General Chat

I've always sent cards, but not a huge number as we don't have tons of friends or relatives. I try to do them early, for the last few years we always seem to have something horrible to deal with at this time. This year has been no exception as my sister has just been diagnosed with cancer and is awaiting treatment. I like to receive cards, they cheer the place up and it's nice to hear news from people.

I sent no cards for Xmas 2020 because I knew that post office sorting offices were overwhelmed and short-staffed because of covid. I did, however, ring or message around the end of November/1 December letting family and friends know and asking them not to send us any.

This year I have sent most of our cards already.

We have always put up our tree. We also open the blinds and switch on the tree lights before children walk to school - mainly because we remember the tingling excitement and magic we felt as youngsters seeing people’s trees as we walked past their homes.

We always used to mostly send a Christmas letter in a card, as did many of our long time friends and relations.

We used to send about 150 cards every Christmas, with about 120 of them overseas .......... that's what happens when you move to another country and continent. The cost gradually rose to $200-300 (£100-200) for cards and postage.

We made a point of buying cards from a charity, usually UNICEF Canada, but it gradually got harder and harder to find them when they gave up their permanent store, and went to temporary stands in malls or IKEA (pre-internet).

So we stopped sending cards to most people, and just sent the Christmas letter, just as did most of our overseas friends. We did have a few people who were not close friends or relatives, and just got a card. Now, many of our friends have moved to using email ....... which is annoying when they are ones who changed their email address regularly, but it does save a lot of money, and effort as we all get older and some find it difficult to get to a PO.

We still send out about 100 letters either by posting or email ............ long-lived friends and rellies! :-D

We didn't send any letter at Christmas 2019 because we just didn't get it written before we left for Christmas, and then other things happened afterwards. We did a 2-year Christmas cover letter last year, and have not yet finished this year's letter as so much else has been going on.

We exchange cards with our daughter and her family, and with her in-laws if they are with us on Christmas Day, and with a couple of neighbours who watch the house while we are away, and of course the 4 young nieces and 2 nephews.

We haven't had a Christmas tree since our daughter got married in 1999, except for the 2 when they came back here. We have put up decorations on the Christmases we have been here, but we basically have not been in the house since 2004, spending Christmas with our daughter, OH's sister and our best friend in alternate years. It has been with our daughter every year since 2016, except for last year.

No decorations up in those years, not even the frond door wreath and table and mantel decoration that I used to make every year..

The only tradition we still do is that OH makes a Christmas pudding that we take with us when we go to our daughter's, even we 3 are the only ones that eat it :-D

There are many reasons for not sending cards, and cost is only one of them.

I agree with you Florence I always have and always will send cards and some have letters in to those I do not see often or at all.

I havent seen any of my family since 2018, due to my health and blooming Covid and now im not fit to travel. I send about 80 cards a year as for some friends & an aunty its a way of keeping in touch with a note in it.

I dont actually throw my cards received away but cut them into tags and reuse them year after year. i did notice last year that hardly any shops sold tinsel up here. I was told its old fashioned!!

I know if you are on your own or your children have moved out then maybe its not the same, But even when daughter has recently gone to her dads for xmas and i was on my own for a week seeing nobody, i still put up my tree etc, made a cake & mince pies.

I have spent a lot on postage but its cheaper then travelling to see the folk!

But also buying & sending cards is keeping people in business and a job.

I just cant imagine my house without any cards at Christmas, that for me would be a very sad time indeed.

Florence in the hebrides

We only send a few cards now and this year most of those are to family that we don't see as they live far away from us. I send to family members as the older ones like cards but the young ones aren't bothered and we get messages on fb. from some of them.
We haven't had a tree for a few years as not much room for one but do have ornaments and wreaths for decorations and these have been used every year for ages.
Like others I give to charities throughout the year and don't spend a lot on cards anyway but as said each to their own.

I limit my cards to people who I don't see regularly. I refuse to swap cards with neighbours, people I'll see at Church etc. Much better to wish people a Happy Christmas in person.
In that respect, it wouldn't hurt to be downgraded.

I used to get an unsigned card so I could use it the next year - but then the problem was finding an envelope the right size. :-|

As my hobby is making cards I do still send a lot. I buy stamps through the year so, although the cost is high it is spread out and is part of my hobby. I love getting cards as with many of those who send to me it is only at this time of year we catch up. It is of course personal choice for people not to send cards but it would be more acceptable if they told people in November so their friends could save the postage on their cards.it also aggravates when people state they are not sending cards and instead are giving to charity as if you are somehow failing to support charities. No doubt many are like myself and send cards and give to charity as well.

PPS We're not wealthy.

PPPS No, I don't think Christmas is being downgraded - have you not seen the clamouring for festive stuff? :-0

Send your cards.

Don’t you just love it when they send you a note in the post to say they are donating to charity. The cost of the stamp is probably more than the cost of a card.

Last year I had to email a lot of people to say Happy Christmas and can’t send a card as I haven’t got any and the shops have run out.

Each to their own really but Christmas decorations are generally re-used aren't they?

We don't do much at Christmas after years of pressure and unwanted gifts, it all got too much. We've cut down on cards because of the postage cost and the knowledge that it will go in the bin. Presents are for the youngsters who still need 'stuff'.
We gave our tree and decorations to a young family who otherwise wouldn't have had that pleasure for their little ones.

TBH I'm glad we don't do Christmas now. We're happy, don't love our people any less - just seeing them would be a massive treat but not possible once again due to the hateful covid.

No-one should feel guilt tripped either way.

PS. Some people don't have family.

I sent out most of my cards beg of December. I had the last 6 to send today. So I have received a message from a friend who had received my card saying" I'm not sending cards anymore as I want to help the environment and so will be donating to charity".

Now that would be ok but they could have let people know say back in October before all of us had sent our cards?

Also I buy charity cards to support the RNLI, Quarriers(supports homeless) and others. I also make a donation throughout the year to others.

I'm getting the feeling from a lot of people that in order to save the planet, we need to stop all these traditions. Cards to save the trees, decorations to save wasting plastic including artificial trees. Some friends have no decs at all and dont even buy their partners a gift. They send money to their children and they go away to a hotel so no xmas dinner at home!

I'm not religious and the tree is actually a pagan tradition but...it seems to me that in a few years time we wont even have a xmas dinner...

I'm all for doing my bit recycling, reusing etc but every time I hear someone say, no we are not bothering this year etc...I think why?It doesn't have to be expensive if you set yourself a budget. Presents don't have to be extravagant

Its also a family time of year where some people only see their families and enjoy a meal together if they live far away. So why do some want to wipe it all out.

If we carry on ploughing everything into saving the planet, the next generation wont know about all the traditions that we celebrate which will be very sad indeed.

So is it just me or do any of you feel that Christmas especially is being downgraded? Or is it the wealthy that don't want the bother of decorating the house etc and can afford to get away and have someone else do it all?

My daughter is 24 and still hangs a stocking which when she goes to bed, I slip a little gift into .

Florence in the hebrides