The Christmas card trend has slowed a little over the past decade or so.
Half the population is becoming lazy or disinterested (and unfortunately, disconnected), and the rest are increasingly aware of the environmental cost of sending a flap of paper across the country to a relative, just for them to open it, read “Seasons greetings, Love Mum, Dad, the children and the dog,” and toss it.
It’s not economically sound, either, at maybe $5 for an average card plus a dollar for postage. And you can double that for a premium card, because let’s face it – we don’t like sending average things. That might not sound like much, but if you have a large extended friend and family network, it adds up.
If you’re not going to personalise the card and make it something worth keeping, it’s really just expensive rubbish. You’re throwing away $5 or $10 notes each time you send one. You’d be better off calculating how many people you’re thinking of sending a Christmas card to and instead donating the money you’d spend on buying the cards.
The thought doesn’t matter, either. What thought did you put into it?
Christmas cards can be really nice to give and receive – if you do it right. This year, make it worth your money and the environmental impact.
How do you do that?
Rather than write “to” and “from,” use the more-than-ample white space to write them a letter. Take the time to meaningfully connect with them. What you write specifically depends on how well you know your recipients and how often you see them. It will differ person to person, too. If it doesn’t, you’re not doing it right.
If you know them and see them often:
- reflect on good times you both enjoyed
- if they were extra supportive or motivational or inspirational this year, let them know what they did that helped and how much you appreciated it
- express a genuine, specific wish for them for the future. What do I mean? If you know they have a goal to achieve something fitness related, for example, write that you can’t wait to help them celebrate running their first half-marathon, and that you’ll be with them all the way
- end with a simple salutation such as “Here’s to another year of success and happiness.”
If you’re not quite as close and don’t speak/see each other too often, e.g. extended family that lives across the country:
- update them on things they may have missed/exciting events throughout the year
- suggest a possible chance to catch up during the coming year
- ask for an update on something you know they were working on this year
- enclose photos and be sure to include a blurb, either on the back or in the card
- end with a simple salutation as above. Don’t overthink it – just write something that you mean. It could be “looking forward to seeing you in March,” or whatever your plans are.
If you’re helping your children write in them, be it to family or friends, talk about it with them. Why are you giving this person a card? What are you going to say to them apart from “Dear so-and-so“?
Their reason for writing the card may be the very thing they should write in it. If they want to give a certain person a card, it may be because the intended recipient was kind to them throughout the year and it’s something your child remembered. It’s important to help them articulate their appreciation to their friend.
You may even be able to get the rest of your family onto it, and trade stories, photos, and uplifting comments each Christmas. It’s a nice way to stay connected if you can’t see each other very often.
When it comes to buying, try to buy cards made from recycled materials, if at all possible. The amount of paper that goes into making Christmas cards each season is astonishing.
I hope you’ve gained some inspiration from this post and now have something a little more creative than “season’s greetings” to write. If you did, please consider sharing this post with a friend so that it might help them too.
