Exchanging Christmas cards is a long traditional that dates back to 1843, when the first Christmas cards went on sale in London, England. Ever since then, giving and receiving hand-written Christmas cards has formed an important part of the Christmas season.
However, in recent years, sending traditional Christmas cards by “snail mail” has been increasingly replaced by electronic exchanges of Christmas greetings. According to the United States Postal Service (USPS), the volume of Christmas cards, letters, and packages sent by mail decreased by one-third between 2007 and 2011.
Social networking websites make it easy to wish all of your friends and family a merry Christmas at the touch of a button. Therefore, it may seem that traditional, hand-written Christmas cards are not needed anymore.
Is this really the case? Should you still send Christmas cards or should you just send Christmas e-cards or Christmas greetings through Facebook or Twitter? Here are some questions to ask before deciding whether or not to send someone a traditional Christmas card by mail.
Is the recipient under 12 or over 40? Although children use computers from a young age, most of them do not begin to communicate online with their friends until they are teenagers. Therefore, younger children usually prefer to send traditional Christmas cards to their friends. They are also delighted when they receive a personally-addressed card in the mail. Older children may also like to send hand-written cards to their friends, as well as wishing them a happy Christmas online.
People aged over 40 can remember a time when the Internet did not exist and when handwritten letters were sent instead of emails. Although many people in the older age groups are now online, many of them still appreciate receiving a traditional Christmas card by mail.
Is the recipient able to access the Internet easily? Although it may seem as if the Internet is accessible everywhere, some people do not have Internet access from their mobile phone or from their home computer. They may also have limited Internet access if they work away from home. If you know that a person on your Christmas card list is only online occasionally, it may be easier to send a Christmas card by mail.
Similarly, you may have elderly relatives or family friends who do not have Internet access and who do not wish to be online. These people would definitely appreciate a hand-written card in the midst of the digital age.
Would a hand-written card show a person close to you how much you care about them? Close friends, your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other close family members will all appreciate receiving hand-written cards with specially-selected designs and messages. These cards will let them know that you care, that you appreciate them, and that you are thinking of them at this time of the year.
In addition, there are many other people who like to send traditional Christmas cards and receive them in the mail. Finding a stamped, personally addressed card amongst the advertising flyers and bills in the mailbox will put a smile on almost everyone’s face and brighten their day.
Of course it makes sense to shorten your Christmas card list if you are facing economic difficulties or if the majority of your friends definitely prefer online greetings, but there are still good reasons to send hand-written Christmas cards by mail, even if you send fewer than you used to.
