We don’t send Christmas cards. It’s a holiday tradition I don’t want to get into for many reasons, aside the obvious reason that I’m Jewish. First of all, it’s expensive. My son is so cute I’d have to send out photo cards. Based on the photo invitations for Fiendling’s birthday we’re looking at 35 cards minimum but you generally have to buy 25 at a time so that’s fifty. Then there’s the postage. The whole thing costs a fortune. Even with discount codes and coupons it’s the equivalent of an electric bill.
Then there’s the the responsibility. Once you start sending them you can’t stop. People start to expect your cards and wonder when they’ll receive them. If you put in a letter then you’re stuck with that too. Every year I look forward to the trainwreck of a letter one of Boyfiend’s family friends sends out. The year her son got his girlfriend pregnant, dropped out of college and gained 20 lbs in pizza was a classic. I’m afraid of starting that tradition.
We can’t forget the pressure of actually taking a photo if you send photo greetings. If you just do your kids it’s one thing. You can often get away with using a recent snapshot. But most people aren’t content for a simple snapshot and want something holiday-themed. For those who take the pictures themselves there must be posing in front of a decorated tree. Children are often stuffed into their holiday finery and unless they’re girly girls who like dressing up they’re uncomfortable and would rather be playing someplace else. Parents must cajole and wheedle and beg (or yell and lecture and threaten) to get an in-focus picture of a smiling child. With each additional child the odds of them looking good get exponentially worse. If you’re throwing a pet into the mix you’re really screwed.
The studio photos are the worst. Unless a photographer who insists on photo-journalism takes the photos, studio photos inevitably look forced, posed and cheesy. Add matching or color-coordinating outfits to the mix and you’re really upping the cheese-factor. Why not just, as Boyfiend suggested, go to an Old Timey photo place on the boardwalk and take pictures dressed as whores and gunslingers? Or, as his father suggested, stand behind one of those cutouts often seen at amusement parks- stick your families faces in the holes and become Santa, Mrs. Claus and a couple of elves.
So now we’ve got a lineup of Christmas cards in our hallway. It’s been light this year and we’ve received less than ten- six photo cards and a few generic, one pre-printed generic so the sender didn’t even have to sign it herself. I plan on detailing my horror and amusement at one card in particular, but first I’d like to hear about your thoughts and experiences. Comments please.
lisamechelle | 18-Dec-07 at 8:58 am | Permalink
I’ve been sending cards for years, but I think I’ve finally hit the end of the road. I’m tired of the expense, time, and bother. I send out about 40 a year, and every year I get fewer and fewer in return. To date, I’ve received 8, and last year the total was 10. You’re right. People expect them, but guess what? They’re going to be disappointed,and I don’t care. Bah humbug!
martha | 18-Dec-07 at 9:04 am | Permalink
I feel the same way you do sending cards out is pretty pricey, we are sending them as New Years since we do not have a religious preference. What I think am going to do is use a picture that I recently took of the kids. They are in their PJ’s, it actually the one that is on the my blog where Anthony gets into the corn starch and pours it on Gaby. It’s cute and it relieves the stress in having to dress them up and not have to deal with Gaby pulling Anthony’s hair.
sarah | 18-Dec-07 at 10:09 am | Permalink
we’re not sending any this year. last year i sent out over 50 and it was a hassle.
mostly i’m not sending any out because i’m lazy, but also it’s a HUGE environmental damage to send out all that paper every year that all just gets thrown away.
Sarah | 18-Dec-07 at 11:24 am | Permalink
We’ve sent out Christmas letters for two years now, with several color photos printed on the back side. I enjoy reading about what my family’s friends have been up to, so I figured we could update them a little more than a card. I actually hate receiving cards with only a signature. I want information, damnit!
suz | 18-Dec-07 at 12:17 pm | Permalink
I send cards because I’m lazy and cheap. You may ask how this makes any rational sense (and/or have I been hitting the egg nog too hard). Well, my choices are to get individual cards for all my family members (for around $3 a piece from Hallmark)OR send out gift boxed cards (purchased at the after Christmas sale the previous year) for a fraction of the cost. Plus, if I get personalized cards, then there’s the trip to see Aunt Penny, etc that adds time (and expense). For those I am actually very close to (parents, close friends) I get a nice card and try to write something personal/witty.
