# Cranky gets Cranky about.....holiday cards **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 13, 2001, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062 "2001-11-13T03:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/21 "2001-11-13T23:49:21Z")
More of a general question – but I’ve noticed that some people have said all their cards have to be the same. A few years ago, I gave up on this, because I realized I liked buying a box here and box there, especially if I found them on sale in the off-season. It also stops me from dying of bordom while I write out the cards, I have fun\* picking which card (from my selection of five or six designs) best suits each person. So, for those of you who use all the same card, why is that? Does it suit your organizational style? Is it easier to plow through your list if there’s only one design? The only fear I have occasionally is that I’ll repeat a design one year (and would anyone actually rememeber?) \*ok, so it’s not like the most fun I’ve ever had, but fun within the parameters of holiday card writing. ---
**Author:** ![greenlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@greenlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenlady)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/22 "2001-11-13T23:50:41Z")
Wow, **Cranky** , you put a lot of pressure on yourself. Here’s my take: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > > The card must be large enough to enclose a 4 X 6 photo of yours truly with husband and offspring. Well…how about just the kids? I know me and hubby haven’t been in the “best photogenic” mode for quite some time. I use J.C. Penney for the kids’ photos. I actually put a lot of effort into choosing the outfits and background beforehand, and basically just “take over” as the photographer when I get there. > [@](#): > > The card must be artistic and pleasing to the eye. In other words, Mr Cranky (the guy with the artsy background) must like it. Interesting comment since it seems like you’re the one doing all the artistic planning for the card. Just wondering about this, that’s all… > [@](#): > > The card must have a sentiment that is not overly religious. I’d prefer it not say “Christmas” but instead say something about “The season” or “the holidays.” I hear ya. I purposefully choose the “happy holidays” or “season’s greetings” sayings for the cards every year 'cause of our Jewish friends. > [@](#): > > NO Thomas Kinkade. NO teddy bears of any sort. NO cats, no bunnies. No squirrels unless perched on appealing snowmen. “Just say, ‘no’.” > [@](#): > > The card must not be too much like any card we have sent in previous years. > > The card must not be too much like any card we recieved last year. Oh, pressure… > [@](#): > > No foil accents. I am too young to be sending out foil-acented cards. LOL, hadn’t thought of this, but, yeah, my mom used to get the foil cards. Good point. > [@](#): > > The card must be available in quantity. One single box of unique cards screws me, as I need at least 60 of them. Wow, 60 cards. I send around 25 every year. I can relate to this dilemma, however. J.C. Penney prints cards in 20’s, so I always have to order 40. \ Any dopers want to see some really cute kids this year? > [@](#): > > Given recent world events, I have decided that the card must have some sort of peace theme or saying. Wow, pressure. I honestly hadn’t considered this. Ummmmm, how 'bout putting a tiny American flag somewhere on it?😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/23 "2001-11-14T00:06:00Z")
I agree with the other criteria but… Why does everybody hate foil? I like foil. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/24 "2001-11-14T00:44:58Z")
my firm is going with flag stamps this year to put on the firm holiday cards. i just keep those cards you get from various places, 20-30 dollar donation and quite a variety. what about the “bad boys of the artic” card? those bears look like they are watching monday night football, and with a bit of help they could become your religious “three.” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/25 "2001-11-14T02:11:08Z")
A thought just popped into my head. Why not take a picture of Cranky Jr. holding a Peace sign as your official Xmas picture. Use a whole roll and experiment with poses and lighting. Then you can take it to Kinko’s and have it made up into a batch of cards, foil free. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/26 "2001-11-14T14:53:34Z")
Funny, rocking chair… I love Tom Mangelson and I have the “Bad Boys Of The Arctic” as a framed print in my sitting room! delphica, I like the way you think. I usually run out of cards and have to go buy a second set of different cards. Maybe that should be the plan all along. As it happens, we already have our holiday photo chosen. I’ve got a friend who is a photographer and he took a coupla rolls of Cranky Jr a few weekends ago. We posed for just a few family shots and lo and behold one turned out. So we’ll probably use that. Speaking of which, anyone who wants to see one of these cool photos (not the family shot for our card, but a cool Cranky Jr shot…) We just love this photo. The colors, the leaves, the shadows of the leaves on Cranky Jr… [![](https://weblogin.umich.edu/?cosign-www-personal.umich.edu&https://www-personal.umich.edu/~kzaruba/Kirkleaves.jpg) ](https://weblogin.umich.edu/?cosign-www-personal.umich.edu&https://www-personal.umich.edu/~kzaruba/Kirkleaves.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/27 "2001-11-14T16:42:45Z")
