I try to stay away from sensitive issues on my blog because I HATE the awkward. I mean, the only thing worse than the white elephant in the room is TALKING about the white elephant in the room. But this is a subject that I believe must be addressed.
I’m talking, of course, about the Christmas Form Letter.
(Yes, I do entertain myself with my puns.)
A couple of other bloggers dared to broach the topic, and they weren’t lynched in the night so I thought I would dip my big toe in the muddy water.
I used to scoff at the Christmas Form Letter. Let’s face it — the early adopters were rather dry, and they often read like resumes. (Of course I’m not talking about YOUR Christmas letter.) But then more and more people adopted the idea, and I have to admit, some letters were actually entertaining to read. And even those that weren’t, I enjoyed catching up on what my friends had been up to throughout the year.
For years I wrote personal notes on every one of my Christmas cards, but finally one year I gave up and decided to give the form letter a try, and I never looked back. Thus our annual family Christmas letter was born.
Response was positive, for the most part. There was one family member, however, who tersely informed me that she didn’t need a letter; next year I should just send a picture. Well you better believe SHE has never received another of our family Christmas letters. HMPH.
So it is always with a bit of trepidation that I insert our letters into the envelopes. I am well aware that some still dislike this postmodern holiday tradition. But I do my best not to extol the virtues of each family member as if we are applying for the Nobel Peace Prize, and I usually preface my letter with a disclaimer that the choice to read it is up to each recipient. If it makes better kitty litter than late night reading material, then so be it.
So I ask you. Do you send a canned form letter in your Christmas cards? How do you feel about receiving them?
And also. Do you feel like you are getting fewer cards this year than ever before? What’s up with THAT?
I blame the economy for sending less cards this year. I’m just too lazy to purchase all the Christmas cards. And then I handwrite them… Aaand I have a HUGE family. Gah.
I don’t mind Christmas form letters from people who have stuff going on: missionaries, pastors, people with active kids but depending on who it is, it can get old after a while.
I guess I’m old-fashioned.
I have only received 1 Christmas letter, ever. It was from my MIL & I wasn’t impressed with it, so I have never done it. I have a hard time talking about myself, not my kids(love talking about them!), but after reading her letter I decided it probably was not my thing. I did read someone’s online this year that had me rolling & wishing I was a recipient of her letter! I stick with plain old cards & really don’t personalize them either. We did photo cards for the 1st time last year. We didn’t get around to it this year. This fall has been too crazy.
Jessie
OK – I LOVE getting Christmas cards – especially ones with pictures – it is how I see how everyone is growing and changing. I RUSH to the mailbox every day around the holidays.
However, I clearly have not received your kind of form letters – most of the ones I get are, quite honestly – boring or bizarre. For example…..your husband hurt his back sneezing, your dog had major surgery, you are in a regular bunko group….
I’ve never written one for fear I would fall into the boring group
xoxo
I only do a letter about every-other year. This year I didn’t because when I aked my husband what I should write about he said, “Nothing,” meaning that basically, nothing new happened in our lives this year, so why send a letter?
I like getting them, as long as they aren’t braggy, like Ali said. And I like getting pictures, but I especially like seeing the parents–they are our friends. What’s with only sending pics of the kids?
Yes, I’d say we are getting fewer cards this year. We were just talking about that last night.
OK, so I have to confess I LOVE Christmas letters. I think it’s my nosey side that hungrily reads the details of other peoples’ lives.
I have sent a letter sent we had kids, but I keep it short a sweet– never more than one page, a few pictures to keep attention, and humorous and easy-to-read. It’s an art form really!
I have received fewer cards this year than ever before. Not sure what it’s all about, because I’ve sent more cards this year than EVER before!!
I love Christmas “form letters.” I also love the photo cards. Sadly we didn’t do either this year. maybe next year.
I’ve never been brave enough to write a letter for our cards. Maybe when we have children and I have more people to talk about?
I don’t think many people really want me to update them on my husband and the cat.
I love them for the most part; but I did get one last year that went something like this…
We got older.
We didn’t go anywhere.
We didn’t do anything.
Cracked.me.up.
