Christmas Cards

Was helping at charity Christmas card shop yesterday so it encouraged me to buy my cards with the intention of making a start this weekend (but I've been distracted by reading this thread!). Love sending and receiving Christmas cards, to me it's the start of Christmas and thinking of family and friends.

Last year we told all we would not be sending cards any more but donating to air ambulance not 54p to royal mail

Lillie, that is a complete pain (in more ways than one!). However, just be thankful that she did it before, rather than after, the wedding! Happy Christmas to you and your son! I don't know if this helps, but we either buy our cards direct from the charity, or from a special charity card shop, set up in a local church. The proceeds go directly to the charities. Lots of churches in towns and cities do this.

I'm just a big kid at Christmas and love the religious aspect of the festival but not the horrible commercialisation in the shops. Trees in the shops in September!!! I buy my cards in the sales after Christmas and try to get them off before the final post by dates. We have an excellent Scout post where we live which saves trudging around the village dropping cards in to friends and neighbours and is a lot cheaper than the Royal Mail, plus the money goes to the scouts to help pay for activities etc.

I too send a brief roundup of the year to old friends and send charity cards but also wonder how much actually goes to the charities. I'm hoping to get my cards written this weekend but I'm putting a note in with some to say this is the last card I'll be sending, next year I will give some money to charity instead. The people who will be receiving my note are the ones who I never hear from for the rest of the year and never pop a roundup of their news in with their card. And the postage costs a fortune...........

Have made a start to cards. Have written our names on them, waiting for dh to do the labels then I will personalize each one. Have got poem printed out which I put in each card. Dh printed them out. I like to getting to get the cards out by end of second week. The ones going to America and Canada should be away by the end of this week.
My sister sho lives in canada always sends her cards out to everyone by the last week .I like sending ecards as well and do so to those living abroad so they get 2.
I like the idea Ttta2015 of keeping the cards of those who have passed away and putting them up together in a special place so that I remember them at this time of year.
Happy Christmas everyone.

Like Belleringer, we have moved around the world a lot, but still send cards to over 60 people. I think it's nice to catch up with news, if only once a year, and I tend to cover the left hand card with things of interest for each individual.

I think it's a bit "sad" to send cards before December, it looks like being desperate with nothing else to do? I guess it's different for those who no longer work, but I can't switch my mind to Christmas until second week in December, too much else going on. I aim for December 17th to have posted ours unless they are for overseas.

I agree with witchygran - hi, I'm new to Gransnet too - NEVER brag about anything that isn't of interest to others. We all know nobody really has the perfect life! Sadly I wrote, (not braggingly), in all last years' cards how we were looking forward to our son's wedding this year, only for his fiancée to walk out on him shortly before the event. Now I guess I need to tell all those who don't know about this in the Christmas card. Grrr.

Cards all written and ready for posting, no e-cards from me, really dislike them, so impersonal. I love to see my cards hanging on the conservatory doors every year, makes the whole ground floor look and feel festive. Don't know if anyone else does this, some of my friends thinks it is morbid and weird, but it makes me happy, I keep all my cards until the following year, mainly so I don't forget anyone in the present year, that way I still have the cards from departed family and friends, which I display all together on a particular shelf, on Christmas Day I burn a candle near the cards in order to keep all those people in my thoughts and hearts at such a special family and friends time of the year. After Christmas all these cards are put in a special place until next year when I can display them again. Please don't think me crazy, it makes me feel good!!!!!!!!

I'm posting mine next week but have put a letter in with some to say this is the last time as giving money to my local hospice next year. Postage is so expensive and I feel it could be put to better use. I will still be posting a few to special people .

I love receiving cards and always send paper cards (don't really enjoy the actual writing and addressing them though). I also love receiving the annual Christmas letter from friends telling me what they have been doing all year. We have moved several times and although I will probably never see some of these people again I just like to keep in touch, even if it is only once a year.

I stopped sending them 5 years ago when we started going away for Christmas, over the years people stop sending them back, thank goodness! I know it's baa humbug, but theygot on my nerves falling down and making the place look untidy, I only used to put out the cards that went with my decor!

