So, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet and I have Christmas on the brain. I’ve started shopping and am about ready to break out the decorations. It’s not that I want to skip Thanksgiving, but dragging out the Christmas stuff takes a sweet forever and I like to enjoy it for a while before I have to put it all away again.
Anyway, we’re sending Christmas cards this year. At least I think we are. I plan to. It’s not something we’ve ever done on a regular basis. First, because we were broke when we first got married. Then we sent them, then we didn’t. I haven’t sent them in a few years.
But last year, Husband put his foot down. As we were receiving card after wonderful card from people we love, he declared that we would begin sending Christmas cards on an annual basis…starting this year.
I’ve never been into the whole stress-over-the-photo-for-the-card or write-a-book-to-everyone thing. But just signing your name on a generic card seems impersonal. At the same time, I have no desire to make my own Christmas cards. At all. Other things, I’ll make. Christmas cards? Nah. In fact, I bought some at the Dayspring warehouse sale in anticipation of our new Christmas-card-sending-mandate-resolution. They’re cute.
But there’s also the whole how-spiritual-do-you-get thing. I don’t think that not sending a card with the Baby Jesus on it makes you a heathen. I also don’t think that you should have to try to tell the whole Christmas story in a 5x8 piece of cardstock. There has to be a happy medium in there somewhere.
And then there’s the addressing. Some use labels and/or a return address stamp, which I think is perfectly fine (and I will probably do both). Others believe that anything besides hand addressing is a sacrilege.
So I’d love to know what your thoughts are on Christmas card etiquette. What do you do/not do? What do you love/hate? What’s your system for deciding who you send cards to? And when do you send them out? Spill it.
Like I said, ours were purchased in the summer. Now I have to actually get them addressed and in the mail. Maybe I should start now, considering bathroom mishaps have a tendency to delay things around here lately.
I think we have sent out Christmas cards most years. But I don't remember. I think it should be fun and your personality that year. One year we had a funny picture the next year I made the cards and they were spiritual. It will be REAL if they are from your heart. No matter what.
ReplyDeleteAddressing them- it's not like it's a wedding where there is a book of etiquette. I'm doing good to get them mailed before Christmas! Address them however you like, email them, whatever you want.
The REAL question is this, what do you do with them after Christmas is over???
I send out cards every year; I tend to either just find cards that I like but tend to go for snowmen or something like that - sometimes I feel like the "spiritual" ones are more commercial than just the generic cards. I'd rather have what I write in my letter convey the spiritual thought I want to give. With that said, the last several years, I've had photo cards made so that was my "card" that I included with my letter. And yes, I write a letter. I enjoy writing it very much! Every year I wonder about sending them just to people who send me a card but I get the joy out of actually sending out the cards too so I keep doing it!
ReplyDeleteAs far as what to do with them - I save the photos I get and the letters and include them in my Christmas scrapbook each year. Those that send just a card, tend to get thrown away . .. I may save them for crafts now though !!