Another peeve thread about Christmas Cards

[Christine]

I *never* write out "Dear SO and SO...". NEVER. And of all the cards I get, only one person does that--my SIL. I also don't slap out my cards like they are an office project... I carefully pick Christmas cards that I think are cute and send them to people that I really like and want to send a card to.

As someone else said--how can there be anything wrong with sending a card. The person that sent it thought about you!! But apparently, the thought of the card is just not good enough?

For me, Christmas cards are fun things and I love seeing the neat ones that people pick out. Especially love the humorous ones. I also use them to decorage my staircase.

 

[C.Ann]

The OP is talking about a brother here - not the neighbor down the street.. When I send my mom a Christmas card I certainly don't sign it, "Love, The _________ Family.. OP is talking family - different ball game..

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Geez, if I took to heart all these pet peeves about Christmas cards, I wouldn't even bother sending cards to anyone.

Good thing I don't care.

Ditto. I still haven't gotten mine out, if I had to add a message to each one, no one would get one.

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

The OP is talking about a brother here - not the neighbor down the street.. When I send my mom a Christmas card I certainly don't sign it, "Love, The _________ Family.. OP is talking family - different ball game..

I beg to differ here - because I only do one Christmas card - not several different types accroding to relationhsip. I don't have one for family, one for friends, and so on.

Yes the card is coming from a family member but the family probably just did one card that they sent to everyone.

 

[ma2jr]

I think it's the thought not the wording that counts

 

[justhat]

I send our regular card out to close family and get their regular cards as well. Including siblings. Never really seemed odd to me. Prior to kids I hand wrote each card, including their names, our names, addresses, etc. We also make our own cards using our scrapbook software, so a photo collage on the front and that takes a lot of time. Then I had one kid and man, that year those cards went out pretty close to Christmas. I was a bit more organized the next year, but then the year after that I had 2 kids. Just the time it took to pose them for the photos was insane. This year I am very pregnant, tired, and it's already 12/10. The collage is finished but I have to go buy card paper to print them. I preprinted all of our names on the inside this year and will likely be printing addresses on the envelopes too just to get actually get them out in the mail.

 

[snapppyd]

The OP is talking about a brother here - not the neighbor down the street.. When I send my mom a Christmas card I certainly don't sign it, "Love, The _________ Family.. OP is talking family - different ball game..

Really! We have been married for 28 years, no mystery about how to address us. I think maybe it's a generational thing?

 

[SCHBR'smom]

And I do.. Homeowners; car insurance; banks; etc.. My late DH came from a very large family - and if all of the male members had "Love from the _____________ family" on them, I wouldn't have a clue who they were from.. LOL.. How long does it really take to write, "Love, Bill and Jane"??

I assure you, it can take quite awhile to write Love, Mr. SCHBR'smom, SCHBR'smom, DD10, DS6, DD4, DD2, and DD0. I do it, but it DOES take awhile to write that on every card. It has never occurred to me to write someone's name on the inside of the card. I usually write Merry Christmas and maybe a short note. I often include recent photos of SCHBR.

My only real problem with Christmas cards is being told "I didn't send you one because I don't want to waste my money." That's all fine and dandy, but why tell me I'm not worth a buck or two.

 

[wdwfan16]

I just got a card from my husband's brother and his family.

No "Dear So & SO" at the top.

Signed, love the "L________" family.


I send cards to their three sons for EVERY little occasion all year long, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, not to mention Christmas and Easter. I send a little money each time.

He has one brother, I think the least they could do is put our names at the top and sign their names at the bottom. Is it really too much to ask for a little personal touch to your one close relative?

Vent over.

Good thing you are not on my Christmas card list. I never put "Dear So and So" on top.

I have gotten many cards with the family name. Not a problem to me. I am happy they sent me a card. If I get photo cards they are preprinted and nothing else is written on them. Why write on them?

 

[snapppyd]

I think you all are missing my point. And maybe it is petty , but you all keep saying at least they thought of you. The point is, they did not think of us. It is a generic card, signed in a generic way. This is my DH's one and only BROTHER, how are they thinking of us if you sign "The L_____ Family"??

