It's been our family tradition since I was around 2, we make our own Xmas cards. It used to be that I drew the cover when I was little, my Da wrote the poem and there was a picture of the three of us on the inside. When I got older, I started collaging the cover instead of drawing, because it was cute when I was a kid, but not so much when I was in high school, and then when I got even older, I started collaging the pictures of us because we weren't together often enough to have one picture taken. After my father died, I took over the writing and the tradition continues.

We probably send out about 1000 or so every year, I send out a good 300 probably myself. Everything got much easier when I got a computer and put all of the addresses on labels. Mom isn't so lucky and still does it all by hand.

Do you have a Christmas card tradition?

-- Kymm Zuckert (hedgehog@hedgehog.net), December 04, 2000

Answers

I -almost- got a tradition going a few years back of taking the first Saturday of December to write cards in the fifth floor reading room of the Boston Athenaeum, chosen because it's a) fabulous, b) a talking-forbidden zone, and c) private (the Athenaeum is a membership library). Other friends who were members would come as well, and then we'd take a break for lunch at the 21st Amendment Pub around the corner, where yet other friends would join us. This stopped last year when the Athenaeum closed for extensive renovations, and with my new job at the Ballet, my Christmas-card-writing time in December got gobbled up by The Nutcracker.

So now each year, my Road to Hell is paved with a beautiful new Good Intention, that of Sending Out All My Christmas Cards. My list isn't as extensive as yours is, Kymm, but it's over 100 people, and last year I just didn't get them all out. Of course I include a Christmas letter and write personal notes to almost everyone (I think sending a card blank, without even a signature, is just inexcusable), so that takes extra time, too. One year I included photos as well, but that's just too labor-intensive.

Good luck to all card-senders this year!

/Robert

-- Robert (rbdimmick@earthlink.net), December 04, 2000.

I always modify my cards with glitter and rubber stamp art. I love doing this, but I only send out at most 40 cards. I absolutely adore receiving them so I always send mine out early to guilt-trip people into sending me some.

-- Lucy Huntzinger (huntzinger@mindspring.com), December 04, 2000.

Funny you should ask! I'm in the middle of addressing and writing notes in and signing and enclosing pictures and all that jazz today. I wish I had the talent and/or equipment to make my own, but my little Cannon bubble jet wouldn't be up for the job! So, I have the fun task of hunting down the perfect card - not Christmas-related (we celebrate it in a purely secular tradition at my house, but lots of the people on my list don't celebrate it at all), not any religion oriented, not too expensive, not too cute... Well, too cute lost out this year, as the majority of the cards are a major cartoon character (think pawn of the evil D*sn*y empire!), but they fit the rest of the criteria for $2.50 a box, so there they go. I was wincing when I calculated the postage to be about $50 (this year's list is approximately 110 people long, but several are overseas)... how in the world do you afford to send out 300?? I want your job. ;)

-- Solitary Skirmishes (solitaryskirmishes@hotmail.com), December 04, 2000.

I was raised a military brat and the annual Christmas Newsletter is huge with the miliatry family. We've gotten piles & piles of cards and letters for as long as I can remember. Mom always picked a wall in whatever house we were in and taped up every card & picture we got and it seemed like the best Christmas decorating idea to me. When I hit college I realized it was time for me to assume my own card duties. My list is up to about 100 now and I finally broke down some years back and started adding in a newsletter. I still personalize every card, but it's nice to get the major points out once in a letter rather than in each card. I love writing 'em & sending 'em & getting 'em. And now I have my own little wall of cards. Hopefully I can sucker my kids into carrying the tradition on as well, when I have some.

-- Amanda (MandaB@nac.net), December 04, 2000.

I am Amanda's mom [above] and have always loved the Xmas card exchange. I send out about 130 now. I have always sent the card, newsletter, and personal note in everyone. This year has been a bit of a crunch timewise since I am leaving town on the 16th and have a major network upgrade this weekend. So, I just did the newsletter [via Publisher] added some photos to it, and threw them in envelopes. I hate it that I won't be here when the majority of the replies come in, so I guess it will be a January treat!

-- Barb (bqbennett@yahoo.com), December 04, 2000.

For those who seek to avoid the religion issue with Christmas cards, go entirely secular and send New Year's cards instead. You can prepare and address them early, so on December 26 you can dump them all into the mailbox and forget about it.

And if you time it right, they can also be your thank-you notes!

Killing two birds with one stone,

/Robert

-- Robert (rbdimmick@earthlink.net), December 05, 2000.