In the Year of the E-Reader, even holiday cards are getting a makeover.
For a while now, my friends have favored those holiday-picture-cards (the ones with pictures of their family) over traditional holiday cards. I send e-cards for birthdays and fun, but somehow sending holiday e-cards feels like cheating. Where are the holiday stamps? The pictures of my kids all dressed up and coerced into smiling? Where’s the writer’s cramp from addressing 75 cards on Christmas Eve, so that I can technically get them out before the Day itself?
But this year just might be the tipping point for holiday e-cards as well.
American Greetings has a feature this year where you can send a holiday e-card with your own still photos, slide show, or video. You can add in a voice greeting as well as those great letters in which you chronicle every activity, vacation, and cool thing you did all year. It’s almost like creating a multimedia holiday documentary! Which is a little frightening, but I have to admit to the appeal of not spending money on cards, pictures, and stamps.
Does this make me The Grinch?
I hope not.
Our holiday letters were the traditional type until a couple years ago, when I followed the example of a friend and let my kids write the letter. All five Quinns got a spot to write, in their own words, a brief message about their year. While the paragraphs from the kids were wildly inaccurate, they perfectly captured the voice of their little lives, frozen forever in that snippet of time. My boys were never very excited about writing those holiday greetings, but I’m fairly sure Worm Burner will go nuts to create his own holiday video.
And that just might be what the holiday spirit is all about this year.
Do you usually send holiday cards? And would you ever consider sending an e-holiday-card/documentary?
I don't think I'm quite there yet! But at the same time, I'm not looking forward to addressing a zillion envelopes! And isn't that just awesome news about Sherrie? I'm so happy for her.
@Laura I know what you mean, but my boys are already devising a holiday cat video for the card, so it may be out of my hands. And I'm still grinning about Sherrie's good news!
hi miss susan! for me i love getting for real cards cause i could hang them up and i could read them lots of times and i could always have them to make me feel happy if im sad. the ecards are cool and i could like getting those to. i didnt ever send cards but this year im gonna do some for the blogger friends that i got addresses for. for me that feels lots more nice than a ecard. but im thinking it doesnt much matter just so long as you could feel the love in it.
…hugs from lenny
I think this idea sounds fabulous! It's much, much better for the environment and for keeping everyone's homes free of clutter.
We sent e-cards last year that were an attractive HTML page into which we pasted a newsletter and a few photos. The only paper cards we sent were to a few elderly relatives who aren't online and some close family who recieved handwritten letters. The time I saved with doing e-cards made those special letters possible.
it doesnt much matter just so long as you could feel the love in it.
Aww, Lenny, how did you get so wise, for such a young guy? You are right about the love being the most important thing. And I used to write individual notes to people too. Hmmm…
Normally I agree! I like to send out those little picture cards with my kids on them. But you have me intrigued by this American Greetings thing, so I'm going to check it out since I'm no where near ready for any of this and Chanukah is half over already…
I don't care for e-cards in lieu of paper cards–I love Christmas mail! 😀 but I also send photo cards, and I have a friend who *hates* those. He prefers hand-written notes…
sigh. 😀
@Lisa I hope it works for you! 🙂
@LTM I know, you can't please everyone. But as Lenny says, the gift is in the giving. 🙂
@Laurel I like the idea of the hand-written special notes, on top of the regular stuff. 🙂
I like the idea of having the kids write their own blurb. I may have to try that this year.
I like the newsy Christmas letter whether it comes typed through USPS or an email. The world has changed, and all of my friends are "older" also. We get hand cramps, etc. etc.!! And in a rough economy, so many have to economize. Stamps are incredibly expensive. e-cards are sad for the post office, but…. I rather like them.
I definitely don't think you're the Grinch!!
Ann Best, Long Journey Home
I so don't have time to do the writing, stamping, mailing this year. So it's ecards for everyone.
@Lotus The kids come up with the best stuff! Much more entertaining than a laundry list of their accomplishments (even if I am the proud mama).
@Ann They are expensive, and more each year! Especially in this economy, it pays to be frugal.
@LM Go you! 🙂 I'm right there behind ya'.
I just mailed out all my cards but I also do email cards for special people so they can get a singing or dancing one that I personalize. I love all kinds:)
Now that you've introduced it, I'm intrigued by the idea. It actually sounds pretty cool!
I think e cards are great, and what a fun new way to make them personal. I'm all for it. 🙂
@catherine I love those cards where you can make the gerbil talk and say silly things! 🙂
@Sherrie I'll send you one, when we get it done! 🙂
@Leisha 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!