Least Favorite Style of Holiday Cards

honeychile · #1 12-05-2010, 12:35 AM

Yes, I said "Holiday". Seems that sending a Christmas cards is akin to sending tracts these days. But surely there's one style that you hate. Let's hear about it/they.

Xidelt · #2 12-05-2010, 04:09 AM

Holiday letters typed in size 4 font. Your life isn't that freakin' interesting. Cards with loose glitter or confetti inside. I didn't really want to sweep again. Updates about your twenty-something kids. Shouldn't they send out their own cards at this point?

AOII Angel · #3 12-05-2010, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xidelt

Holiday letters typed in size 4 font. Your life isn't that freakin' interesting. Cards with loose glitter or confetti inside. I didn't really want to sweep again. Updates about your twenty-something kids. Shouldn't they send out their own cards at this point?

OMG...Yes to all of the above!

kddani · #4 12-05-2010, 02:36 PM

At first I want to say the wacky holiday letters, but at the same time they provide SO much amusement.

I hate it when people send cards that are so old that they've yellowed. Way to show off your garage sale purchase! (and it's not like they're old, beautiful cards. We're talking cheap back when they were new)

AnchorAlumna · #5 12-05-2010, 05:23 PM

I hate to receive just a card with a signature....and especially an illegible signaturre.

I love Christmas newsletters. Hate writing them, but love reading them. They're usually from friends and family members that we rarely see anymore. And yes, I do want to know about what their 20-something and 30-something and even 40-something kids are up to, because we knew them when they were born but don't get cards from them.
Hardly anybody sends Christmas cards anymore, anyway. It's Dec. 5 and I've received 1. Ten years ago I would have received 10 or 15 by now.

But...it's all good. We keep up on Facebook now.

carnation · #6 12-05-2010, 05:26 PM

Ditto, AnchorAlumna!

agzg · #7 12-05-2010, 05:44 PM

I haven't sent mine yet because I only had two leftover from last year, so I had to go buy more.

I'm also waiting on my new address labels to come.

I'm also procrastinating and will probably send them out in like 2 weeks.

AOII Angel · #8 12-05-2010, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnchorAlumna

I hate to receive just a card with a signature....and especially an illegible signaturre.

I love Christmas newsletters. Hate writing them, but love reading them. They're usually from friends and family members that we rarely see anymore. And yes, I do want to know about what their 20-something and 30-something and even 40-something kids are up to, because we knew them when they were born but don't get cards from them.
Hardly anybody sends Christmas cards anymore, anyway. It's Dec. 5 and I've received 1. Ten years ago I would have received 10 or 15 by now.

But...it's all good. We keep up on Facebook now.

I like the card with a quick note and a signature. The point is the pretty card. Mine get sent out tomorrow. Last year I didn't start getting mine back until less than a week before Christmas, and I got more than 30...thanks to FB.

ree-Xi · #9 12-05-2010, 07:13 PM

Seventy-five percent of the cards I get are of the family picture or kids' picture variety. I actually enjoy seeing how big the kids are getting, especially from people I don't see or talk to much anymore.

I don't seem to get the holiday letters, but I know of them. If anyone cares to share them here for sport, I'd read!!

Now to answer the question posed: My least favorite are the ones that people get printed up - with their names already printed, so they don't have to take the two minutes to sign their names. They even get the envelopes printed (not a mail-merged sticky printed out on the computer, which I have done before) with the complete "to" and "from" addresses.

I don't send cards anymore because it was getting really expensive (this was before Facebook). I was sending over 180 cards out (about 75% family). With the postage now sitting at 44 cents ($79.20), and cards coming maybe 20 to a pack at $10 each ($90) - it's now lot of money. I feel bad, but then again, I rarely receive more than 20-30 cards a year, despite sending so many out. I know it's not about that, but that extra expense, and the time writing out every card and envelope (I always used a red or green felt tip pen and wrote in really nice cursive) takes its toll on my carpal tunnel syndrome. It usually took a good three weeks to get all my cards done (no, hubby didn't help, lol, he has interesting handwriting).

It's too bad, because it was a lot of fun. Maybe if the economy gets better, I'll return to the practice in a year or two, because I enjoy the process. With Facebook, however, I can't imagine how many more cards I would be sending out.

honeychile · #10 12-05-2010, 09:52 PM

Okay, I don't mind the Christmas letter, if it's done well. One of my chapter sister's husband always does theirs to either "The Night Before Christmas" or "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" - really cute.

Hate the glitter, spangles, and other stuff that make me bring out the vacuum.

Usually like the photo ones, if there's a note or whatever on the back, until the one I got last year. It showed the sender's son and daughter in a hot tub together, and if I didn't know they were brother & sister, I would have sworn it was an engagement photo. Seriously, as the daughter is very well endowed, I really questioned that this very picture was the one they wanted to use as "Christmas".

sceniczip · #11 12-05-2010, 10:20 PM

^^^Sometimes I wonder about people's taste...

I love getting Christmas letters and reading about our family friends who we never get to see anymore. I was born in MN and rarely see anyone my family knew from there so I love hearing about their year and what's going on. My Mom writes one and always includes me and probably always will. She sends letters to people I never would so that's the only way they'd hear about my year.

I HATE when people use the letter as an excuse to brag about their kids. I get that it's fun to talk about the kids and that's fine. But I hate when people go on and on and on. We get one of those a year and it always makes me laugh in a sad way.

nittanygirl · #12 12-06-2010, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jen

Mostly I just like getting the occasional thing in the mail that's not a bill.

This.

And I like the ones that tell what people have been up to.
I have a lot of family in Kentucky & so I don't see them often.
For people who are close to me, the family picture thing on a printed card is cute too.

That said, I don't send out my own Christmas cards. I'm still in college and it's an expense I don't need right now. My mom still includes me anyways.
I think that I will probably only start sending my own out once I am married.

Gusteau · #13 12-06-2010, 12:18 AM

Add me to the list of glitter haters. I also get peeved when people send cards, especially those picture cards, with no actual written note.

My mother is a Christmas Card Nazi - I one day aspire to be on her level.

KSUViolet06 · #14 12-06-2010, 12:56 AM

The ones that are from a FAMILY but the picture is of JUST THE KIDS.

Ex: Let's say that the Miltons = Mom, Dad, and their daughters Suzie and Jenny.

I opened the Milton family Christmas card and the Christmas card pic is their youngest daughter's holiday-themed baby modeling photos-- not a nice family photo.

LucyKKG · #15 12-06-2010, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sceniczip

I HATE when people use the letter as an excuse to brag about their kids. I get that it's fun to talk about the kids and that's fine. But I hate when people go on and on and on. We get one of those a year and it always makes me laugh in a sad way.

My family gets a kick out of those. My step-dad will usually read it aloud for all of us and insert his own sarcastic commentary. It's pretty freaking funny.