We send a letter. Husband writes it. Sometimes I think it is too long and a little too resume-ish, but he likes doing it, I think. I enjoy reading other people’s letters most of the time. Yes, so far fewer cards, but I’m thinking people are either running behind (like me–no picture still!) or maybe they are choosing to not do that this year, to save money. My postage costs more than my cards!
We can always count on my sister-in-law (my husband’s brother’s wife) and another friend from college to send yearly Christmas letters. In case this comment is ever traced to me, I’ll refrain from sharing any commentary on those.
I am also wondering where all the Christmas cards are this year!! Either we’ve lost friends or everyone’s rather late getting them mailed! I enjoy seeing pictures of friends’ kids when they’re included with the cards, mainly because I’m not a Facebook frequenter, so don’t see current pictures very often.
Here’s what Husband wanted to do this year:
Dear Friends,
Blah, blah, blah, blah . . . and so on until the last paragraph.
Then he would say something like “got a new job, kids in school/sports, Nicole pregnant (again!)” Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Which is pretty funny, but I’m insisting he include the fact that I completed my first ever half marathon because it is a big deal to me!
I have done Christmas letters in the past, but won’t this year…just no time. I honestly don’t mind getting them at all. I love to read my friend’s attempts at being funny and sharing their hearts with us.
It’s when I don’t get one and everyone else does that I start to wonder
We just send a Xmas card with a picture of kids and grownups. I agree with Extraordinary Mommy – I don’t send a Xmas family newsletter because most of the ones I receive are, ahem, boring.
I love Christmas Cards and Christmas Letters both. Like Sheila, I think it suits my voyeuristic side. I did our first Christmas Cards this year. We did a photo collage with our favorite pics from the year (our trip to Antigua and when Sarge got home from Iraq).
Before this year (and this year too) I’ve been responsible for my mom’s Christmas cards/letters. We used to just send cards, but the year she was diagnosed with cancer, and my brother had his first child, we decided a letter was worthwhile! This year’s card was pictures with captions telling what was going on (it was just missing a pic of my parents because ‘their’ news was they got two new cats).
I think letters are alot of fun (when there is news) but I’ve enjoyed the photo cards I’ve gotten more than the traditional Christmas cards (sans personal notes anyways).
This is my first year to receive a significant amount of cards (something like 7 or so) last year I only received 1. But most of my cards appear to be responses to the photo cards I sent out.
I have done letters in the past because I do enjoy reading the ones I get. Not sure if I will do one this year-I just asked my husband this morning if there was anyone in particular he wanted to send a card to as I was thinking I wouldn’t even send any. I have only gotten 3 cards so far this year-one from my mother in law and one from a business. Maybe if I send some I will get some…
So glad you mentioned about getting fewer cards. We totally are! I keep wondering if everyone is just late this year (because I, myself, am running late on cards) or if we’ve been dropped from lists across the country!
Many of my friends are choosing to send emails rather than Christmas cards/letters as a “green” thing.
I LOVE getting xmas letters. I love reading what is going on in other peoples lives…even the boring ones. I don’t send one out though. Maybe next year.
I can’t say if I have recd less cards this year yet. I usually get most of mine in this last week.
I love them as long as they are not braggy Mcbraggersons about it.
(Get your best Thurston Howell III voice going)
“So I am now head of the company and we are jetting off to the South of France for the holiday. The Mrs is President of the Junior League and single-handedly feeding the poor. The children are better than yours taking college AP classes in pre-school. And my housekeeper always does the baseboards….. Oh yes, and Rex the Golden Retriever can speak French.Merry Christmas! Love, The McPompersons”
Snort. I get one of those EVERY year, Alli.
Jessie, I figure I talk about myself all the time on my blog; what can be so hard about a Christmas letter? But truly, it IS hard. Especially when there really is nothing majorly new to report.
You could get creative and do something like this
http://www.cringely.com/2009/12/fedex-kinkos-wont-print-our-christmas-card/
Rut-row. Y’all are making me seriously doubt the cleverness of my Christmas letter.
I was just making the same observation to my husband – where are the cards? I display them in our house and it looks like we have no friends! We do a short/sweet note…it’s basically a list of the kids and our big moments for the year. I did a post about past cards and will probably post this year’s soon.
