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- December 21, 2008
Which Holiday Card is for You?
For the past few years, I’ve noticed that the number of Christmas cards I receive in the mail is fewer and fewer. Picking out and sending Christmas cards has been a long standing tradition in my family. When I was little I used to love to lick the stamps and place them on the envelopes. When I got older, my mom would allow me to address some of the cards and envelopes personally. To this day, I still carry on the tradition of mailing cards.
A recent discussion held in our Boomer Diva Nation forum got me to thinking about how so many of us have given up on the Christmas card tradition for one reason or another. Instead of sending a beautiful card with a handwritten note, many folks have resigned themselves to sending ecards instead. Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it when someone thinks enough of me to send a card electronically but, to me, it’s so much more personable and exciting to receive a card in the mail. The fact that you thought enough of me to spend $0.42 plus the cost of the card and send along a handwritten message is priceless. According to the American Greeting Card Association, 90% of households still prefer to mail their cards versus sending them electronically.
Some people, on the other hand, actually prefer the Holiday ecards because they can delete them immediately without any clutter.
As a baby boomer, I know some “old habits” can be hard to break and since I still remain technically challenged in many ways, I will continue to stick with Uncle Sam’s way for now.
So what about you? Which you do prefer: eCard of traditional card or does it matter? Do you send Christmas cards by mail or email? If you used to send them by mail but don’t anymore, why not?
14 Responses to “Which Holiday Card is for You?”
I enjoy both. Since I haven’t sent Christmas cards in many years, I really appreciate the ones I receive. The bottom line is to let people know you’re thinking of them. Card, letter, email, phone call – they all say you care.
By Debra on Dec 21, 2008
I feel the same way as Debra does, I don’t think twice about whether someone sent a card by mail or email, I enjoy them all, and think about the person that sent it and appreciate the fact that the person thought to write, no matter what method they chose.
I do understand how you feel, though, it’s fun to get mail, and a nice tradition.
With some people going through challenging times with the economy, and every penny counting, eCards are a nice alternative…personally I like to personalize them even if they are an eCard, not just send the same card to a large group of people.
Bottom line, it doesn’t matter to me:-)
Merry Christmas!
By Claudia on Dec 21, 2008
When e-Cards first came out I really enjoyed them. Then they weren’t as new, viruses hit some, etc. Now I’d prefer an email, or a link to their Christmas blog post, etc to a eCard. I still love real cards in the mail, esp those with pictures on them.
I appreciate all who send me their good wishes during the holiday season, their choice what to send.
Even though I have a easy way to send cards this holiday season and sent out over a 100, I did not send a card to everyone I wished. It was not that I didn’t want to send them a card, it was I wanted to send each their own personal message, to brighten their day in an unexpected way.
I have more fun throughout the year sending heart-felt cards, one a day. It isn’t overwhelming and I can give some thought to who needs a card today. It may be the little boy who noticed a scrap of trash on the ground, picked it up and threw it away who received the way to go card. My daughter who got herself up each morning, the parents who do much to support the swim team, the business that provided exceptional service. . .
By Heidi Caswell on Dec 21, 2008
Count me as a “both.” Since my career for decades has been in waste prevention and recycling, e-cards get the green vote since they create no waste. I have carpal, and as much as I like to give and receive personal notes, handwriting is a lot more challenging for me than typing on my ergonomic keyboard–and I can say more legibly. I can barely read my own handwriting anymore! Still, if it were not for these considerations, I’d have to say I’m a paper person. I love the look, feel, and substance of paper. Greeting cards are one of life’s great uppers and a wonderful way to express feelings toward loved ones, paper or e-lastic.
By Joyce Mason on Dec 22, 2008
I love sending and receiving cards in the mail. I save every card in a trunk in hopes to do something crafty with the cards. :-) I love picking out the Christmas cards every year. I love sitting down addressing the card, maybe writing a little something in the card and generally just sending my wishes to the person. I don’t think much about the cost of the cards, postage, etc., because this is my gift to myself. Thinking about that special someone who I’m sending the card to makes me so happy!
Personally I do not open any online e-Card sent to me because of the possibility of a virus. That does not mean I don’t appreaciate the thought, because I do. I just have so much on my computer that I can’t take a chance of a virus.
Call me old fashioned, but I still love the handwritten gretting card. I do use my Send Out Cards account for birthdays, etc., but I have to personally handwrite my Christmas cards.
Great article, thank you!
By Betty Lynch on Dec 22, 2008
I am all about the tradition for me. My mom sent cards and she got it from my grandma, so now I am doing it too.
I send a photo Christmas card each year to over 100 friends & family. I still hand write the addresses and put on the return address label & stamps. I have been doing this since I got married. It is so much more meaningful to send a card in the mail rather than an e-card.
Dawn @PainterMommy
By Dawn Papandrea-Khan on Dec 22, 2008
I appreciate the time, thought, and effort of anyone who sends me a card, but I prefer the snail mail ones. I keep those cards, they mean so much to me.
Time, the economy, and the cost of postage is one reason that people don’t do them much, but also the fact that it is easier to go electronic.
By Pam Archer on Dec 22, 2008
I’ve tried to resist sending cards but the season feels flat without thanking customers and greeting friends and family.
I hang all the snail mail cards up as holiday decor then save them for reuse the next year complete with a recycle symbol. The most important thing is getting a glimpse into the latest news from the card sender whether it be a paper or ecard.
Happy New Year to you all!
By Debwork on Dec 22, 2008
I love sending out Christmas cards. It’s the whole process of picking out the card, going through my list, updating it with new addresses, and then writing the cards and addressing the envelopes. I save all the cards I received every year. All the photo cards I receive go into a photo album and I look back on it every year to see how each child has grown. It makes me feel special that someone has chosen me to send a card to, that they felt I was special enough to take the time to do so.
By Vicki M. Taylor on Dec 23, 2008
I appreciate both. However, I will open a mailed card if I am not sure of the sender. But will not open one on email like that–too many viruses going around. And I really like the photos and glitter of the cards by regular mail.
By Pat Montgomery on Dec 23, 2008
I enjoy receiving cards in the mail. I haven’t received any e-cards this Christmas. I’m sending post cards this year instead of Christmas cards to cut down on costs. I send cards even though I don’t get them done before Christmas.
My blog is The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide at http://boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com
Rita
By Rita on Dec 27, 2008
I prefer to receive my cards in the mail, although I do also appreciate ecards too.
By Karen O'Bannon on Dec 29, 2008
I prefer personal actual cards in the mail. Because fewer people send them out, I feel an actual card has more meaning now. I also like sending a unique, personal, quality card.
I love that a few people still send cards in the mail, but am sometimes disappointed in the uber cheap card with just a signed name underneath the already written greeting. In that instance, I wonder what the point is, and therefore the e-card would have been better and cheaper for them.
I also do the end of the year address clean up as Vicki mentioned above, and I love the compliments I get from sending a unique personal card.
e-cards are also good for very large businesses that are sending a mass “just to have a point of contact/remember me quick”
They both have their purpose, it’s just good to know when (and to whom) to use them :)
By ~Sue-Leigh on Jan 9, 2009
I love photo cards, they are more special than those ordinary greeting cards that is just full of text.:-’
By Elizabeth Taylor on May 12, 2010