Christmas Letters, yea or nay?

Stormy · **Christmas Letters, yea or nay?**

I was thinking of writing a Christmas letter to enclose in with our Christmas cards this year. However, when I started getting ideas for it, I came across so many negative things about them on the net - mostly that if they weren't bragging, then they were extremely boring, telling people of our day to day activities.

Things Are going well for us, but I can see how this can definitely be constituted as bragging. And I'd love to tell of ds's activities as well, but...yeah I guess I can see how they could be construed as boring as well.

Do you love them or hate them? IS there a way to make them tasteful? Or should I just send out the cards with our names written on them and call it done? Thanks!!

Oregano · 11-09-2007, 09:48 AM

I like them...the letters we get (and send) don't focus on 'doing well' or anything like that...they focus on the kids, what they're up to and family stuff. I would just keep it concise and fun. We don't get any scary 'bragging' letters and I like to think that our letters aren't like that either! We only send the letters to close family or close friends. And we only send them to folks that we don't see very often.

spiffyjen · 11-09-2007, 09:56 AM

I like Christmas letters (sending & recieving). The ones we get don't ever seem like bragging - more just about what's going on in the lives of the people we love. And ditto to Oregano - we send ours to our close family/friends and people we don't get to see very often. I don't send ours to people we just consider acquaintances.

It's cool to see the year in review - the good and the bad.

hth

Bucsnpats · 11-09-2007, 10:02 AM

We have one family member who sends out a "letter" and it is more of a year in pictures with little captions under the pics. It is nice. Personally, I do not like to send them out...but I have other ways that I keep family and friends up to date.

I think it is all a personal preference...and you know what bragging is ok sometimes, go for it if that is what you want to do.

Kellyandgirls · 11-09-2007, 10:15 AM

I usually send a letter out!! There are many people who comment on my letters!!
yes
I do brag a little!! (and I mean a little~ as a mom I show how proud of them I am)
The people whom I send the letters to really do not care about the bad things!! (yes I add those too) but I want them to know the girls and who they are!!
I add things like there likes interests and things they do!! I try ot keep it as mor of an update!!

I also add a ton of pics to them!! that way they can see how much the kids have grown!!
Its also a good way to keep a record of things that happened over the year!!

desertmom · 11-09-2007, 10:56 AM

I enjoy getting them. I live so far from family, and friends have moved away or we just lost touch. Everyone wants to brag on their kids, and I don't have any problem with that. I don't want to hear about all the stuff they've accumulated, but I do like to hear about their new house, boat, even car, etc. I like to hear about their accomplishments and health. I love getting pictures, and having computers makes that even easier. I know people don't like the non-personal feel of it, but when you're doing 50 Christmas cards, it's kind of a necessity. I'd rather have a printed letter than nothing at all but a card that just says Happy Holidays.

Just my 2cents.

daymom03 · 11-09-2007, 11:38 AM

I send them and like getting them, but I'll tell you, one thing I really don't like and don't really care about is hearing what activities someone's kids are in, unless there is something interesting about it. One of my friends sends one and it says things like "son played football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and of course soccer in the spring and summer. Daughter did dance, basketball, softball and soccer too." Like I really care to read a list of what her kids are doing? Now that I think about it, it might bother me more because I personally think her kids are WAY overscheduled.

Sarah M. · 11-09-2007, 11:53 AM

I love sending them in with the cards, because I hate to just write "Merry Christmas, love Sarah and [DH]" but it takes too long to write the important things out for each person. So I write the letter (only a few paragraphs) and then write a one sentence personal note in the card for that person.

I like getting them, too, but only if I know all the people talked about in the letter. I'm on my high school teacher's mailing list, and I like to hear what she's been up to during the year, but I don't know any of her family, so that is only a teensy bit annoying.

DH, on the other hand, doesn't care to read them, and figures I'll tell him if there was anything notably interesting that anyone did.

brensmom · 11-09-2007, 12:17 PM

i love to get them and send them as well.. i do a paragraph for each family member what they have been up to this year and then close with a hope you have a healthy happy wonderful new year. for example i would say for my youngest ( anna turned the big one this year she has learned all kinds of new and exciting things. she walks and is starting to talk she loves babies and being with her brothers) that would be an example of my youngest my oldest would have what grade he is in this year(some long distant relatives may not remember ect) what activities he is enjoying and so on. its not bragging its just a hello and what we have been up to... i say send the letter.

flybygrace · 11-09-2007, 12:28 PM

I've yet to do a letter, though I've wanted to for the past 4 years. I'm going to try to do one this year though (we'll see if it happens! lol).. Anyway, I can understand people getting irritated at the feeling that one is bragging through their letters because I've felt that in past years - one family always sent letters of how they went overseas for trips and their kids won all kinds of state awards and on and on and on.. like they were the picture perfect family of 4 or something. And it kind of annoyed me a little. But after my parents got into their near-fatal car accident 2 years ago, I see it all in a different light. Those who send holiday letters that have all positive hip-hooray stuff in them -- I thank the Lord that they are doing well and aren't suffering like my family is. I know what it's like to go through my family's pain and tragedy and I wish that on no one. My mom's holiday letters are different now; an update on how my dad is doing and how the family is coming along in the wake of multiple tragedies one after another. There is positive stuff interspersed (it isn't all depressing or anything), but I know that I have seen many familys go through their times of trial and tribulation, and I rejoice in the times they have where they are dancing on the mountain and not crawling in the valley.