christmas cards - do you send them?

I stopped sending cards a few years ago. Cards that I receive get opened, read then tend to sit on top of the fridge for a few weeks end up in the recycle bin at New Year, such a waste. Thankfully, most people stopped sending me cards when I stopped sending them but there are still about 15 that go through this cycle every year.

They're a pain to send but I love getting them so I hope the recipients do too. It's a way of maintaining contact from way back when. I like to use charity cards as well

I still send them. One year I was upset not to receive one from my mother, and when I mentioned it she said she was only sending them to 'close friends' that year! ( She was suffering from some mental health problems at the time, I must add).

It's a generational thing I think. I cut down every year but still feel obliged to send cards. I send out a photo news insert, very small, just the size of the card, and the old aunts and uncles lap it up, so I have to continue. Of course there are fewer of the oldies left every year sadly.

We send cards by mail if we cannot give them in person but it costs an arm and a leg these days to send by post. No wonder people are turning away from sending them. I send parcels by currier because it is cheaper. Yodel and Hermes are good value.

I love sending and receiving cards and will never stop.
It's heart warming to read all the lovely greetings inside them, and sometimes this is the only contact I have with old work colleagues, distant friends, etc. We often exchange bits of news inside the cards. Not everyone is online.
I only buy charity cards these days so at least I can feel I am helping charities in some small way.

Over here our postal service does a very cheap rate for the Christmas card, but their are people who take advantage of it, Me for one.

Times are changing the mantel piece has been mentioned, a blast from the past.

I used to write individual letters to people to put in my cards and it took forever. Nowadays I send round robins and add personal greetings at the end, and using the computer has the advantage that I can include a photo of the grandchildren. And I love receiving them in return, getting news from old friends is one of the highlights of my Christmas, and I think they enjoy it as much as I do. I hope they do anyway!

I make my own cards to send, something of a rod for my own back! I love to receive cards too, specially from those I haven't seen for ages and have included wee notes about what's happening with them.

I enjoy receiving cards more than gifts so hope the tradition will go on although I
agree about the cost of postage.
After my mum died I found a folder with all the handmade cards I had given her over the years.

I buy Christmas cards which have a Renaissance or Art Nouveau depiction of a religious theme: angels, mother and child, the stable or suchlike. They have to be nice quality thick card and well printed. I enclose a (non boasting) Round Robin family news catch-up and send them second class post with Christmas stamps. I write them with a proper ink pen and I love the whole ritual. They are sent on the nearest Monday after the 10th December.

I have been watching the price of stamps rise (Twelve and sixpence!) always fearing that 'this will be the year' that others give up beacuse of the outrageous cost. However, to my delight, I am getting as many as I usually receive so I guess others are afforded as much pleasure out of the whole exchange as I enjoy. I love to receive 'boastagrams' as they are a means of keeping in touch and I am very amused by the 'water skiing budgerigar' antics. Not being adventurous or inclined to spend large amounts on experiences and holidays I relish seeing what others are up to.

I also send Jacqui Lawson e-cards for Christmas and New Year.

I just love the whole season.

I usually make most of my Christmas cards and friends and family really appreciate them. This year I am recovering from a melanoma extraction operation so am using bought charity cards because I can do them sitting down with my leg up. A pack of charity cards I bought in January, with one friend in mind, have a Welsh greeting and the scene is the Snowden Range. I decided to send them to Australian, New Zealand and Canadian family and friends as we live only 8 miles from the border and if we walk up the road can see the first two ranges of Welsh hills and mountains. I love receiving cards but getting less each year as friend die!

Mumofmadboys - I send round robin type letters too. Try not to make them boastful though - just a brief account of how we and th family are getting on. I love receiving them too - hate cards from old friends with no letter. All it conveys is that they are still alive! I like to hear their news. I only send these letters to people who send them to us as I know many people dont like them. I send and receive about 10.Then spend hours writing exactly the same stuff by hand in the card to many others! Seems pointless.
I do agree some go over the top, but only one we get is like that.

