Christmas Cards

What is it about Christmas cards? We put so much effort into creating and sending them, but for what reason? I have to admit I like getting them. I get giddy with excitement each day when I check the mail to see if I got any. But I'm not really sure what the point is. There is the notion of tradition, but where did it come from. After an exhaustive search (okay I just checked out wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christmas_card&oldid=332469173) I learn ed that not surprisingly Christmas cards were started as way to make money. Sir Henry Cole of London had helped introduce the Penny Post and later started Christmas cards as a way to get people to mail more letters and make him more money. Amazing a Christmas tradition that is all about making money? Next you're going to tell me the toy companies have a vested interest in Santa Claus? So throw tradition out the window, do we do them to keep in touch? With the interweb and social networking it's a lot easier to keep up with people now days, but there are quite a few on my card list that this is the only contact we have from year to year. However a picture in front of the fireplace in matching red sweaters doesn't tell me much. There are those that include the "Christmas Letter" in their cards, and I know a lot of people hate these. I for one am a big fan of them. I find it fascinating in what people deem interesting and important enough to include in these letters (full disclosure, I have in the past included a letter with my card). I also like to be caught up somewhat on what people are doing. Now the ones that are turned into cutesy little rhymes, fairy tales, or novels I can do without.

I'm at a loss, I'm not sure why my family sends out a Christmas card (that's not entirely true, it's because my wife tells me we are), or anyone else does. All I can tell you is why I like them, and that's for the pictures and seeing who likes me (or more likely my wife) enough to spend 39 cents (or whatever postage is these days) on me. Do not send out a Christmas card without a picture, I don't care if you just put a picture of your dog on it, I only want cards with pictures. The picture is what I look forward to when I open a card. They are like yearbook photos, so you can look back and see what people looked like in their 2001 Christmas card photo (my wife tends to keep old Christmas cards). It's always fun to see how people look and what kind of picture they choose to use, and to see how big kids have gotten. Then once received, they are immediately taped on the front door, for all to see the love and caring that so many have for my family as noted by all the well wishes in said cards.

I haven't even touched on the negative environmental aspects of cards, but I don't see a switch to emailed ones any time soon, so everybody go plant a tree to make up for it. And thanks to everyone who cared to enough to send me a card, you'll be getting ours hopefully soon.