6 Weeks Until Christmas

Christmas Card Time

Do you send Christmas cards? If you do, now is the time to get organized and start sending. 

The custom of sending Christmas cards started in 1843. Sir Henry Cole was a government worker who helped set up the Public Record Office in the UK and wondered how it could be used more by more ordinary people, so with his artist friend John Horsley, they designed the first card and sold it for 1 shilling. 

Printing methods improved and by 1860, cards had increased in popularity and were produced in large numbers. The cost of post had also dropped so many more people were able to send cards.  

The sending of Christmas cards has declined in popularity in recent years with the arrival of the digital age. Last year I received 2 cards and sent none. The tradition has slipped away for me. 

If you are undecided whether or not to send Christmas cards, here are some reasons to continue with the tradition.

• They convey the message that friendship says something and it is worth the effort.
• They connect with those who haven't seen in years who don't operate in the digital age. They will realize you are still alive.
• Auntie Alice does not want an e-card and she wouldn't know how to access it anyway. 
• They provide the opportunity to be truly personal, something that is not so easy with digital cards (or no cards at all.)
• It is still fun to receive real mail in your real letterbox.
• They decorate the house and help bring on the Christmas spirit.
• It is therapeutic to put pen to paper and step away from the computer. 

   

If you have the urge to make your own Christmas cards, check out the following site for inspiration. There are some beautiful, really simple and cute ideas on here.

http://www.designbolts.com/2012/11/10/20-beautiful-diy-homemade-christmas-card-ideas-for-2012/.



If you are not keen or a bit tardy with your Christmas cards here are some justifications for wiping out the tradition. At your house at least but respect others desire to send cards. 

• There is not much worse than receiving cards after Christmas so they are not good for the disorganized.
• Cards require the killing of trees.
• Cards cost money to buy and post.
• Difficult decisions are required about when to throw cards out.
• e-cards are fast and can be sent to many people without their knowledge so they look kinda personal.
• e-cards can be funny, pretty, startling, animated, talking and singing. Try to get all that in a card. 
• Most people read their emails. 
• e-cards can be free.
• A lot of e-card sites provide scheduled delivery, so you can design today and send whenever you want. 

Here is a list of e-card sites to browse through. Some are free, others are not.

Cute drawings and captions

https://www.justwink.com/cards/christmas   

Classy and elegant

https://www.paperlesspost.com/

Animated with music

http://www.katiescards.com/ecards/christmas-ecards

100% free, animated, music

http://www.regards.com/index.cfm

Whatever you choose to do about Christmas cards, now is the time to start.

Christmas is not far away now.