Ooooh! Another hot topic. The picture. I agree, I like getting photos with the adults too. Especially from people I haven’t seen all year.
LOL. That’s basically us this year. Except somehow I came up with a page and a half about it. Hm. Maybe my letter IS one of the boring ones.
LOL, Nicole. Love it!
We used to send the family Christmas newsletter. I had first gotten MSPublisher on my computer and was enthralled with it. But to make it worth working on–I had the whole family pitch in. I’d bug them over and over again until we had photos and newsbytes.
That’s because I’m evil like that.
Then we would send them out to everyone! 4 page publications. People used to complain that they didn’t know who all these people were or why were “they” in the family newsletter but THEY weren’t. (Uh…because “they” are family–my side, his side–but family all the same!)
But when my FIL died just before Christmas 6 years ago right before Christmas, we quit sending cards and newsletters. This year we sent cards but no newsletters.
i like them – but never actually do one of my own!!
I like them when it’s someone that I don’t interact with much throughout the year. Busy lives and all. It’s a good synopsis. And sometimes I do enjoy them for their happy spin on the year – especially if I know what kind of year they’ve had.
I do like a little personal note, but I’ll take what I can get!
I love Christmas letters. Even if they are gushing ones. Although I might talk about it to my friend LOL. In the past few years though I haven’t been getting many. I do a Christmas letter but I don’t send many of them out either. I pretty much only send them to people that the only time I communicate with them is at Christmas. I figure everyone else knows kinda what’s going on. I’ve noticed also that some people aren’t sending cards anymore. I love it so much, I keep sending them to people even if they stop sending us one LOL.
Personally, I don’t see the point of sending a Christmas card if you don’t include a form letter. I think without a family update, cards are a colossal waste of money. I’ve written a Christmas letter every year since I’ve been married. I just think it helps people keep up with what’s going on in your life. When I just get a card with a signature, I’m left thinking, “Good to know that person is still alive. But what have they been up to?” To me, that’s the whole point of Christmas cards — keeping in touch with people.
I try not to make our cards a summary of our accomplishments — I try to make them fun to read. But, if I’m honest, I write the letter mostly for the benefit of me, my husband and the kids. I take a copy of each year’s card and put it in a specifically designated Christmas Card Scrapbook. It’s a great summary of the year and the letter forces me to sit down and document the high (and low) points, so that my kids can look back on it in the future.
Yes, WAY fewer cards this year!! I attributed it to the fact that for the last 2 years (or at least 2 out of the last 3), I have not sent out cards due to, well you know — life.
However, I picked up my cards today and am almost finished, so I won’t be a slacker this year.
We’ve done the letters in the past, but as I said, it’s all I can do to get a card out. I agree, they sometimes sound a bit formulaic or braggadocious. but I honestly love getting them, especially from people I only hear from once or twice a year.
So yeah. Um. NO!
Well, I guess you know my stance on this debate, as you received my card recently WITH said Christmas letter. I love getting them to catch up with those we don’t see very often.
And…I, too, love cards with photos!
Good topic Jo-Lynne! I have 2 friends that ALWAYS send out a form letter, and I LOVE them! These friends have moved away, so we don’t keep in touch as often as I’d like, and I really enjoy hearing about the details of what’s going on in their family and with each of their kids. On the other hand, I have another old friend who I never hear from, but each year I get a photo card of her kids. No signature, no updates, no letters, nuthin’. So I feel like I don’t really know her and each year I get a photo of these kids that I hardly recognize. I love being updated, and if I had anything of interest going on in my life, I’d probably do a form letter too!
That’s my 20 cents worth!
I love getting the letter – especially from people that I don’t get to see often or at all. It’s a fun way to keep up with what’s going on in their lives. That being said, I never send one of my own – my own life is just too boring. I have a toddler, my world revolves around potty training, naptime, getting her to eat and bedtime… I love getting cards with pictures and don’t really pay any attention to the cards without pictures.
I’ve noticed fewer cards this year too but I figure that most people are like me and late to get their act together – I will get them out by the end of the week though, even if it kills me!
I’m not so crazy about the christmas form letters, I don’t know why. I find “some” of them to be fake. Like look how great we are and look how much you suck. But that’s just me.