 

[snapppyd]

I assure you, it can take quite awhile to write Love, Mr. SCHBR'smom, SCHBR'smom, DD10, DS6, DD4, DD2, and DD0. I do it, but it DOES take awhile to write that on every card. It has never occurred to me to write someone's name on the inside of the card. I usually write Merry Christmas and maybe a short note. I often include recent photos of SCHBR.

My only real problem with Christmas cards is being told "I didn't send you one because I don't want to waste my money." That's all fine and dandy, but why tell me I'm not worth a buck or two.

I understand about people being busy, but would you send your immediate family a card signed "The Schbr family"? Your parents or siblings?

 

[Nancyg56]

Geez, if I took to heart all these pet peeves about Christmas cards, I wouldn't even bother sending cards to anyone.

Good thing I don't care.

I know, everyone is different and if someone takes the time to send me a Christmas card I hang it up. I love getting cards and never worry about the saying, the picture, the signature or the address label. I even hang the insurance company card

And I do.. Homeowners; car insurance; banks; etc.. My late DH came from a very large family - and if all of the male members had "Love from the _____________ family" on them, I wouldn't have a clue who they were from.. LOL.. How long does it really take to write, "Love, Bill and Jane"??

A wicked long time! I am trying to personalize my cards this year and it is taking me a very long time. I know I am going to end up signing them "The G Family and if that is rude This type of criticism is part of the reason a lot of people stopped sending cards out. You try to remember folks and they worry more about the details rather than the thought behind the card. And it really is the thought that matters to me, not the way the card is signed that I appreciate.

I think it's the thought not the wording that counts

I might as well add that I also like the family letter that some people send. I always get a chuckle from the few I receive, catch up on distant family members that we seldom see and hang those too. I guess I am a Christmas dork but Ilove most aspects of the card sending thing.

 

[Christine]

I understand about people being busy, but would you send your immediate family a card signed "The Schbr family"? Your parents or siblings?

No, but I don't sign any of my cards that way. It's usually all four of our names and if the card goes to an acquaintance, I will add my last name.

 

[mickeyboat]

I think you all are missing my point. And maybe it is petty , but you all keep saying at least they thought of you. The point is, they did not think of us. It is a generic card, signed in a generic way. This is my DH's one and only BROTHER, how are they thinking of us if you sign "The L_____ Family"??

Is this the ONLY communication you expect from this brother this season?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I understand about people being busy, but would you send your immediate family a card signed "The Schbr family"? Your parents or siblings?

Um, yea since that is about the extent of my Christmas card list.

Oh and my family would not even care about stuff like this. Thank God.

 

[mickeyboat]

I understand about people being busy, but would you send your immediate family a card signed "The Schbr family"? Your parents or siblings?

Yes I would and I did.

 

[turkeymama]

I'm not a card person. Never have been, but my grandmother wasn't either. In the 11 years that I've been married, I've sent Christmas cards once or twice. If I get cards from other people, great. If not, oh well. I did get a beautiful card from hubby's cousin and his crew just the other day. When I took it out of the envelope, silver glitter went everywhere. Great! But they thought enough of us to send us a card, so no biggie.

 

[okeydokey]

Maybe you them them how offended you are. If they don't send you a card next year, you won't be able to complain about it.

I really don't think they were have a hidden agenda about showing your family you are unimportant to them by the way they filled out your card.

 

[Christine]

Most people buy a box of 25 cards.

They sit down and, in assembly line fashion, they sign the inside of the card. This is what busy people do. The really time-consuming part, is doing the outside addresses.

Yeah, it's a bit impersonal, but I guess it all depends on how much weight you put on the importance of a Christmas card. It is an acknowledgement of the season, via mail.

But, everyone has their own perspective on these things and, OP, you obviously place a lot of importance on Christmas cards and the meanings they convey. Heck, I've heard some people who say that they think boxed Christmas cards are tacking and offensive--that the sender didn't think enough of them to pick out a personalized card. I don't know--I guess I never realized that some people take these cards quite seriously.

 

[dismom2]

I get a lot of cards that have pre-printed address labels and pre-printed names and nothing hand-written at all. It doesn't 'bother' me, but I do think it's nice when people at least hand write thier name. I think it's even nicer when they write a little something in there. I can understand if they have an enormous list they have to send to, but for those who go that extra mile it's nice. I like getting pictures and those mass letters updating on the families year, too. To each his own, but I will still hand write mine.