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The big sending Christmas cards dilemma.

(20 Posts)
Wheniwasyourage Sun 06-Dec-15 18:35:23

gillybob DH has an Auntie Jean to whom we send a card every year, although I'm not entirely sure if she is still with us. However, as there is some doubt, I do put a return address on that one grin

numberplease Sun 06-Dec-15 18:20:39

My list is quite a bit shorter since we both stopped work, but I left work in 1992, and still get cards from 2 people from work, even though I never see them. I thought maybe things would change now, because the firm was bought out in the summer, and all but 7 office staff, including my daughter, were finished, but my daughter brought me a card that one of them took into work for her to bring me, now I`m wondering about the other one!

Gagagran Sun 06-Dec-15 15:52:43

Me too tiggy. I email or ring far away friends and only send cards to close family who live at a distance. I send a donation to the Salvation Army in lieu, to buy a needy family some Christmas treats.

tiggypiro Sun 06-Dec-15 14:49:52

I stopped sending cards a few years ago and now spend time ringing people up. So much nicer having a long chat and the money I save gets sent to charity.

Blondehedgehog Sun 06-Dec-15 14:27:32

Most of my family have long gone to the Christmas tree in the sky. I just have two sons and my grandaughters left.

I like to get cards but my rule is.......if you sent me one last year you will get one this year (I keep a list on the back of the calender)

Teetime Sun 06-Dec-15 13:16:44

I love Christmas but find Christmas cards and absolute pain. I don't display the ones I get and I send fewer and fewer. It seems silly to me that I spent a fortune yesterday on cards for my immediate family who I talk with either directly or one line all the time. DH and I have given up giving each other one - cards!!!

Cher53 Sun 06-Dec-15 12:44:28

My husband has a large family and I send to all whether we get one from them or not,if we only sent to one and not the other WW3 would break out. As it is , it's once a year.

Sadly, my list is depleting due to deceased family and friends. The only ones I do not send to are folk that I really do not have contact with anymore and unfortunately, this year, I have a friend who has fallen out with me, so I guess I won't be hearing from her this year.

Sometimes I feel grateful that at least I have someone to send a card to. I do make a point of sending to friends who live alone, and I have a few of those.

Greyduster Sun 06-Dec-15 12:39:55

You can bet your life that if you leave someone off your Christmas card list because they have fallen off your radar - either intentionally or otherwise - and haven't exchanged cards with for ages, they will send you one! My biggest dilemma this year is how I word the card I will send to DH's brother and sister in law. He is very ill and may not see another Christmas (or even the summer) and it seems trite to wish them merry Christmas and happy new year.

kittylester Sun 06-Dec-15 12:36:15

I'm more likely to NOT send to people we see often as we can say Happy Christmas to them. We send to people who have meant a lot to us through the years but who we don't necessarily see often.

I never send New Year's cards or Easter cards.

glammanana Sun 06-Dec-15 11:48:50

We send quite a few cards every year here to UK and abroad to friends we have not cut the amount we send but its sods law I will forget someone and one will arrive too late for us to return,thats when the New Year card comes in handy I think.

Gangang Sun 06-Dec-15 11:33:48

I still send over 40 cards every year - Christmas comes once a year and it wouldn't be the same without cards. I know how delighted I feel when a card drops through the letterbox knowing that someone somewhere has thought about us at this time of year. Maybe I'm just a romantic at heart!

tanith Sun 06-Dec-15 11:20:38

I cut out a few each year but then I received one this week from someone who I cut out last years with a note asking if we are all well.. I felt bad as she probably thought we had maybe died, so I've written one out to post to assuring all is well.. Its sure a dilemma but I think I'll carry on cutting down each year and then post one back if I receive one IYSWIM!

Largolass Sun 06-Dec-15 11:02:55

Pruned my list this year so only family and a few close friends are receiving cards cousins and others I haven't seen or heard from for years have had the chop.

mollie Sun 06-Dec-15 11:02:38

My christmas card list has been radically reduced over recent years and is now limited to the people we are in regular contact with. It wasn't so hard to do, my side of the family now amounts to five people anyway and his is growing in generations but diminishing in contempories. Because we are boring old farts we don't have a huge list of 'contacts' or friends to send to either...a dozen cards does the job!

kittylester Sun 06-Dec-15 11:00:30

It's s*d's law isn't it. We send to dd1's best friend's parents an d I was convinced they only sent one after they received ours so last year didn't bother! Their card arrived too late for us to send one. blush

loopylou Sun 06-Dec-15 10:59:15

My card list is short, I only send to those who I still see and a few whom I write to, or phone, who live abroad.

annsixty Sun 06-Dec-15 10:56:43

I culled my list last year and only had one from the ones cut out, so I decided they had been waiting for one from me before sending one back. It was a relief to me and I should imagine to them.

soontobe Sun 06-Dec-15 10:40:39

My advice would be to stop for one year and see what happens.
I cut out some christmas cards one year, but a few kept on sending them. So I carried on with those.

gillybob Sun 06-Dec-15 10:32:20

It's an awkward one isn't it Nelliemoser . A lovely Christmas card arrives at my mums address every year addressed to the lady who lived there before them (5 years ago) who sadly died. There is no return address just a sweet message for Auntie Jean. sad

Nelliemoser Sun 06-Dec-15 10:24:31

I am just writing mine now. My OH had large families on both sides and for years we have been sending cards to cousins and the very few remaining aunts and uncles on both sides.

We very rarely see any of OH's fathers side of the family at all now.
Particularly the Cousins.
(I have only two cousins left one is is Austrailia.)

My MILs side is much closer and I know them much better. At what point is it sensible to stop sending to all remote cousins and friends you have not seen for years. All it seems to do is remind them you are still alive. I am not sure all the people I send to are still alive.

Answers on the bottom of a Christmas card please.