I noticed we have been getting less cards too. Sign of the times and the economy I suppose.
No cards for us this year, so no letter. But man, could you imagine my letter. It would read like a Harlequin novel and some might even ask for the movie version! LOL
I don’t do them- because I’m too lazy, but I do enjoy getting them. Especially from people that we only hear from once a year. It’s fun to see what my friends have been up to over the past year.
That, it would. At least you’re still laughing.
We do both photo and letter. I LOVED looking at my parents’ mail during Christmas when I was a kid… loved reading the letters, too.
And I’ve kept each of our letters and pictures from each year since we’ve been married in a book b/c my aunt told me she did that and her junior-high aged kids were LOVING looking back over it from when they were little or not even born yet! A great memory keeper and not too difficult since it’s only once a year.
Email me your address and I will send you ours.
Michelle, I agree. I’m always kind of disappointed when there is no letter inside. Love your idea of the book. Wish I’d thought of that, well, 14 years ago. LOL!
Last year I copied our letter and put it (with some edits) in the front of our digital photo album – I ordered an album on iPhoto. I plan to do it again this year.
I also blame the economy for less cards. I know this is an expense many people are cutting back on this year. I do miss them, though.
I don’t do a letter because I tend to ramble on and on or I just get lazy. But after reading the comments here I think I will write a letter next year. Who wants a card with kids they don’t recognize and no update? good point. I love the letters we receive and read every one of them. I think it is nice that people try to keep in touch with others even if it is only once a year. I don’t find many of them fake but yes, they are mostly full of the good news. Hmmmm, kinda reminds me of blogging.
I love Christmas Letters, and am doing ours for the first time ever. We had a big year.
We have a gotten a lot fewer cards this year, and I am sure the economy is to blame. It stinks, but it happens.
Now I want Kim to write a letter…lol
Geez, I don’t know whether to feel better or worse after reading this post! I like letters because I am also nosy but I do analyze, critique and basically rip them apart. I also get disappointed when someone I know nothing about just sends a picture—an update would be handy. I have done letters in the past when it was a significant year like moving, but try to make sure I give God the glory and don’t sound too prideful. This was a crappy year, hence no letters or cards for that matter–and yes, I feel guilty about it. I have received like three cards and was wondering if I should take it personally, but thankfully, I’m reassured that it’s universal. You can use the “green” reason for emails, but does Aunt Martha want an email from you or a cute picture of your kids?
Life used to be so simple, what have we done to Christmas? Deep breath everyone. It’s almost over. And don’t forget–Jesus is the Reason! Merry Christmas!
I’m STILL waiting on my Christmas photo cards to arrive…I ordered them Nov. 10!!
This year I sent a mass egreeting explaining that the cards are late. I did out little family newsletter just to let everyone know about our BIG year. Moving & having a baby within a week made for good material. I try to let everyonr know what’s going on with each family member since it’s the only correspondence that we have with some of the recipients.
Yes, I’ve noticed not getting as many cards; however, I attribute it to the fact that I haven’t sent any in the past several years. I always mean to, does that count?
First, YES, I feel like I’m getting fewer cards this year! So weird!!
Second, I love letters. I especially love getting a photo card WITH a letter.
Last year, I wrote up a little story and printed it with a multi-pic border. So it combined photos and a quasi-letter. The year before I did very late baby announcements with the Christmas card. So this year, I think I’m due to send a real letter.
But I’m considering a Top 10 list of some sort.
Fewer cards, yes, and I agree that without a letter, photo or at least a note? Sending cards is pretty pointless. I actually throw cards away that are just signed – but I keep all of the pictures and include them in my scrapbook. It’s fun to look back at how all the kids have changed over the years.
LOL Dawn. And Amen to that!
This was just a silly post. I hope it isn’t stressing anyone out.
I think Facebook has contributed to the demise of both the Christmas card and the letter. We usually send out a letter, but now that we are connected to most of our friends and family I really couldn’t think of too much to put in the letter that people didn’t already know!
I noticed I was receiving less cards this year too! I just figured I irritated too many people this year
Glad to know it’s not me. LOL
I LOVE getting the cards and pictures, the more personalized the better, I say. And I LOVE LOVE when the adults are in the picture too.
