Local Video
|
| Christmas card bounty isn’t what it was |
By: SAM GETT, Publisher and Editor
|
Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:16 pm
|
 Email  Print
|
CORRECTION - The column below has been changed to correct the spelling of former News publisher Louie Seesz's last name.
* * * *
2009 may signal the death of Christmas cards in our household. By Dec. 17, less than a handful had found their way to our mailbox. My mother, loyal to her favorite football team despite a disappointing season, sent a non-traditional greeting adorned with a Steeler helmet. Continuing the gridiron theme, friends from Mankato dressed their four kids in Vikings jerseys for their annual photo card. The retired CEO from my former company distributed a holiday update letting us know he’s studying Homeric Greek and his 99 year-old mother is “slowly getting tired of life.”
Season’s greetings arrived from my chiropractor, along with a coupon to stuff in a friend’s stocking. And the daily newspaper carrier left a card on the doorstep with his name and mailing address. Hint, hint.
The Christmas card bounty isn’t what it used to be. As a kid, I remember sorting through the basket overflowing with cards in my parents’ living room. Many of the cards included handwritten notes and family photos. Years later, dual-income households and over-scheduled children left little time for personalized letters. The holiday “form” letter - a typed family-oriented “year-in-review” - emerged. It’s easy to see why the authors of these letters embraced the strategy. Just organize a general summary from the past 12 months, print, fold and insert into cards and you’ve updated dozens of family and friends in a relatively short time.
Nearly everyone enjoys receiving Christmas cards in the mail. But opinions regarding the inserted form letter are decidedly mixed. People often grumble about parents who boast of every achievement in their kids’ lives and send out multiple-page, single-spaced letters that drone on with seemingly endless minutia of family vacations or illnesses. One year, some quirky West Coast friends of ours felt compelled to describe in some detail how their 4-year-old dressed as her favorite 18th century literary character on Halloween night.
I recall my predecessor, Louie Seesz, complaining of such letters in a column on this page three years ago. Several letters to the editor appeared in subsequent issues, defending the Christmas card letter tradition. I can understand the debate. It’s nice to hear what’s going on in people’s lives, but some writers could reign in their enthusiasm a bit. We started including family update form letters in our cards after our kids were born in the mid-90s, but carefully followed a few guidelines: Keep it brief, keep it modest and keep it funny. I hope those on the receiving end still enjoy reading them
On Dec. 18, the postal service delivered a pile of Christmas cards to our mailbox. However, the total for the season will likely fall short of last year, continuing a recent trend. The 2008 card total was less than half what we used to receive 10 years ago. Besides a shortage of time, economic factors and cheaper, quicker alternatives no doubt play a role. Who needs to send out hard copy greetings when electronic social media does the trick so quickly and easily?
Still, there’s something serendipitous about finding a Christmas card in the mail. And while I can’t send one to each of you, I can take advantage of this space to wish all of you a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season.
—Reach Sam Gett sgett@northfieldnews.com or at 507-645-1112. |
|
|
|
Story Comment Guidelines:
Registered members who identify themselves by name are authorized to automatically post comments to stories. Readers who wish to remain anonymous submit comments to a pending queue, where they will be reviewed for approval within 24 hours of their submission. To determine the author of a comment, click on the user name.
Those who identify themselves will be given broader boundaries to express their opinion. Only those anonymous comments that contribute to the conversation in a thoughtful, respectful, civil manner will be approved. The decision to approve or reject a comment is a subjective one and is ours alone. Authors of rejected comments will receive an email response.
If you would like to report abuse click here to notify us.
|
|
| Show Comments | Hide Comments
|
|
| Login and voice your opinion!
|
|
|
|
|
Top Jobs | Top Homes | Top Cars
09 Jetta
09 white Jetta asking $16,000
less than 48,000 miles
|
|
Digg
Del.icio.us
Facebook
MySpace
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!
Louie would probably be more annoyed that you spelled his last name wrong ... Seesz.
Oops, my mistake. Sorry about that, Louie.