Are Christmas cards dying out?

Faerie

I send cards to family and to my friends that live miles away. We don't give them out at work, noone does. I used to hate writing cards to my whole class at school, especially when my mum forced me to write them to the smelly boys too

My nanna, however sends and receives hundreds of cards, she has rows and rows across her living room walls! She sends them to everybody she knows, it must cost her a fortune in stamps. I think it's a way to keep in touch for her generation, they usually include an annual update and photos.

Lifeisbutadream

I hate them!

I havent sent cards for about 5 yearsnow and its starting to show in the ones coming back to me, I get less and less every year, which is fine by me I hate them cluttering everywhere up!

The kids seem to like sending them, which is fine as it encourages them to write, but they sort their own out, im not getting involved.

I think in this day and age where we can contact people in a millisecond, there is no need for expensive, old fashioned traditions (unless you want to of course!)

ETA - im 39

stir_crazy

I'm 27, I send cards out to my friends, family and neighbours, we usually get a card back from everyone. I used to give cards to colleagues at work, but last year nobody bothered so I dont think I'll do them this year.

tizerbelle

The past 5 years I have only sent 1 card a year and that's to my mum.

Friends and work colleagues get a xmas email (one I design myself not from a website) and I make a donation to a charity with the money saved.

As for cards received, the ones I get at work stay at work (usually in a pile on the desk). The cards received at home usually languish in another pile on the unit in the hall until the new year.

Don't get cards from aunts and uncles - well actually I do but as I'm not married I'm not worthy of a card of my own and so my name is added to the card they send to my mum (and dad before he passed) - despite the fact I haven't lived with parents since 1987! :rotfl:

ETA:

daisiegg wrote: »

If you said your rough age too that would be interesting

I'll be 44 before this year is out!

dorsetlady

I'm 49 years old and have gradually reduced to amount of cards I send out to one! I send my mum one but no-one else. I can't understand why people bother - I'm not religous and can't really see the point of Christmas full stop. In my experience people who send cards are not doing it to wish to person a happy Christmas as they get annoyed if they don't get one back!

Toto

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

I hate them!

I havent sent cards for about 5 yearsnow and its starting to show in the ones coming back to me, I get less and less every year, which is fine by me I hate them cluttering everywhere up!

The kids seem to like sending them, which is fine as it encourages them to write, but they sort their own out, im not getting involved.

I think in this day and age where we can contact people in a millisecond, there is no need for expensive, old fashioned traditions (unless you want to of course!)

My thoughts exactly. I hate the things, they clutter up the place and seem a pointless waste of money if you ask me. I send one card to my inlaws in canada a year, that's it.

lilymay1

I like Christmas cards and actually wrote a load of mine last night...! Don't ask.

I'm 25 but the vast majority of my family are well into their 60's and 70's (my parents included) so still like to receive them. They are also not technologically competent so don't have facebook or the use of emails. Perhaps I'm old fashioned but a handwritten, heartfelt message is nice at this time of year. I also write a little paragraph about what we have done in the last year and have started to include a picture of my son. Most of my family have seen him once and others have never seen him so it's my way of helping them to watch him 'grow' up.

To be honest, it sounds like a lot of you lot are scrooges I don't send cards in the hope of getting one back, I send them because it's a way for me to keep in touch with elderly members of my family whom I may never get to see again! And a piece of string strung from one wall to another is a great way of keeping cards out of the way!

lolavix

We only write cards to immediate family. I do just think its a complete waste of money, they tend to just go straight in the bin.

I do feel guilty when I get mountains of cards from colleagues though and I never write any back!

Archiebear

I'm firmly in the camp of being a Christmas Lover !:) Despite this this I don't send as many cards now as I used to.

In my case old habits die hard - much like my resistance to the Kindle (I'm not a technophobe, honest!) there is something 'personal' and 'comforting' about the feel of paper. That sounds sad doesn't it?:rotfl:

Back in the day (I'm 46 btw) I used to send out over 200 cards...cost me a fortune! Now I buy a 'family' card for nearest & dearest as there's only 5 of them and send about 20 cards to close friends/ neighbours. I still send a letter or short note to some of my friends in the card; I could call them via 'phone but again I think the art of writing in something that is being lost.

I still have letters written to me by one of my closest friends- she died at a young age (just 32) - they are my most treasured posessions and the memory of a phone call would not be the same!

I also think people are generally trying to save money at Christmas ...cards are simply the first thing to cut back on. There's not many who can afford to splurge like we used to and this, IMO, isn't necessarily a bad thing - the more resourceful you are, the more Christmas can be fun - you only have to look at other threads on MSE to see that

In short, if they stopped selling them I'd start making my own!

Lifeisbutadream

lilymay1 wrote: »

I like Christmas cards and actually wrote a load of mine last night...! Don't ask.

I'm 25 but the vast majority of my family are well into their 60's and 70's (my parents included) so still like to receive them. They are also not technologically competent so don't have facebook or the use of emails. Perhaps I'm old fashioned but a handwritten, heartfelt message is nice at this time of year. I also write a little paragraph about what we have done in the last year and have started to include a picture of my son. Most of my family have seen him once and others have never seen him so it's my way of helping them to watch him 'grow' up.

To be honest, it sounds like a lot of you lot are scrooges I don't send cards in the hope of getting one back, I send them because it's a way for me to keep in touch with elderly members of my family whom I may never get to see again! And a piece of string strung from one wall to another is a great way of keeping cards out of the way!

When my kids were little I might have had more time, but now they are older I spend every evening ferrying them from one place to another, I simply could not be bothered to find the time to sit and write the same thing over and over again.

I probably am a bit of a scrooge!