Letters in Christmas Cards-Tacky or Good Idea??

[FreshTressa]

Okay, do you think it is tacky to put one of those photocopied letters in Christmas cards??

Some people in my family (cousins), always include a family letter to everyone that is basically just one big long brag list. I find it so annoying. I wonder if I am just being petty, but the way she words it is just so braggy.

Even when I get ones from other people that aren't so braggy, I get annoyed.

Am I being petty? Is it a good idea to include an photocopied letter in your christmas card to keep everyone up to date, or is it impersonal, braggy and tacky?

 

[Robinrs]

I only just heard of these a few years ago. I think they're MEANT to include all the happenings of the year and even though they may sound like braggadosia, I think they want to include all the good things that happened and not leave anyone out.

Reminds me of that Everybody Loves Raymond episode where everyone was mentioned with glowing remarks besides Robert!LOL!!

Personally, no one has ever done this in my family. I wish I knew what they'd say if they did!

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

I like to receive these annual reports, I send them myself only I don't try to give every accomplishment and activity we do. I just give a sample of what we're up to.

Hint: Don't try to read the whole letter when you are opening your mail. Set it aside with some others and read them at your leisure by the Christmas tree with a cup of cocoa. I save the letters for a time when I can give my full attention to them and not be annoyed by the time they take.

 

[deadheadbelle]

DH has a friend who sends a letter every year & we look forward to it. The reason we look forward to it is so we can call our other friends & laugh! She uses the letter to tell how well their life is, how much money her husband is making now, how smart her kids are, etc. I think it can be a good thing for families to be able to get updates, but some people take it to an extreme. Last year, the letter included the square footage of their new home (which, in case we were wondering, is in one the nicest suburbs of Chicago), the color of the carpet she chose & why, the multiple vacations they enjoyed (including the specific information regarding the "SUITES" in which they stayed), etc.

I guess it depends on the person who sends it & their intentions. We get a kick out of her letter just because we know her & we know it makes her feel good to let everyone know about her success.

 

[Tinkbell]

I have an old friend who sends these out every year and I look forward to them. Her updates are pretty entertaining and not done in a bragging manner at all.
I also have a distant cousin that is horrible at writing these! She always goes on and on about her daughter (18) and all the great things she does. All accomplishments are listed too. All she can say about her son (19) is that he is "doing well too". I never see these people but I always wonder about the son. LOL

 

[caitycaity]

i think they're ok as long as they are not super-braggy.

 

[katerkat]

The letters themselves are good - I like the updates on people's lives - but some people can definitely take them to the extreme. We're putting in a little card explaining the next series of moves we're making with the military.

 

[Cruisin]

Fresh Tressa, I have a solution to your problem with the braggy letters that people send you in their Christmas Cards.

If you don't want to read them just throw them away without reading them, problem solved.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

My SIL does this. We read them to see if we have missed anything in the lives of my niece and nephew. Most years we (meaning my family, my BIL, wife and kids, and my in-laws) never get a mention because we all live in Toledo and she lives in NC. This year with BIL in Iraq and the visit they had here for a few days we will probably rate a line or two, plus we are spending two days there before our Disney trip.
Of course every year there is a full paragraph about their "annual super bowl party" and the cookies the neighbor makes for it, and their NYEve game party with the neighbors, etc.
I've tried to write these and for the life of me they sound just too full of myself to send.
Robin M.

 

[Bichon Barb]

This thread is too funny. My ex-boss's wife used to send these out, and believe me, the recipients were privy to all of their offsprings' accomplishments. Ugh! (When IS someone going to invent a "gag me" smilie?)

BUT, I think if something big has happened in a family's life, like a move or a new addition to the family or a marriage, then it makes sense. But, I guess if it is that important, then you should take time to write a personal note.

 

[mtemm]

I love them personally. We receive several and each is so different. Some are well-written, some are not. Some are so bad they are really funny. Then I have a very witty friend from college who sends one out every year and my dh and I are in tears because she is so hysterical. She's a great writer and its reflected in her creativity. I only wish I had half of it! At this point we do not do a letter, but I won't rule it out in the future.

We don't get ones bragging, so maybe that is why I like them. We get updates on people's lives. Nice since we don't live near any of them and only catch up with a couple at christmastime.

 

[C.Ann]

I think any kind of photocopied letter is in poor taste. If the person you are sending the letter to is important enough to you to want to share all this information with, then they should also be important enough to receive a handwritten note.

As for all these "updates" - how close can these people be to you if you only make contact with them once a YEAR to catch them up to date?

Oh - and by "you" I don't mean you-the-poster.. Just a general "you"..

