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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in uk and France and this is one American thing that just baffles me.. people sending photos of their family as a Christmas card. Am I the only one who finds this weird? Like - why do you think i want to display a photo of YOUR family? It feels like people have wildly misjudged how much other people care about their stuff. If a French or British person did this I think everyone would find it so awkward. Enlighten me Americans - what am I missing here?

Also weird the French in general and the royal family does send out picture cards

[Anonymous]

It’s so much easier than writing your own cards with the same platitudes every year. I’m French and I do it.

[Anonymous]

My parents/older aunts really like the photo card, so that is why I do it. I can’t buy them anything, they have everything they need/want - but the card seems to bring them joy. They love my kids, & we don’t see them often. They like it, they text/email me when they get it & keep it on their fridge year-round & show their friends -so I keep doing it.

[Anonymous]

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.

I'm American and agree with this. I'm on a break from photo cards since my kids are grown. Family and friends know what we look like. But when the kids were little and I was doing photo cards I didn't send them to everyone. DH had some professional contacts he wanted to send cards to and it just felt weird to send them a family photo so I used traditional cards. This year I did all traditional cards with personal notes as appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in uk and France and this is one American thing that just baffles me.. people sending photos of their family as a Christmas card. Am I the only one who finds this weird? Like - why do you think i want to display a photo of YOUR family? It feels like people have wildly misjudged how much other people care about their stuff. If a French or British person did this I think everyone would find it so awkward. Enlighten me Americans - what am I missing here?

I am also from a country where this is not the norm at Christmas/ holiday season. However, I love it. We eventually started doing the same. It is so much more personal than regular cards. Also I am not on social media so really Appreciate updated family photos. I love getting regular cards as well but cards with family photos are more personal.

I don’t think anyone in my home country finds it awkward to receive cards with family photos - they generally are very positive about it .

I don’t love all American traditions but this is a great one .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing says “maladjusted ex-pat” like the bitterness in the OP over something that is supposed to be nice. Some people weren’t meant to live outside of their country of origin.

Agree! OP wants to feel superior over something so harmless as a family photo. We get it OP-- you are too cool for school.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

When OP realizes that the Christmas card culture in the Netherlands puts Americans to shame…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do like displaying pictures of my friends and family around the holidays. It's a visible way of remembering the people that are important to us but aren't there with us.

This! I’m also not from the US, but I love this tradition. I love getting photo cards in the mail and enjoy looking at the pictures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do like displaying pictures of my friends and family around the holidays. It's a visible way of remembering the people that are important to us but aren't there with us.

This! I’m also not from the US, but I love this tradition. I love getting photo cards in the mail and enjoy looking at the pictures.

It’s the 1st thing my kids do when they come home. They look at all the cards and all the family/friends they don’t get to see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing says “maladjusted ex-pat” like the bitterness in the OP over something that is supposed to be nice. Some people weren’t meant to live outside of their country of origin.

Agreed!

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in uk and France and this is one American thing that just baffles me.. people sending photos of their family as a Christmas card. Am I the only one who finds this weird? Like - why do you think i want to display a photo of YOUR family? It feels like people have wildly misjudged how much other people care about their stuff. If a French or British person did this I think everyone would find it so awkward. Enlighten me Americans - what am I missing here?

You are missing a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's pretty weird too.
The only baby that should be on a Christmas card is the baby Jesus and I'm not even religious.
Since when did your baby supplant the concept of Christmas?

Yes a million times!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in uk and France and this is one American thing that just baffles me.. people sending photos of their family as a Christmas card. Am I the only one who finds this weird? Like - why do you think i want to display a photo of YOUR family? It feels like people have wildly misjudged how much other people care about their stuff. If a French or British person did this I think everyone would find it so awkward. Enlighten me Americans - what am I missing here?

Also weird the French in general and the royal family does send out picture cards

Yeah I was going to say this. Don’t the royals send out family picture cards?