Non American here - I do not understand the family photo Christmas cards

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not American and also find it a bit weird, mainly because I receive dozens of photo cards from people I barely know. My impression is that people buy some special online deal that gives them 100-200 cards and then they have to come up with a long list of people to send them to.

I’m happy to get photo cards from close friends who live far away but a card from someone I barely know or people who I see all the time just goes straight in the trash. There’s not even a personal message. I’d much rather get a card where someone has made the effort to write something.

They made the effort to include you in their list and mail you a card. You were thought of. Maybe recognize that you are too demanding.

My point is they didn’t make any effort. In many cases, I’m just added to the list as they want to use up their package. It’s the equivalent of posting a family pic and message on FB. By all means send a photo card to people you are close to but not everyone who moves within your broader orbit.

Get over yourself. Your idea of a package deal is ridiculous. The more cards you order, the MORE it costs, and, hold your seat for this... each one gets a stamp. So somebody is being thoughtful keeping you on a list, and you're being a world class a-hole. Seriously, tell them to remove you from the list.

[Anonymous]

I'm British and American and I've lived here a very, very long time. I have to admit the photo holiday cards make me baulk. I think they are so tacky. I've received them since the 1980s and I've still never got used to them. And they are worse when they come with a generic letter telling everyone about that specific family's year long activities / achievements. YAWN

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm British and American and I've lived here a very, very long time. I have to admit the photo holiday cards make me baulk. I think they are so tacky. I've received them since the 1980s and I've still never got used to them. And they are worse when they come with a generic letter telling everyone about that specific family's year long activities / achievements. YAWN

LOL I’m currently looking at 3 cards from uni friends, all with photos. All from the UK.

[Anonymous]

We grew up in the US but have lived in Europe and Asia. We're back in the US and get these cards annually from friends all over the US and from around the world. I love them and display them in our entry way. We've met some awesome people and I love seeing their families grow and evolve over the years. Haven't you heard of sending "good tidings" during the holidays? This is the modern version of that. It's not complicated.

There are so many other shitty traditions to pick apart. This one is full of good intentions, simple, sweet and totally voluntary. Let it be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was growing up, Christmas cards had pictures and decorations on them - either secular winter theme, or something religious. And then often inside, there would be "the Christmas letter" with either a picture of the whole family (usually taken at Sears) or else school pictures of just the kids. The Christmas letter would sum up all the major events of the year (In January, Bob got promoted to regional manager. In February, Margie joined the pom pom squad!) It was either braggy or humorous.

At some point - in the 80s? - the technology to turn your family photo into a card became cheap enough that more and more people started doing that instead. At first you could just choose a few customizations. Later, you could design your own card pretty cheaply. But they were still cards, not postcards, and usually people included a Christmas letter. And it was just ONE photo, of the whole family.

Then people started designing their own cards, and often would include more pictures - like 4-6 photos. And often it is just a postcard now; no annual letter anymore.

I don't think the current cards are very attractive and they don't make a nice display like the old ones did. And I keep up with my friends pretty well anyhow through social media.

+1 There was definitely a transition when photography went mostly digital. Before that you would have to go to Costco or the drugstore to print out photos if you wanted to share a family portrait and include it in your traditional Christmas card. The first family photo card we sent was 2007.

It's still interesting that this caught on in the US but not other places. My UK friend sends a regular card with printed out family photos (several!) and that feels even stranger to me these days.

I'm old and remember my parents receiving photo cards in the 60s and 70s. It is not new, though I agree that it is more common now.

https://www.vintag.es/2016/12/22-lovely-family-postcards-you-also.html?m=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]I'm British and American and I've lived here a very, very long time. I have to admit the photo holiday cards make me baulk. I think they are so tacky. I've received them since the 1980s and I've still never got used to them. And they are worse when they come with a generic letter telling everyone about that specific family's year long activities / achievements. YAWN

[/b]


So throw in the trash. Don't rain on others' parades. I enjoy receiving the photo cards in particular. I like seeing children grow. I like seeing family cards. I like reading the family newsletters. It keeps me connected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know if it’s an American thing so much as a suburban thing. Kind of like having ‘live, laugh, love’ sign - a little cheesy. I get these from dh family but my waspy relatives send non photo cards

I think it being a suburban thing and it not being a European thing are sort of one and the same.