 

[DocRafiki]

When I read the topic question, I was thinking why on earth would anyone find this tacky? Then hearing about all the bragging, I can definitely see where that could be tasteless. You've got to wonder about people who claim that the whole year was full of success after success after success. Does anyone ever say, "well, I gained 15 pounds this year and had to go back on Prozac after my 3rd nervous breakdown."? There are some tragic queens in my family that I could definitely see doing that.

 

[Kismetdreams]

Every time I have thought about sitting down and making a newsletter, I can't come up with enough to fill a paragraph, let alone a whole page, so I give up and eventually forget to send out Christmas cards at all. Thank goodness for e-mail or else my family would have missing persons reports out on me.

 

[Alice28]

If they are written well, I enjoy them. However, I have people in my family who not only are terrible writers (how can they not do spell and grammar check!?), but write about the most mundane things. I got one today for instance and they literally were telling the fam about how they spent their year, "Doing chores around the house, painting the living room and refinancing their van." Wow....whoop-dee-doo...why they felt compelled to share that is beyond me! What is funny to me is that 90% of my family lives in the same area of the country (within 50 miles of each other), sees each other quite often, and yet they must write these lame letters. I don't get it! I do enjoy getting them from friends who live in other parts of the country, whom we never see or rarely talk to anymore- I like being able to get a glimpse into their lives once a year.

 

[Mishetta]

I enjoy receiving them & I enjoy writing them. I know this is now an outdated thing to do, but poo poo on whoever said that. We have friends all over the country that we just can't keep in touch with all too often, so a newsletter from us or from them can be very exciting. I have not yet received a "bragger" letter.

Very funny post DocRafiki!

 

[caitycaity]

I think any kind of photocopied letter is in poor taste. If the person you are sending the letter to is important enough to you to want to share all this information with, then they should also be important enough to receive a handwritten note.

well, the letters i send out are not photocopied, but they are printed individually on special paper. is that tacky too??? a lot of my older relatives prefer typed letters b/c it strains their eyes to read handwriting. a lot of them also send typed letters because their hands are shaky and their handwriting isn't very legible. i think it's sort of harsh to say any letter that isn't handwritten is tacky.

also, i come from big families on both sides and if we had to write handwritten notes to everyone at christmas i would never have time to go shopping, let alone deal with december finals or ENJOY the holidays. everyone gets handwritten notes throughout the year (on birthdays or just because), it's just at one time (i.e xmas) writing over 100 handwritten notes gets to be a bit much, especially when one takes into account finals and all the holiday social committments. not sending a handwritten note doesn't mean you don't care about the person.

 

[believe]

I have written letters since my girls were 6 weeks old. When I would send pictures out I would send a letter as if DDs were writing them. They would occassionally get responses from aunts, which I saved for their baby books. It was also a great way for me to have a record of their accomplishments. I know that many individuals told me how they look forward to them. Now I only send them at Christmas time and they are not bragging by any means. This year was more of a reflection on what we have learned as we struggled with different things this year. Only 3-4 sentences were directly about our DDs. I can't send out 80 handwritten notes. I do try to write a short sentence or 2 in about 1/2 of the cards, especially to those I don't see as often. It doesn't mean they are less important it is just time gets by and everyone has their own lives and families to deal with. You can't always keep in contact with individuals like you want to, but you do want them to know you haven't forgotten them.

 

[RitaZ.]

It depends on the contents of the letter. Last year, I received one with my ornament exchange from a DISer and it was lovely. Very heartfelt about some difficult issues she and her family were going through.

On the other hand, one of my best friends likes to write these... Oh boy... One year, the letter said something about their new house with the lake and something about spending cozy evenings by the fireplace while they looked at the moonlight reflecting on the water. I'm not one to make fun of people, but something about that sentence sent me into hysterical laughter. There was one year when they experienced quite a bit of difficulty, but they didn't send a letter that Christmas. It just so happens that today, I received their Christmas card along with the letter. There was something about a boat and trips to Europe... and how important their jobs are. Oh well, my life isn't nearly as exciting!

I personally don't care for those letters and have never written one. I keep in touch with friends that are important to me, so I really don't need to write any letters.

 

[Karel]

Actually, I've been thinking about writing my Christmas letter. Sure, a handwritten letter is more personal, but this is a general letter that goes out to 40 people. As some one said, if I had to handwrite news to everyone, I'd get nothing else done. I do take the time to hand address the inside of the card and try to send a little personal note. I noticed a lot of people just sign their names anymore.

I want to hear what my friends have been doing. I want to hear about my friend's and families success and celebrate with them. If you are laughing over someone's Christmas letter, maybe it's time to think about dropping them from the Christmas list. For instance, I just heard from a friend of my mother's today, who lost her husband a year ago. I'm happy to hear that she's happy. And the one's my parents and sister send I am keeping in my Christmas book, a little family history.

There's plenty of people my husband and I have known that we are not as close with anymore but that doesn't mean I want to lose touch forever. Christmas time is a good time to remember.