As for the letters, I get them and I read them and all that, but the ones I ENJOY are the funny ones. Last year I got one from a mom of 8 and her letter basically told the story of the family trip to get the tree and the NIGHTMARE it was but the way she told it had me ROFL! I was crying it was so funny!
I loved that it was so honest and unpretentious! But anything that makes me laugh is worth it’s weight in gold to me
I don’t do the letter, but I was tempted to this year after seeing a fun digital scrapbooking template at Scrap Girls. It’s mostly photos, and the text part is laid out so you can’t ramble on and on. I don’t know who would object to that … except my husband.
Whoa, this is a hot topic. 52 comments already… Wow!!!
I do not send a letter because I don’t have time to put one together. I don’t mind getting a letter from friends. I am getting less Chritmas cards this year. And in the words of Bill Clinton, “it’s the economy stupid.” Didn’t he say that? Whatever. That wasn’t really nice. But that is the reason. I have a friend whose husband has been out of work since January and she sent out an email apologizing for the lack of Christmas cards. Sad.
I’m not a fan of the letter. I’d much rather have 2 heartfelt personalized lines than a page of what has happened all year. I feel like it takes 5 minutes to write something to my friends and I’m happy to do it.
I don’t mind getting a Christmas letter *so long as* it’s more like a blog post than a list of facts and they don’t start bragging about their children (ex: listing every last thing the kid has learned to do in the last year – a funny story is better) or the million and one things they spent money on during the year.
If I could ever get my act together I’d be sending a letter myself.
It’s nice to be updated on what’s been going on in friend’s lives – especially the ones that I don’t keep in close contact with.
Newsletter style Christmas letters are a family tradition for us and there are many people I know only from the ‘form’ letters they exchanged with my parents. We moved a lot and the vast majority of our cards were to people who lived away and wanted the general update. My Mum would often add a few personalized lines, as do I.
We don’t always do a strait letter. Acrostics, Abcs, and comic strips have all made their place into our Christmas cards.
I have received some decent Christmas “form” letters but I do hate the overly hyper bragging ones. You can share some accomplishments without over killing it. I did read one “form” letter on a blog but hers was filled with her good sense of humor so it was enjoyable..I personally do not send them.
I love them! I look so forward to getting them every year. I have not been brave enough to write our own yet, but really thinking about it!
I love form letters so much more than just a signed Merry Christmas card. I really am clueless about what’s been going on in people’s families since my extended family isn’t very good at communication.
But of course there are those that just make you feel bad, like the ones who sent my parents a letter talking about the extensive and impressive remodel they did to their house…and my parents sent out their letter which mentioned it took them 4 months to remodel the bathroom. Yeah, not cool.
First, I swear I get fewer cards every year. Yet my list seems to grow every year. I really should cut back one of these days.
Seconds, my husband refuses to do a Christmas letter. He thinks it’s impersonal. And we don’t have kids. So we write in every card. But not much, ’cause quite frankly there’s nothing exciting to tell! I only did a letter one year when I was in college and he was away, and I just didn’t have the time to think about anything else. Of course that’s also the year that I gave up on addressing envelopes. We have a Word document saved with address labels. I update it everytime I get a new address for someone. At Christmas I just hit “print”, then I peel and stick.
Well. I have to say that it always bothers me to hear people say they are not fond of the Christmas letter. I have done a letter every year since we were married, but it is never a form letter. I try to make it fun and enjoyable, but for all I know maybe people are mocking me when they receive it in the mail. There are several people who tell me every year how much they look forward to my letter and picture (which by the way is always of the whole family). I think people are a little too quick to be judgemental, instead of just reading the letter, appreciating the time it took to compose, copy and send it. I receive about 6 or 7 letters each year and I love them! I guess I just don’t get it. I would send the letter to only those who wanted to recieve the letter if I knew who they were.
We are not sending out cards this year (because of the cost $200+) but will be posting my Christmas letter on my blog….because it is my blog and I can do whatever I want! I’ll be posting my Merry Christmas announcement on Facebook and let anyone that wants to check out our letter head over to my blog.
