Holiday Cards Poll: Cool, Lame, Other?

[mizarchivist]

I wonder with purpose. [Poll #1101547]

Comments

[fraterrisus]

'Total ambivalence' doesn't quite describe it (for holiday cards), but it's closest.

When it's people I know, I appreciate it – and they're way better when they're personalized in some way (personal message or newsletter, cards that were made by hand or use the sender's artwork or something like that).

The majority of these cards that I get, though, come from people I have no real attachment to (my dentist, for example). Those are a total waste of paper, postage, and USPS effort.

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

I don't hate the newsletters, but I find some of them contrived and annoying. I tend to mock most of them.

I usually include a mini newsletter that is postcard-sized. I just don't have that much to talk about to fill an entire sheet of paper.

[mizarchivist]

I like the idea of a small one. I think I'll do the same this year. It's been busy.

[milknut.livejournal.com]

Mocking them is why I love them! I can be catty and no one will ever know ;)

[cloeigrrl.livejournal.com]

I just purchased cards last night and need to get on the ball with that!

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

So here's the thing: as a business owner, holiday cards are one of the few marketing-type mailings that I actually do, and clients really appreciate them. I do the same thing for my clients, contacts and my family, but I custom-design it every year, and it's turned out to be a bit of a bear, but good marketing.

The thing is that there's so little we see in the way of non-email correspondence nowadays, so it's really nice to get a card - whether for the holidays or otherwise. That's why I prefer them.

One thing I started doing this year, however, is writing not little notes about what's been going on with me/my business in the card, but actually writing little notes about why I appreciate the person receiving the card, and (in the case of clients) how much I look forward to continuing to work with them. I find that a lot more thoughtful than a "Cheers, Dani" scrawled on the bottom.

[mrf-arch.livejournal.com]

There have been various spates of "you've got an e-card" spam that send you someplace where you get to download all sorts of interesting malware. I dump anything that claims to be an e-card out of self-protection, these days.

[drwex]

I picked the 'I am cos' option because for me it's really varied. There are people whom I don't see all year and whose lives I care enough about that the annual summary newsletters are actually kind of interesting.

I dislike the rote cards with nothing in them, or a form scrawl.

And for the majority I'm ambivalent.

[keyne.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm with him.

[roozle.livejournal.com]

What your answers don't capture here is the *guilt*. Oh god, someone sent me a card, and I have No Intention of reciprocating because I cannot cope with one more social obligation no matter how tiny in the month of December, on the other hand I really am glad to hear about them and their new baby/house/car/job/dog/hamster/plastic surgery/college graduation, on the other other hand if I don't write back they will think I don't love them and if I put this all off to January it only all gets worse.

Also: for myself finding a holiday card that acknowledges the winter holidays without pretending to hold some religious view that I don't have and yet honoring the spiritual importance of the winter holidays to others and even sometimes to me and yet isn't tacky or sentimental or stupid -- not so easy.

Also if I did commit myself to sending cards -- the cost mounts up pretty fast.

Last year I decided that I wanted to make my new personal tradition sending spring equinox cards and using 3/21 as a benchmark date for catching up with all my friends and relations; however March was Health Crisis Month and I punted that plan.

I think this was probably more answer than you were looking for, sorry bout that.

[mizarchivist]

I understand the guilt, for I have that desire to do the reciprocity thing.

[samuraizergling.livejournal.com]

I must concur with the whole guilt thing. Especially when I get my card and see how much WORK and CARE and, well, LOVE went into it. You always do the best cards. :)

I guess we all have our 'thing.' Me, not so much with the sending of Christmas cards, but if someones computer ever needs fixing, I'm your geek. :)