I design my own card ,usually with a picture of our family, which I send as an email attachment to most people. It's not the cost of cards (I too always buy charity cards )but the extortionate postage .I do make an exception for people whose email address I do not have,the elderly and neighbours (hand delivered).The considerable amount of money I save goes as a donation to Cancer Research Uk, a cause dear to my heart .Its perfectly possibly to print off and display such 'cards' as an above poster days .Surely rhe important thing is tgat oeople are remembered at Christmas and know you thought of them ?This way I do not see it as yet another task to be done I do not understand those people who have their cards bought, written and addressed by now. Its hardly a spontaneous, joyful good wishing is it ...
I used to do a Round Robin as I can't see the point of keeping in touch with people you never see unless they know something of your current life (and you of theirs)And individual letters would take time I never had while working. I would type them and add personal bits at the end(I tried not to make them too envy inducing ,despite my perfect life-not!) I no longer do this as am in regular email or Facebook contact with most people I know

When I was a teenager I helped decorate an old ladies house. She had lots of Christmas cards displayed but they were quite dogeared. We realised they were old cards which she put out year after year. How sad. Of course, we volunteers all sent her individual cards that year.

Personally I hand out cards to people I see. I post about ten, and find that quite expensive. More and more people are sending messages by facebook and email now.

I send loads - costs a fortune in stamps! Has to be a religious or at least a very traditional picture though (like a robin or a snowy village church) - can't abide those awful Disney ones!

You can't display a email/Facebook message on your mantelpiece or wall can you? Yuk.

I am donating money again this year to a charity of my choice, something local so I know where the money went.

I have kept cards from my parents who are dead but I know would wish me all the best at Christmas so they will come out, it will be nice to have them here, they did so many Christmases for us when we were kids.

Only now send one and thats to my baby grandson, stopped all the others a few years back, surprising when you stop sending people stop sending cards to you. It seems a case of you buy me a card I will buy you one!

I detest boastmas letters - great term - and I too am dropping someone off my list because of her 'boring' effort last year.

If I haven't been in touch with someone since last year I put a quick "Hope you are all ok. We are all fine" and if anything has happened worth mentioning I add that = births, deaths and marriages. I don't imagine anyone wants to know how many holidays I have had, if my children have written a best seller, I have had a sun room added etc. (1 holiday, rest is fantasy!!)

We send about 65 cards in the post. We have moved several times and these are relatives/ friends we try and keep in touch with. I don't send any to neighbours or people I see. I just wish them a happy Christmas. I confess we do send a round robin letter to some of our friends.We have 5 kids and just letting folk know a little of our news would take a long time to write individually . I try to make the letter informative and amusing and certainly wouldn't say so in so had so many A stars . We do get quite a bit of positive feedback re the letter folk saying they like to hear our news. Does anyone else send one or am I the only one? I enjoy reading the ones I get. We usually receive about ten I guess. I feel disappointed if someone sends me a card with no news but perhaps I am just nosey!!

Ecards mean absolutely nothing to me in fact I dislike them with a vengenence
But totally agree about the round robin idea I dropped someone off my list last year for that reason I have no interest in knowing her husband went to the theatre last week and there garden looks lovely since they had a £1000 make over Blimey I haven't seen them for 20 years

I love Christmas but can't bear this crazy shopping fest with folks buying things they don't want often with money they don't really have and cards come into that category for me.
I send ecards abroad which saves a fortune. And I send ecards to folks I don't have a lot to do with. I like to hear folks news but these "boastmas letters" really take the biscuit. We have a five page technical colour letter from abroad and, even though folks don't know the family, they await this letter as it's so spectacular!

Yes but e cards only. Cost of the card plus postage all put to the Guide Dogs charity. Sadly one or two less this year.

I have just ordered mine from Marie Curie. Money to charity, card to show friends and relations I am thinking of them. Win win. I love receiving them too. Unfortunately this year several on my list have died, but the gap still means I think of them.

I send to close friends and family. Some years I make my own, each individual to the recipient but this year it will be bought cards as I'm busy making Christmas baubles for everyone instead.