Christmas Card Etiquette

Cloth_of_Gold

Torry_Quine said:

Every card I send has my return address on the back. I have discovered that someone has died or moved that way.

A friend of mine died earlier this year and I have his post redirected to me. He had a few cards this year from people that clearly don’t know that he’s died, but with no return address, or even a surname in most cases, I can’t let them know. One even asked if he was ok as he hadn’t received a card from my friend last Christmas (he was too ill at that point to send cards) but still no return address. He did put his surname and I could read the postmark but a search of the BT phone book drew a blank. 

welshbabe88

Cloth_of_Gold said:

We just stand them on ledges (some with a little bit of sellotape on the back to help them stay up) or on furniture.  It just makes the place look a bit more festive.  

Yes, I find it sad when people just put them aside or in a pile and don't display them.

Auti

We send to special people and handmade. Child gives to his school friends because he wants them to know they are his special friends. Any we receive we put on the wall next to the tree (our xmas side of the room - we are not religious but believe in caring for our world and all in it and the hope that others will be gentle, compromise so all have true needs and care too. We also celebrate the spirit of St Nicklaus (Santa) and the believed origins of the tradition.

welshbabe88

A lovely display Auti.

I try to stick mine lower down these days to avoid too much stretching up!

HotDog2020

I am not expecting any cards back, although I do like receiving cards. I am sending out a few to friends and family, I have a box of 24, they probably won't all get used. I will buy some addresses to put on the back, thanks for the tip.

Wyndham

I've done a charity donation instead of sending cards for many years now. I then send an email to tell people this and wish them the complements of the season, and also put the same message on facebook. I'd rather my money went to a good cause than be spent on cards, envelpes and postage. For the last few years it's been the local foodbank - I know there are many people who really need the help and who particularly struggle at Christmas.

Some of my friends do the same. Others send me cards, which I don't mind but certainly don't expect. And I certainly don't keep a 'score' of who has sent or not sent me a card. I long ago gave up on 'if they send me one I have to send one back' (I admit after an experience with a particularly pushy 'friend', but that's a story for another day!)

Overall I think Christmas can easily get out of hand. I don't like the expectations about it (we could have the best Christmas ever!) or the idea that if you don't do a particular part of it, then you've ruined it. It's all too much pressure.

OP - I'm glad you find joy in making cards, and if you want to then send them to others that's a lovely thing. But please only send them to people you want to send them to rather than people you feel you should send them to.

vacheron

I would say that people who send messages saying they aren't doing cards really wouldn't care if they don't get one back. They probably wouldn't even notice to be honest. We stand them all up in a room we barely use so the cat doesn't knock them all down, and then shred them in the new year.

We have sent a few each year out of habit / expectation, but not this year. We do hand cards personally to close friends and family though.

Also, while I am sure you sound very organised, if someone was not and so had to send first class, those 70 tiny bits of folded paper would cost over £115 in postage alone! (and more than twice as much if they are any larger than the small envelope size of 160 x 240 x 5mm) .  

We'll be sending digital cards this year. Not only because it is better for the environment, but because it is now substantially cheaper, even from the "expensive" e-card companies! 

Rosa_Damascena

I do still send out cards, usually to my dearest friends that I barely see, and enclose a chazzer pin within. That hikes up the postage price but is worth it.

subjecttocontract

We always send cards. We have ours printed with a message and our names which adds some extra costs. We post about half of them and hand deliver the others. We usually take the opportunity with some to include a short note on what's been happening over the last year/ since we last saw them. If we know other family members are getting together we will send them over in a batch and they can hand them out with their presents. It works very well. It costs us well over £100 a year with postage for cards. I get rather annoyed if people just stop sending them to us but we still send ours.

Katiehound

subjecttocontract said:

  I get rather annoyed if people just stop sending them to us but we still send ours.

and I get annoyed when folk send me cards when I have repeatedly said "Please don't!"
I would far rather they donated that £1 (say) to their favorite charity and give me a ring,( which is usually for free) and have a chat instead.