Lol wut? Europe has lots of suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not American and also find it a bit weird, mainly because I receive dozens of photo cards from people I barely know. My impression is that people buy some special online deal that gives them 100-200 cards and then they have to come up with a long list of people to send them to.

I’m happy to get photo cards from close friends who live far away but a card from someone I barely know or people who I see all the time just goes straight in the trash. There’s not even a personal message. I’d much rather get a card where someone has made the effort to write something.

They made the effort to include you in their list and mail you a card. You were thought of. Maybe recognize that you are too demanding.

Exactly. It takes me a few hours every year to pick the photos, the card format, write a note about the year, reach out to people to update the addresses and then stamp them and put them in the mailbox. I pay for each card....never heard of this "package" you mentioned. It feels like a big effort during a very busy time of year but it comes from a place of love and I'm happy to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so funny because I was just looking at a “Christmas Cards from Royal Families Throughout the World” listicle. We had:

Monaco
The United Kingdom
The Netherlands (Christmas cards are extremely popular there)
Spain
Belgium
Luxembourg
Norway

All family photos. So maybe you’re just the weird one, OP?

This. How can the OP have grown up in France and UK and think sending family photo cards was only an American thing? You never once saw the British Royal Family Christmas cards or the Monegasque Royal Family Christmas cards? How can you think this is solely an American tradition?

Yea these weird Americans:

I’m assuming this is a sarcastic response as surely nobody would point to royal families as behaving like the typical ‘European’.

So it's so weirdly "suburban American" and tacky but also only the Royal families throughout Europe do it? The math isn't mathing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so funny because I was just looking at a “Christmas Cards from Royal Families Throughout the World” listicle. We had:

Monaco
The United Kingdom
The Netherlands (Christmas cards are extremely popular there)
Spain
Belgium
Luxembourg
Norway

All family photos. So maybe you’re just the weird one, OP?

This. How can the OP have grown up in France and UK and think sending family photo cards was only an American thing? You never once saw the British Royal Family Christmas cards or the Monegasque Royal Family Christmas cards? How can you think this is solely an American tradition?

Yea these weird Americans:

I’m assuming this is a sarcastic response as surely nobody would point to royal families as behaving like the typical ‘European’.

So it's so weirdly "suburban American" and tacky but also only the Royal families throughout Europe do it? The math isn't mathing.

But who are these Royal Families sending these cards to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is so funny because I was just looking at a “Christmas Cards from Royal Families Throughout the World” listicle. We had:

Monaco
The United Kingdom
The Netherlands (Christmas cards are extremely popular there)
Spain
Belgium
Luxembourg
Norway

All family photos. So maybe you’re just the weird one, OP?

This. How can the OP have grown up in France and UK and think sending family photo cards was only an American thing? You never once saw the British Royal Family Christmas cards or the Monegasque Royal Family Christmas cards? How can you think this is solely an American tradition?

Yea these weird Americans:

I’m assuming this is a sarcastic response as surely nobody would point to royal families as behaving like the typical ‘European’.

So it's so weirdly "suburban American" and tacky but also only the Royal families throughout Europe do it? The math isn't mathing.

But who are these Royal Families sending these cards to?

I don’t know how it works for all of the European families but in the UK, they release the picture to the public and send the actual card to family, friends, and charity workers they have a relationship with.

[Anonymous]

I love to send and receive photo cards from people, some of whom I haven’t seen for decades. It’s a way of staying in touch and saying, “We’re still friends.” I love seeing my relatives’ and friends’ children growing up and doing well. All the cards go up on the wall during Christmas season and we love looking at them every day. Very happy that so many people still send cards every year (late boomers/Gen Jones/Gen X). P.S. One of my parents is an immigrant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm British and American and I've lived here a very, very long time. I have to admit the photo holiday cards make me baulk. I think they are so tacky. I've received them since the 1980s and I've still never got used to them. And they are worse when they come with a generic letter telling everyone about that specific family's year long activities / achievements. YAWN

You poor soul. Please ask the American embassy to send an attache to sort through your mail during the holiday season.

[Anonymous]

I find it really weird to come to a foreign country then dump on their very common traditions and customs. But I’ll give you this, it’s a fit for British behavior.

[Anonymous]

I am American so maybe that’s why but I find them festive and I like getting them. It’s fun to see family pictures and I appreciate the effort. As a cultural thing, I don’t find it any more odd than many of the things other cultures traditionally do to celebrate holidays or life events.