Thought 1: I have always sent christmas cards to the subset of people i don’t see or talk to regularly and who i am not expecting to see at any point during the holidays (ie, a hey remember me, have a great holiday, kind of thing). I personally think it’s silly to send a card to someone i’m going to actually spend christmas day with or who i can wish a merry christmas to in person. Does this make me a bad person/bad mannered?
Thought 2: With the advent of Facebook, i’m in constant contact with all of my friends around the country. This kind of makes me want to put them in the “I talk to them all the time category”. Would a facebook post wishing merry christmas and maybe a picture to the individual person be acceptable, or is it somehow signing a card and putting it in the mail more personal?
When I got divorced (or more specifically, the year prior to my eventual divorce) I quit sending cards; it seemed too false. Since then the people who send cards to me has dwindled to practically nothing.
I used to enjoy it; it was an inexpensive way to let someone know you cared. When I began having children, I liked sending pictures. But anymore, as you say, with electronic means of keeping in touch, it seems outdated.
Plus, since I haven’t been doing it for eight years, I can’t get the motivation to re-start.
I’ve never thought of NOT sending a card to someone I’m going to see/give a gift to. I send them to everyone, with a stamp, even to my next door neighbors hehe
But, as long as no one brings it up to you and says they feel slighted about not getting a card from you, it’s no big deal.
I honestly think cards are more for the sender. I send to a lot of people I don’t get cards from. I do it just to say “hi, I’m thinking of you.”
As for the Facebook thing, I don’t think people are that into getting/sending cards anymore. There’s a lot of cool ways to send “digital greetings.” No one is going to raise a stink if you do what you suggest. At least, I hope not!
It’s such a rare and cool thing to receive a card in the mail these days. I try to do it as often as possible, and I’ll definitely be sending out Christmas cards this year. I know I get a kick out of seeing something in the mailbox that isn’t a bill!
This year we sent 8 cards to friends and family members. I remember in the 60s my mother sending stacks of cards and our family receiving 200-300 cards each holiday season. I’ve received 2 so far this year. I think the cost of postage made a lot of people cut back on sending cards in the early 80s. There’s not so much of the “they sent me one I have to send them one” mentality anymore.
I send them to everyone, whether I will see them at Christmas or not.
This practice reached its absurdest level a few years back. I’d address one to my girlfriend, bundle up, go outside to the mailbox and mail it to her. Then I’d go back upstairs, change into shorts and sandals, walk 25 feet down the hallway to her apartment, and spend the night with her.