Do you do Christmas cards? Sending cards has been a tradition from when I was little. I can remember my mom doing them. More importantly, I remember the long lines of cards she set out that we received from other people. How wonderful to be remembered by that many people at Christmas! The only caveat was, if you wanted to get cards, you had to send cards.I didn't do so well at the sending cards for a long time. I always tried to write a little added message in each one--something personal to that particular person or family that would be receiving the card. That takes a long time. I don't do that any more.
I know some people do a Christmas letter to put in their card. Somehow I never thought our year's worth of activities were interesting enough that everyone else would want to read all about them. And then what happens if you don't have much to put down? Who wants to be depressed at Christmas by being bored with their own recital of that year's events? No letter for me. Some people I know send a letter instead of a card. It's nice to catch up, but the letter doesn't look nearly so nice as a card would, hanging on the wall near my patio door. Maybe this year I'll just include my blog address with my Christmas cards. Then people can catch up on the hysterics of the Boyd family all year round!
I'm picky about the cards I send, too. I usually prefer a winter scene of some sort. I also want it to say "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays". No political correctness for me! And no Santa Claus stuff. He is NOT the reason for the season. (I should mention here that this is my criteria for the cards I send out. I will still cherish your card if it has Santa Claus and says Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings.)
Some years I struggled through my cards and finished them the day before Christmas. I dutifully mailed them, knowing that no one would receive them until after the holiday. It's the thought that counts, right?
And what about the list of people you send them to? How does someone qualify to receive a card from you? I have relatives, friends, our church family. But once in a while I get a Christmas card from someone that I didn't send a card to. When that happens, I quickly pull out an extra card and send one to them as well. I'm not the only one that does that, am I?
Do you send cards to people you don't like? You know, that obligatory "if they don't get one they're going to be hurt" concept? I'm pretty sure I like everyone on my Christmas card list. Life's too short and this little tradition is too involved to waste time and postage sending cards to people I don't like.
So in between the other things going on this week, I'm going to do be doing Christmas cards. What about you? What's one of your holiday traditions that you can't do without?
Shipley holiday tradition:
ReplyDeleteGrowing up we had few traditions, that took place every year. We always read the Christmas story before opening any presents which helps keep the perspective of the season. One of my favorite things though is every year, my brother and I recieved an ornament from my parents, and one from my grandma, who was crafty and almost always it was handmade. I remember some yrs mom and dad let us pick them out ourselves other yrs it was a surpirse but always something I looked forward to. Obviously by the time we were 20 or so we had a good start on our own ornaments for our tree. I got one last yr, as our first Christmas married but I doubt I´ll get one this yr, however I hope this is a tradition we will continue for our son, although I don´t think that boys get the sentimentality of it!