In the spirit of the season, I am participating in 2013 Virtual Advent Tour, hosted by Kailana from The Written World and Marg from Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. Head over to Advent Blog Tour to see the schedule and visit other participants’ posts.One of the things I used to always look forward to as a child was getting Christmas Cards. When I was little, my family didn’t have a phone and there was no internet yet, so visiting people in person or writing were the only way of communication, and we only wrote when it was something urgent.
Christmas time was that one time of the year when we heard from distant relatives and friends, a sign that we were all still alive and thinking of each other, even if the distance, work, money issues or illness prevented us from visiting each other.
A week or two before Christmas we would sent out our Christmas cards and at the same time started anticipating the arrival of Christmas cards others had sent to us. It was really exciting, especially for me as a child – it was as much about greetings as about pretty images – and all the way till my late teens. Each card was carefully read and we proudly displayed them all on the cutlery drawer for a few weeks.
Things have changed since then, and staying in touch with people is easy with mobile phones and via the Internet, but sending and receiving Christmas cards remains a tradition close to my heart, even though I have abandoned it for the past few years due to financial problems (postage is more expensive then calling a person or sending an e-card), but I hope to resurrect the tradition some day (that is, if other people don’t abandon it entirely.)
Until then, I will keep up the tradition of sending holiday greetings via other means of communication and from time to time I will perhaps look through the old Christmas cards I have saved, with the picturesque winter- and holiday-themed imagery, much similar to the few examples below.
What about you? Is sending/getting Christmas cards one of your holiday traditions? Or have you switched to the electronic means of sending out holiday greetings?
I still send real cards. I love sending and receiving 'real' mail instead of always getting bills and other boring stuff! Thanks for participating in the tour!
ReplyDeleteOh, I absolutely agree if you look at it that way, I think Christmas Cards are one rare example of 'good' mail, the one that makes you happy, unlike bills and other stuff. And it's my pleasure. :)
DeleteI am one of the few people who still sends out cards. Last year I made most of them by hand and this year I made ALL of them myself. I still have a couple left to make, too. Oddly, my stop on the tour today is about my cards. ;) I think sending and receiving cards is one of my favourite parts of this season. I am one of those who writes epically long notes in cards. Always have been. I also remember that I got to be in charge of hanging up all the cards we got when I lived at home. I was really OCD about how they were taped to the basement door and wall around the stairs. heh. I'm still like that, actually.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for being a card person. Even if you've stopped recently. And now that Canada Post is going to drastically raise postage costs, there will be even fewer Christmas cards by mail next year. I'll try to send out a handful though.
I write long notes in my cards, too. But I'm too clumsy to make my own - my fingers just don't do small details well. :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
No, I've never sent cards. I do have some friends that continue to send me cards even though I don't respond. I do enjoy their cards. I enjoyed your advent post very much. Have a Merry Christmas. kelley—the road goes ever ever on
ReplyDeleteWell, receiving Christmas cards is always nice. :) Thank you for stopping by, I'm glad you enjoyed my post. Merry Christmas to you, too!
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