Send Those Cards!

A couple of out-bound Christmas cards.
12/5/2021 dwm photo

It's Christmas card day honoring Englishman Henry Cole who created the first commercial Christmas card in 1843.  (There's no word whether he included a family newsletter with his detailing his family's heroic accomplishments that year.)

I remember my mom working on the family's out-going cards in November, writing notes inside each card, addressing the envelopes, and dropping the 100 or so cards the mail with plenty of time for them to arrive before December 25.

My goal is to get our cards in the mail around the 10th, the 15th at the latest.  This year, the United States Postal Service announced it is slowing the delivery of nearly 40% of first-class mail as it ships by truck instead of air.

Just to give an anecdotal example of how this plays out... my sister sent a Thanksgiving card that arrived December 4 while a Christmas card sent after she mailed after the Thanksgiving greeting reached us 48 hours after turkey day!

I don't think most of the the people on our list (a tidy three dozen these days) are too concerned about when it arrives.  We look forward to the annual family updates and colorful greetings that arrive in our mailbox.

Last year we finally exhausted our supply French Christmas cards, I'm sure family and friends will be glad to know this year they won't need it translated. 

You won't be surprised that the mail is delivering fewer cards as people are sending fewer each year - choosing instead e-greetings or posts on social media.  

For me, the tradition took on new meaning after my mom died in 2015.  I resumed sending cards to some family members that were on her Christmas card list who didn't send any to her; with a small family already, there's no need to reduce it during the holidays.

As I write this, the annual newsletter is on its second draft and waiting to be printed, cards were signed, and envelopes addressed... by the time you read this they should be in the mail.  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!