robin queen, only she wouldn't get the joke!

paolosgirl · 13/12/2004 14:10

Confession time - I quite like getting them!blush]. Although maybe not 39000 words.

paolosgirl · 13/12/2004 14:10

Blush even

Christmaslistmaker · 13/12/2004 14:15

I kind of love them and hate them at the same time. I do like reading them - especially if they are really pompous! But would NEVER write one! But as the (brilliant!) article says if we all slag them and the ones who write them realise how cringeworthy they are they'll die out and we won't be able to laugh at them so we should start a campaign to save them!!

BRANdybutter · 13/12/2004 14:28

Perhaps they'll be treasured in the future (like Mr Pepys' diary) they are boring and a bit dreary now, but they'll be a fascinating and useful insight for future historians. Imagine what a distorted view of normal family life in the early 21st century future generations are going to have. Grin

MoHoHo2 · 13/12/2004 14:37

Sorry, but I'm with IssyMum - I LOVE getting Christmas letters, AND we send one too, so bah humbug to the rest of you... (You can always tick the 'unsubscribe' box at the end if you don't want to receive them....... Wink )

Perhaps we just don't have very pretentious friends, because the ones we get are usually quite fun abnd interesting, and help us keep in touch with friends all over the world (we've moved around quite a lot, and still try to keep in touch with old friends abroad).

Interestingly a friend of mine today said that he thought one of the best things about writing a Christmas letter was it made you look on your last year in a positive way, and make you realise how lucky you are really, and be grateful?

SantaGoesToTheGym · 13/12/2004 14:40

Well I have to say I get four different ones. (bragging emoticon).

No, seriously the only one that means anything to me is from my good friend ** and his wife. There used to be group of 20/30 of us that went around together, fairly fluid and never more than 10 at a time IYKWIM. Anyway, we used to all meet or try to meet for a drink in Dublin on Christmas Eve, but as we all met and married and sprogged, that fell by the way side. This guy is basically the touch point for all of us and he inserts snippets from all of our new lives into the letter, consequently we haven't seen x and x for the longest time, but still know what is happening in their lives.

Who knows maybe when we are empty nesters, it can all start again, in the meantime I am eternally grateful to ** for keeping us all in the loop.

So my vote is for RR letters, if they serve a purpose, if that makes sense Grin

Davrosthesnowwoman · 13/12/2004 14:50

I think they are awful. Don't the people who send them notice that they don't get the same amount back? My DH says they don't care what people think, they do it for themselves. Got our first one today, usually get 3 regularly, and its 2 full sides of A4 in point 10! I got as far as the writer's father having a lump removed from his groin before disolving in tears of laughter, sorry for her dad but what a thing to write to people you never see, couldn't she just say he'd been ill?