Mix | 18-Dec-07 at 1:43 pm | Permalink
I really don’t like cards in any form. I send religion neutral holiday cards to clients but only because it’s a marketing tool and I am a whore for money. I do it as cheaply as possible. The last 3 years that means discount cards from Rite Aid that say “Happy Holidays”. I think they were $3.99 a box marked down from $7.99. I slap in an Avery label and I am done. I can’t be bothered to have cards made. Especially since not one of those damn clients ever say thank you.
On the other hand, I do like getting them from people. Who knew it was so complicated?
Erin | 18-Dec-07 at 2:18 pm | Permalink
I love photo cards. I send out about 50 every year. Every year it seems like more though. I do dress Charlotte up and have her photo taken either by a photographer who comes to our home or I take her to a portrait studio - but it’s not really a pain. She just happens to like having her picture taken so it’s relatively painless and so her pictures come out pretty good.
I do agree that it is super expensive.
Pigs | 18-Dec-07 at 8:47 pm | Permalink
I send them too, but I think a big part of that is that I have moved so many times in my life and with many old friends, a Christmas card is the one time a year I hear from them. I do like to see a picture, and I love to make fun of people’s braggy holiday “update” letters. There is no way to write one of those without sounding like a braggart. There’s just not! We send a picture card, just featuring Piglet. I think it’s kind of expected since we live far away and no one ever sees him except for the card.
mrs t | 18-Dec-07 at 9:32 pm | Permalink
Ok, I’m totally in the minority here. I almost always send cards and I do love to receive. For the past few years I’ve sent a holiday letter that I hope never sounds too braggy- I always try to temper it with a bit of humor. There are several people on our list who we don’t hear from regularly because they live far away and now have young families and no time, so it’s the one time a year to catch up. I like to send them as kind of a nod to those in my world to wish them the very best and thank them for being part of our lives. I know, cheesy.
My mother in law gets a train wreck of a letter every year and then we have a “reading” of it at Christmas dinner. Hilarious- we are all going to hell for the amount of fun we’ve had at this poor woman’s expense.
Gabbiana | 19-Dec-07 at 12:54 am | Permalink
I am totally milking the “I’m Jewish” and the “I’m still just a student!” excuses for as long as I possibly can. And then… I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll ever start sending cards to my parents’ friends — why would I? — and my generation is… weird. I’m hoping we’ll just import the whole holiday card tradition to email, which would be great for lazy kids like me. I just… don’t even know where I’d start, with a task like that. Which friends deserve cards, and which don’t? And, yeah, the annual update? I *hate* annual updates; they’re too upbeat, too cheesy, too… presuming that I give two shits about your child’s ballet performances. If I wanted to know about major developments in your life, well, isn’t that what facebook is for?
Katie | 19-Dec-07 at 2:13 pm | Permalink
I am sending Christmas cards for the first time this year. My son was born this year and we have a lot of relatives that haven’t seen him yet. What a hassle, though. I had to dress up the baby in his red sweater and prop him up on the couch. Then I took what seemed like a hundred awful pictures of my usually adorable and photogenic child before he spit up all over his outfit, thereby ending the photo shoot. I ended up finding a decent one in the batch and then ordered fifty photo cards. Sadly, I had to spend an extra $55 (yes, $55!!!) to get them expedited and have any shot of getting them out by Christmas. Friday is the magical day that I get to slap the labels on them and send them out. Will I do it all again next year? Probably. Everyone will expect them. At least I’ll know enough to order them well enough in advance and save myself $55.
Kelly | 24-Dec-07 at 12:02 pm | Permalink
We do the Christmas card thing every year. I happen to love Christmas cards - even generic ones with snowmen on the front because it feels like a hello from a friend, even if there’s not much more there. I happen to live a number of hours away from most of my family and friends and a card just feels like “thinking of you.”
There has never been a pee stick of any kind involved.