Christmas cards are more important than ever
In an era that sees us do everything online, letters have almost disappeared. But Christmas cards serve an important role in giving us something that’s missing, writes Cheryl Critchley.
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Are Christmas cards going the way of the dinosaur?
Fewer people are taking the time to write and send cards during the festive season, which is a real shame.
In an era that sees us do everything from banking to hooking up online, Australian letter volumes have almost halved in the past 10 years.
When was the last time you received mail in the letterbox that wasn’t a bill or a fine?
That’s why, at a time when relationships have become less personal, I still send Christmas cards.
Call me old fashioned, and my kids do every day, but how good is it to receive a card with handwritten good wishes inside?
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Electronic versions might boast witty messages and choreographed reindeer videos, but they’re too impersonal, too easy and gone all too quickly.
You can’t admire emails and text messages on the mantelpiece.
Nothing beats the look and feel of a loungeroom dotted with cards in December.
From religious messages written in cursive script by older relatives to nude Santas from cheeky friends, they all reflect the sender’s personality.
You can’t replicate that by superimposing your head onto a dancing elf.
Taking the time to buy, write, address and mail cards is a nice way to show friends, family and business contacts that you care. Not to mention the financial commitment.
This year I’ve written more than 150 Christmas cards, with around 20 heading overseas at $2.20 a pop. With local festive season stamps costing 65 cents, that’s more than $100 in postage alone.
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It takes a full day to write them, but it’s worth it for the goodwill they spread, and prompt in return.
One friend says mine is literally the only card he receives and he displays it proudly on the mantelpiece.
Adds a relative: “I always look forward to your card, it’s such a special treat to receive instead of a bill!”
Asked what they thought, most friends and family still send some cards but fewer than in the past.
One sends 50 but only receives 10, plus text messages. “But I do it old school and don’t expect anything back,” she says.
Others have stopped because they don’t receive any or worry about the environment.
“It’s a personal choice,” one says. “It will be our kids that stop the cards all together … because they won’t know how to write ‘old school’ [and] … they are all becoming very environmentally aware.”
Another insists that everyone he knows that he’d wish a merry Christmas is on Facebook.
The trend away from writing and sending cards is not surprising and makes sense.
It’s easy to justify not sending them. It’s too expensive. Takes too much time. Bad for the environment. No-one else does it …
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But many of these same people bemoan the loss of personal interaction and complain about others spending too much time on social media.
Australian Greeting Card Association president Ron Thorpe says official Christmas card statistics are scarce, but anecdotally he hears that people are less likely to send big numbers.
As a “rough guesstimate”, Mr Thorpe believes the number changing hands in Australia is down about eight per cent on 3-5 years ago. “They don’t send as many bulk Christmas cards as they used to,” he says.
Mr Thorpe says Christmas cards are a memento of positive relationships and can brighten the lives of those who are lonely. “A greeting card that’s received in the mail is something pretty special,” he says.
An Australia Post spokesperson says while people may send fewer letters, Santa Mail remains extremely popular. It delivered 130,000 responses from Santa last year.
If you do send cards, Australia Post recommends including a return address on the back, using padded bags if gifts are included and Registered Post or Signature-on-Delivery for high value items.
“As we expect record volumes this Christmas, we encourage customers sending cards and gifts using regular mail to post their items as early as possible,” the spokesperson says.
“But for those last-minute gift ideas you can send with Express Post, which covers over 80 per cent of Australian addresses and is delivered right up to Christmas Eve.”
As for the environment, cards can be recycled and/or re-used for kids’ art and craft projects.
Planet Ark recommends those made from 100 per cent recycled paper (some are compostable) and reminds us that if we can’t cut up and re-use old paper cards and tags, put them in the recycling bin.
“As long as they don’t contain too much plastic, they can be recycled in kerbside services that accept paper/cardboard,” a spokesperson says.
“If they do contain too much plastic, usually in the form of a glossy lining that prevents them from being easily torn, then they should be disposed of in kerbside rubbish bins.”
When a friend asked how many trees have been lost “to satisfy your Christmas card obsession”, he relaxed slightly when told most could be recycled.
“Good to know,” he added. “Plus, you are probably keeping a postman or two in a job.”
Cheryl Critchley is a freelance journalist and author
Originally published as Christmas cards are more important than ever