I like trying to guess, from the writing and post mark on the envelope, who the card is from; sadly over the last few years more and more people use printed labels which takes the fun out of it. I've usually got my cards bought, written and ready to post by the 2nd week in December but this year I seem to have lost the oomph and haven't yet bought any - not sure if I'll bother [miserableoldwomanemoticon]

I LOVE receiving Christmas cards but I do have a few friends who have stopped sending 'real' cards and send e-cards instead. I'm going to get my cards out very early this year (probably 1st December) because we moved house earlier this year and I've got 'change of address' stickers to go inside the cards. I also like to buy charity cards but I do wonder how much the charity can possibly make! I suppose it just feels like a good thing to do. Happy Christmas to everyone on Gransnet!

Usually send mine around 15th December. Overseas goes earlier. Always charity cards. Send old friends that I don't see (due to distance), a roundup of the year IN BRIEF. Our children were at school together, so I enjoy reading about what they are doing with their lives. (Tip: NEVER brag about anything, don't imagine your holidays are of interest to anyone except you and always try to make it amusing, in part.) BTW I am new to Gransnet - love reading all the comments!

I love all the messages coming in at Christmas, but don't send to near neighbours. I always make an uploaded photo card, our cows in the snow, or last year's Christmas tree. I know it's more expensive, but I like the personal touch.

I found a great card reduced being on Black Friday, it will be for my lot in NZ
as the words on it it say,
'Happy Christmas you guys'
This is what my daughter-in-law call us, so just right I thought.

Cath

I'm sending fewer cards owing to 'natural wastage'... first thing I do is go through the list and delete those who didn't make it through the year.

It's a glum sort of task (just two this year; ladies whom I recall as young girls, beautiful and full of life... it confers a sort of closure, I suppose.

Am sending less Christmas Cards each year due to postage costs, but have about 30 that will be in the post box by 1st December. Am killing 2 birds with 1 stone as we have recently moved house, so new address and hand written message inside all cards.

Cannot abide 'red robin' messages whereby information about senders whole years events are squeezed onto an A4 sheet of paper. One sender sends so much information that they use a size 9 font to get it all on the page - consequently we can't read half of it due to poor eyesight.

All cards received are placed on windows & doors, so make house look extra Christmassy. Recycled in January: fronts for parcels tags and backs for shopping lists. Nothing wasted here. Grandchildren were here earlier in week - so have already handed over the Advent Calendars. All going for 99p at the local Card Factory shop - including the popular Thomas the Tank - excellent quality too.

My mother, who lives in Spain, tells me that the postal service there charge extra for coloured envelopes (anything except cream or white). How long before the Post Office here brings that one in?

I agree that Christmas cards are part of the decorations. I only resort to ecards when I get a card too late to post one in time for Christmas.

I'm in Ireland visiting my mother for her birthday and for the first time ever have brought not only her birthday card but also her Christmas card as well as all the family ones which I usually post. I feel slightly mean as I'll receive cards from all of them in the post but my reasoning is that they only post a few cards to the UK whereas I post loads to Ireland. The cost of a stamp to EU countries is about £1 and my mother can distribute them at no cost.
She's given me cards for all of my lot too. Win win

I'm with EmilyH and Ginny. I love Christmas cards and love to see them around the house at Cmas. Our cards are bought but with two exceptions. I have always made the cards for our grandchildren. The oldest is 6 so it's okay; not sure hand made ones will be appropriate when they are older! This year I have to own up - I got my idea from Pinterest .

No e-cards for me. Very pretty but I like to see the real cards as part of the decorations.

E cards definitely not unless the other sort stretch the budget of course.
I always buy charity or in January sale.
DGS and I make gift tags from last years.
Any suitable paper left is cut up for reuse or shredded for the compost heap.

Sadly list gets smaller each year. No relatives left. I would never send e card, whatever they are, and it is always great to receive cards with a little message. Cards are recycled locally after the holiday.