Are Christmas cards dying out?

lostinrates

onlyroz wrote: »

Yes, but the bl00dy stamp costs 60p these days :eek:

And more when you have a huge number of overseas people to consider. Because we have more and close family living overseas than in UK suddenly saying right, no more overseas cards, only uk ones, would be far worse.


Incidentally, we have never sent a 'round robin' letter. I have always considered them a bit.....um, 'not us' and that if i knew the person closely enopugh to be concerned i would have soken to them through the year but this year dh was suggesting it as a possible way of letting people know why we have been ' not in touch'. Seems top me a but grim.....other peoples opinions?

balletshoes

no, I've never done a round-robin letter in a card, nor have I ever received one.

miss_independent

onlyroz wrote: »

Yes, but the bl00dy stamp costs 60p these days :eek:

That's very true and is a good point but the instances I referred to personally were people that I'd see and hand them a card or pop it through their door so no postage involved.

onlyroz

miss_independent wrote: »

That's very true and is a good point but the instances I referred to personally were people that I'd see and hand them a card or pop it through their door so no postage involved.

Then it's just giving a card for the sake of giving a card. The only purpose I see is so that they've got something pretty to put on their wall for a few weeks, and because you're hoping to receive one back.

I just think that there's enough waste generated at Christmas, with all the wrapping paper, food packaging etc, and I don't really want to add to it.

miss_independent

onlyroz wrote: »

Then it's just giving a card for the sake of giving a card. The only purpose I see is so that they've got something pretty to put on their wall for a few weeks, and because you're hoping to receive one back.

I just think that there's enough waste generated at Christmas, with all the wrapping paper, food packaging etc, and I don't really want to add to it.

No, sorry I don't agree. For me I do it to be thoughtful and to let them know that I am genuinely hoping that they have a lovely Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Those that I know do not celebrate Christmas, I give a New Year card to. I don't see any harm in it being "something pretty to put on their wall" either, like others have mentioned, I enjoy seeing the cards up (I string them across the room walls) and yet, it doesn't upset me to think maybe some of the people I send to may leave them in the car - at least they know I was thinking of them and wishing them well. I don't "give to receive" because if that was they case I would have stopped giving cards a long time ago.

Re waste, I buy cards made from recycled paper and I recycle the cards I receive after Christmas. We cook everything from scratch, usually buying loose veg etc so little food packaging here and all presents go in one gift bag each so no wrapping paper - that's just the way we do things.

Margaret52129

I love Christmas in all it's entirety, I do Christmas cards to family and friends, even if I do see them daily/weekly! (Around 20-30) It's nice to send them warm wishes and I don't send them to receive them either. I'll admit I've cut down on sending out to some people (work, we don't exchange at all) and to all of my neighbours, just 2 or 3 now. My OH doesn't do any, but likes me to write them for his (few) friends!

At Church we have a Christmas wall where you can put on one for everybody and donate to Christian Aid if you wish to. But even then there are some folk that don't like that (mainly elderly ones) who still like to receive one, so I give to them as well as posting on the wall!

I also always get one 'round robin' which my DD hates with a passion (she feels it's a 'look at what I've done this year - aren't I good!), and a friend who also gets the same one and has the same feeling! But I do reply to her (don't send to anyone else) with my bit of news as I feel it's a bit of catching up and still finding out what they are up to.

Postage is going to be a concern for lots of people, so I'm intending to send mine out early to elderly relatives and tell them not to send one as it would be too expensive. Having said that, I do get quite a few hand posted - but then petrol is expensive too. Hey ho, I ought to leave it to them as to what they want to do, I wont be offended either way.

Christmas presents are a different kettle of fish though, I just buy for my OH, DD's + partners, DGC(3) and 2 friends.

BTW I'm 60.

Toto

miss_independent wrote: »

Well this explains ALOT!

I'm 28 and through uni, work and hobbies, I've always been shocked not to receive cards from people (people who are considered pretty good friends) despite me sending cards to them. I receive cards from lots of people at church and family but rarely friends. I've worked with children and received a fair few cards from them (but considering I sent them to all the kids I taught, I received only a small percentage, maybe 30% back). I was pretty disgusted that, when working in a business with only three employees and working bloody hard for them for 8 years my bosses stopped giving me a Christmas card, and didn't even pay me my last set of wages before christmas on time - we were then on (unpaid) holiday for two weeks so I had no wages to tide me over the most expensive time of the year.

Actually, I'm glad to see this thread as I have felt very hurt in the past when I've not received a card from special/important people in my life but this thread explains why. Not that I agree with it, I find it very sad tbh. The cutting down costs thing is a bit of a fob off too as in places like The Card Factory you can buy large packs of cards for only a couple of pounds. Even cheaper if you buy out of season.

Try not to feel hurt. I'm sure that lots of the people in your life are a bit like me. I don't like clutter and am not organised enough to get around to stringing up displays of cards so they just sit on the drawers getting knocked over left and right. I find it hard to send out to others things that annoy the heck out of me, I assume at least some of my friends feel the same.

It doesn't mean I don't think of these people, I do, and I genuinely wish everyone a lovely christmas and a prosperous and healthy new year, I say so on my facebook page :rotfl:

I do think that times have moved on a bit, we do now live in an electronic age, like it or not. Just as people don't tend to put pen to paper and write letters much these days, it doesn't mean they don't care. Email has taken over and in some respects things like facebook and twitter have changed the way in which we pass on wishes to the people in our lives. I now wish many many more people a happy birthday than I ever did before facebook. I always post that on their wall when I never would have sent a card. So, it does work both ways.

miss_independent

Toto wrote: »

Try not to feel hurt. I'm sure that lots of the people in your life are a bit like me. I don't like clutter and am not organised enough to get around to stringing up displays of cards so they just sit on the drawers getting knocked over left and right. I find it hard to send out to others things that annoy the heck out of me, I assume at least some of my friends feel the same.

It doesn't mean I don't think of these people, I do, and I genuinely wish everyone a lovely christmas and a prosperous and healthy new year, I say so on my facebook page :rotfl:

I do think that times have moved on a bit, we do now live in an electronic age, like it or not. Just as people don't tend to put pen to paper and write letters much these days, it doesn't mean they don't care. Email has taken over and in some respects things like facebook and twitter have changed the way in which we pass on wishes to the people in our lives. I now wish many many more people a happy birthday than I ever did before facebook. I always post that on their wall when I never would have sent a card. So, it does work both ways.

Thanks, maybe that's part of the problem to then as I don't "do" Facebook and you are best not to get me started on why :rotfl:! I do get group texts on Christmas morning though. And I DO still write lol, imho there is nothing like getting a handwritten note or card. There are certain ones I treasure and also, when I was frequently emailing a good friend who lives in another town, she politely requested that I write instead as emails aren't as private as we think, same with texts...... But that's just me.

VestanPance

I still send cards, but I have noticed that most folk I know no longer send them or maybe just don't send me one!

Christmas is a strange one for me. It used to be my favourite time of the year, but in the last few years I can't wait for Christmas and New Year to pass. I didn't even bother with putting decorations up last year.

POPPYOSCAR

lazer wrote: »

I lvoe Christmas cards!

I love sitting on front of the fire writing them with the christmas music in the background!

I love receiving christmas cards too, makes the house look all christmassy - I am not one for the new fangled Christmas decorations with everything matching etc.

I like the multi-coloured christmas lights, the random decorations on the tree etc.

Same here.

Our children always moan about the tree as it never has that 'designer' look. They always groan when I put the ones they made at school out(but I think they like it really!)