Does anyone send “New Year’s” cards after the holidays, or
post-holiday cards?
Our family has not always sent traditional Christmas cards, but
we were determined to do so this year. Mostly because we’ve
moved and bought a new house in a new city in the last year,
and this would be a great opportunity to let our more distant
family and our friends know how we were doing and make
sure everyone had our current address.
Nice theory, right? Unfortunately, my wife spent a lot of
December in the hospital, and our lives and schedules have
been off, so we never did end up sending those cards.
However, the reason for wanting to send them is still there,
it’s only the occasion that is lacking. Would it seem OK to
send a “New Year’s” card, or perhaps even just a “Hello”
card?
I had briefly considered sending letters to everyone, but I’m
really leaning against that. For one thing, we still are a lot
short on time right now, and it would be hard to find the time
to write that many personal letters. Also, these are for a lot
of people that aren’t as close, and don’t necessarily have the
basis for that type of letter. Now I could write a “form letter”
once, and send it, but I’ve never really been fond of that
idea. Also, if I write a letter like that, I would either have to
dance around my wife’s illness, or explain it, and she isn’t
wild about discussing it with all those people.
So what do the teeming millions think? (Or at least, I hope,
the teeming dozens).
It might be cheesy, but, given how ridiculoulsy hectic December always is, with the end of the semester and Christmas shopping and all, I always save my holiday cards until the lull between Christmas and New Years, and send them as combo thank-you and season’s greetings thing.
So I don’t there’s anything wrong with sending belated holiday cards.
Oh, and personally, I hate form letters. A very brief personal note is far superior, IMHO. Just, “Looking forward to seeing you at [occassion]!” or “I hope that [person] is enjoying [new circumstance].”
If I recall correctly, Miss Manners wrote very much in favor of wishing New Year’s greetings, and especially to or from people who don’t celebrate Christmas. To friends for whom I don’t think a Christmas card would be appropriate (for various reasons), I send winter-themed cards wishing them a happy New Year.
If you feel compelled to explain, though, simply write a note something to the effect of “December was particularly hectic for us this past year, but we wanted you to know we were thinking of you and hoping your holidays were wonderful [or: that we are wishing you all the best for the new year].”
Thanks, Ferret Herder, for the idea of winter-themed cards for New Year’s. A lot of our friends (and my side of the family) are in Texas, specifically in Houston where I understand temps were in the 70s over Christmas; we, on the other hand, have received over 50 inches of snow this season, and I think the winter scene would be most apropos.
I rec’d some straggler Xmas cards that seemed to have late postmarks from people I have not seen in quite a while. I sent cards thanking them for thinking of me. I have one more left. I don’t think people care. A little quid pro quo…
A few years back I decided to send out new years cards from then on. This year I’m even more behind, and I just mailed mine yesterday, adding “Uh. . . Happy President’s Day, haw haw” as they were ridiculously late. The design I made isn’t X-massy-- it’s just an egret and some bamboo leaves and water, so very . . .wintery, in a Santa Barbara kind of way.