Holiday Cards with Humanity
Discover a better holiday season through authentic expressions.
As the world knows all too well, the celebration of Christmas, Hanukah, New Year’s, Festivus, or whatever you choose to recognize will be totally different this year. And while you might be focused on who you can see, how you can celebrate virtually, and what is safe about all of this, I implore you to examine a different topic — your photo laden, rubber stamped cards — or even worse, that you don’t send out a single personal card.
Over the last two decades in the U.S. services like Shutterfly, Tiny Prints, or your local drug store have changed the way holiday cards are exchanged. Composite, idealized photos are electronically placed alongside looping, curvy greetings with a standardized greeting of something like “Happy Holidays, Love the Smiths (Billy, Mike, Harriet and our other 0.93 of a child — Hunter).”
What does this card look like in 2020? A big compilation of masks, photos from Zoom, or a “best of” compilation? No.
Do. Not. Do. That. This. Year.
In a year where we long for actual connection after being thrust into our pandemic lives, nothing will feel worse or ring more hollow than rushing out a holiday card which focuses on your perfect life, scattershot sent to a wide swath of people without personalization or intentionality of sentiment. Adding a “holiday letter” with paragraphs of your story typed out and slotted in will help, but that still doesn’t go far enough. You are richer than one story. You are not perfect. Life isn’t perfect. So stop being afraid to tell that story or hiding behind a veil of idealized perfection.
I started writing holiday cards in high school more than 25 years ago. Growing up near the home of Hallmark, I stumbled onto the Shoebox line and found some of their irreverence funny. You likely remember this series for the curmudgeonly, elderly woman that often graced their folds or that had Santa doing something slightly inappropriate.
Since that first stamp, I have written more than 100 cards almost every year, giving me particular opinions and experiences that I think can help to inform an improved holiday card experience for you this year. Writing cards has become one of my most enjoyable experiences in a given year and have elicited comments from receivers like “That was one of the nicest things I have ever received” and “I always save your cards.” Writing cards is a luxury in life that I hope you will allow yourself, because it’s truly a luxury that can bring joy to both you and the card’s receiver.
So, over the course of the week, I am going to share some thoughts and ideas for transforming your existing holiday card traditions or adding a new tool to your celebration belt. Let’s have some fun!