check your link , the adorable child in the linked photo in no way seems “Cranky” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/28 "2001-11-14T17:46:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wring \* > \*\*check your link , the adorable child in the linked photo in no way seems “Cranky” 🙂 \*\* If he didn’t look like such a “mini me” I’d swear there was a mixup at the hospital. He’s even a morning person, and I can promise you neither Mr Cranky or I have that gene. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/29 "2001-11-28T03:04:17Z")
\*\*Cranky \*\* First, great picture of Cranky Jr! Secondly, the world wants to know, what have you decided to go with for Xmas cards? Thirdly, Hi Opal! Fourthly, just wanted to bring attention to this because my mom gave me one of their calenders and I thought “geez, crapola-cheezy artwork” then I noticed the name of the charitable foundation: " The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists" I can’t even draw with my working just fine hand, and these people draw with their mouths or feet. Consider me blown away. [url="[http://www.amfpa.com](http://www.amfpa.com)"Click here ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/30 "2001-11-28T03:20:28Z")
Well, we used the family picture took of us in September, scanned it, sent it to Snapfish, chose a border with a dove on it, and called it good enough. Eventually it was the cost thing. It saved us having to also pay for reprints on top of the card costs. We got them in about three days, so now they are sitting on my dining room table, mocking me with how much work they will be to address them. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/31 "2001-11-28T03:34:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Why A Duck \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > > **baby jesuses** > > Wouldn’t that be _baby jesi_? 🙂 > > \*\* Actually, I think it’s like attorneys general, so babies Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/32 "2001-11-28T03:59:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \* > **The card must have a sentiment that is not overly religious… > The picture or design must likewise not feature… santas… christmas trees (although generalized pine-shaped trees pass muster)…** I’ve got to ask **Cranky** , what’s the issue/problem with Santa and Christmas trees? Neither is very religious (Old St. Nick might be in there somewhere but has been well occluded by red-suited Santas in malls and the like)… and the trees (perhaps without angel impaled at summit) are derived from old Yule traditions. No judgement mind, just pure curiousity. It’s probably a cultural difference. 🙂 (Aside) Christmas cards in the southern hemi-sphere are a little odd. They’re just the same snow + snowmen + sleighs + holly _et al_ as up north… but outside it’s hot, and Christmas day is usually beach + BBQ + sunburn. Christmas shopping on a blazingly sunny weekend as you swelter in the heat and trudge around stores that are decorated with wintery displays and blasting out: _“Dashing through the snow, on a one horse open sleigh…”_ is a somewhat surreal experience. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/33 "2001-11-28T04:14:32Z")
The reason I don’t want anything related to Christmas (even if it’s not religious) is that I’ve got friends who are not Christian (Jewish, say, or atheist, or whatevvah) who are on my card list. So a snowman or holly is cool (that’s wintry) but Santa or a tree with an angel sitting on top are both fairly closely tied to Christmas (even if these are not like a neon sign screaming “BABY JESUS!”. It’s not like my friends would disown me or find me insensitive, of course. They know what religion we (supposedly) are and what we celebrate. But for me, if I’m gonna be mailing them out to people whom I know are of different faiths, I prefer to not have it on there. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062/34 "2001-11-28T04:28:52Z")
I see what you mean. I think that is a very sensitive and empathic approach. Very cool. I suffer a little from mild shudders when we get nativity scene cards from my wife’s family – most of whom are much more religious than her… and far more than agnostic me. 🙂 Guess I don’t see Christmas trees (which I do put up each year) and Santa (one of whom we’ll get a photo of Apollyon Jr. with for his 1st Christmas) in the way. Definitely a YMMV case. Thanks for the explanation. Apollyon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cranky-gets-cranky-about-holiday-cards/93062.md?page=1)