Friday, December 9, 2011
Caffeinated Christmas - Seasons Greetings
Did you know that the oldest Christmas Card was first published in 1843. It was actually very controversial too as it showed children drinking wine. Not the first card I would run out and buy. In fact, I often wonder why we send out Christmas Cards. Did it start out as the lazy easy way of letting your family far away from you know that you might be were thinking of them without actually writing a full letter.
I'm fascinated by Christmas cards because I stress about them every year. I either have to many or not enough. Which ones do I buy? Should they be festive, religious or fun? Should I make cards or should I buy cards? Should I just produce a photo card? The final and most important question: Who gets the cards? Do I have to give a card to everybody at church? Which family members get a card? Do I send one out just to the siblings or should I send cards to our grown nieces and nephews? Do I have to include a Christmas letter in each of the cards or just to those close and intimate friends and family? Do you see my dilemia?
My husband comes from a large family and extended family. My family is quite large as well. We have many friends and acquaintances. I always start with a list of names and then count how many people are getting cards each year. This year it is over 60 cards. That's a lot of postage. I do cheap out with postage as I try to hand deliver as many as possible and I try to batch up my family's in one evelope to my Grandmother, where they all eventually go on Christmas day. But the writing..........I have learned over the years instead of writing a personal message to each individual to just write a short and simple verse or saying. Last year was easy because we did a photocard with a verse I chose on it. I just shoved them in the mail and away they went.
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| Last Year's Card |
This year I decided not to do that and to just buy cards. I then struggled with religious or not religious? This is the argument I have with myself every year. As you know, if you have visited before, my family is not religious in anyway and I'm always afraid I'll go too far with the religious conatation. Every year, I decide to just be true to myself and share what I am called to share: the TRUE reason for CHRISTmas. Not the commercial Santa Claus version I grew up with. Every year I pick out a verse and add it to the card if there isn't one already or if I have made the cards. (Yes, one year I did make the cards but I massed produced one design for my own sanity.).
I searched some eCard sites like Dayspring and
Crosscards for a bible verse and came up with : Behold....I bring you tidings of Joy Luke
2:10. I felt this was appropriate as the inside of the card was already "May your holiday sparkle with joy." I wanted my verse to reflect where we should be looking for our joy, something I sometimes I have to remember myself.
I'm know every year my list changes. People come and go from our lives. I may stress about the Christmas Cards. I may even wonder why I continue this tradition. I think though that with so many people connected via the social media networks there is still something personal about receiving a card in the mail and a small handwritten note as a reminder that we are thinking of the person and praying over them.
I can't wait to see your Christmas greetings. I know originally I had said that this post would be about favourite, funniest, strangest, etc... Christmas greetings received over the years, but I just felt moved to write about the whole phenomena. I can't wait to see what your greeting post will look like. Come and link up this week with your greeting randomness.
PS: Next week we will be discussing Visions of Sugar Plums and other Christmas Baking......
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- Michelle
- Alberta, Canada
- I'm a 39 year old (oh yeah I'm telling you my age) Stay at Home mom. A former Bad Girl now reformed sinner, I'm married to my Y2K guy and raising 3 great children from God. Proudly Canadian, however, missing the West Coast, I currently live in the prairies watching the farmers fields produce as I learn how God produces the fruits in me.
Mini Me
Middleman
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5 comments:
I love Christmas cards :) I love everything about them - and it's SO much fun to receive them! {my hubby could care less, LOL!}
We do send out religious cards, but not overtly - I generally find a good balance between the two.
Love the cards you chose :)
We go back and forth on sending Christmas cards... we've sent them, not sent them, sent handmade ones, sent photo ones, sent e-cards, etc. This year, we aren't sending any.
We don't send/buy/make cards any other time of the year, so nobody really misses it if we don't send one at Christmas {at least I don't think they do}.
I don't think I sent any last year, and I felt so guilty about it! I did decide this year to just send cards to people I like (haha! Translation - people I actually have a meaningful relationship with!) instead of trying to worry about sending to every single person I have ever known. I can feel my stress level lowering at that thought! (and of course you're on my list of likes! ;)
I think I failed to send cards last year, but I bought them, so I still have last year's cards! I know this is lame, but I get my feelings hurt because so few people send me cards, and yet I'm like you and send out about 60 cards every year. Some people have been removed from "the list" for this very reason...
Am I passive aggressive, or what?
I hadn't visited in a few weeks! Thank you for sharing a genuine view of how we can stress ourselves at times. Thank you for blessing me over the last year or so. I wanted to let you know, I tagged you for the Liebster award over at my place. You can pass it on too if you wish. Thank you for your obedience.
<3, Kendra
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