We have always enjoyed Christmas letters and started our own a few years ago. I think most people just want to know if the deal between my DH and me is still running (I get a pool if he gets a dog – long story). Anyway, there is one letter we look forward to each year that just has us rolling with laughter!
I can’t wait to see what has happened to them this year!!
I love receiving the cards/letters. We also choose to send them along with a picture. My husband was in the Air Force for almost 21 years. We have friends all over…some military (most former military now) and friendships that we formed while attending churches at each of those duty assignments. Sometimes we only hear from this friends at Christmas time and that is okay. Because of facebook, we have been able to reconnect with some of these friends. I still love reading the letters and recalling the memories that we made with these friends. Some letters are serious and some are sooooo funny. It doesn’t matter. Some bring sad news (divorces, illnesses, and death) and some tell of exciting vacations that friends have taken. The sad ones give me reason to be thankful (even though we are currently going through difficult circumstances ourselves) and reason to remember these friends in prayer. Prayer is powerful. The happy ones give me hope that someday maybe life will be a bit easier for us. It makes me happy that my friends had a blessed year.
Keep sending cards our way!
pscole3467 at gmail dot com
Pamela, I love your comment. Thank you for your perspective of thankfulness. That is, after all, the POINT of the season.
I love form letters, well exciting ones anyway. Even cheaper than FORM LETTERS are FORM emails. Talk about modern! I like hearing what people are doing and getting updates rather than a card that’s has a pre-canned message on it. Plus mailing all those cards can get costly.
Ultimately its the thought so whatever the case, I say go for what works for you!
I don’t like them. I don’t even like reading them…I am the snot that figures if I need THAT much of an update on your year we pry aren’t close enough to exchange cards…Do you hate me now.
We should send each other our Christmas letters each year and highly critique them to make sure we aren’t being a)lame or b)Braggy McBraggersons. I love getting Christmas letters which is why I send them.
I LOVE Christmas letters. I’m always a little disappointed when there isn’t one. Isn’t that the point of Christmas cards – to stay in touch with each other?
(I can’t get over someone being rude enough to say they don’t want you to send them one. Must be the southern girl in me.
And, I do understand why, but how sad is it that you feel like you have to put a disclaimer on it – surely someone grown up enough to have an address to send a card to is grown up enough to know that they don’t have to read something they don’t want to. )
We didn’t send Christmas cards this year because of the expense. And I was so sad b/c we had a great family picture this year!
I absolutely enjoy receiving letters from family and friends at Christmas time! I enjoy catching up on their year and hearing about some of the little (and big!) things that happened to the individual members.
I stopped back by to read your comments. 70. Wow! Very interesting point of views. I hope I am never 1. lame, or 2. Braggy McBraggerson or whatever her name is. =)
I send out the letter and enjoy it- I keep a copy each year in a scrap book and it is sort of a keepsake in our family (so I guess I don’t care if others enjoy it LOL) And yes I am getting a lot less cards the last few years- what IS up with that? =(
I’ve been inconsistent with our family letter in the Christmas cards. We’ve done it on occasion, and what I did last year I like better. I did a blog post detailing what would have been in the letter. And I emailed out the link to just about my whole address book. It actually got to more people than received Christmas cards, and we have so few people on our list that don’t have access to the internets that it seemed like a simpler way to go. The other bonus is that it was our “year end wrap up”, so I had an extra week AFTER Christmas to get it done, rather than piling on more work to finish before the big day! I DO love receiving letters from other people! And yeah, I’ve noticed the decline in cards received…somehow though, our list always grows each year!
I’ve never done one. And I don’t care to receive them from just anyone, but there are certain people’s that I read and enjoy.
I would do them, but most everyone I know reads my blog or facebook updates, so I’d feel silly since they’d know most everything already.
I do send cards every year. I think the bad economy is a crock.
We always make time and find funds for what we really want to do. And I’ll always send cards.
I’m super sad that I hardly received any cards, though. It’s my favorite part of Christmas. There’s nothing like getting warm, happy (preferably family pictures of them) cards from those you love.
I received a few from online friends this year and that really made my day!
:–)
I like receiving any and all cards with photos, handwritten notes, and/or updates (even “form letter” ones). It’s the blank christmas cards with just a signature that drive me crazy! Really…why send one at all if there is no personalization at all?