Do you still send them? How many? Apparently, it's a dying tradition due to email, Facebook, hand-held communication devices, Twitter. And if you send them, do you have a special tradition -- the family newsletter is included or a family photo?
A boy I used to babysit when he was around ten has sent me a photo of himself every Christmas. For the past twenty years, the photo has included his growing family. It's fun to look over all the photos and see the changes. (Joey is fifty now.)
A former neighbor/friend writes a religious Christmas poem every year. At first, it was hand-printed and run off on her church's leaky ditto machine. Now, 38 years later, she uses her computer to produce a professional-looking masterpiece with graphics.
Thirty years ago, a young Chicago couple sent out their first Christmas card in the form of a homemade jigsaw puzzle featuring themselves, but with a Christmas twist and mystery to be solved. For instance, in a later Christmas card, the couple is shown in the Christmas photo-puzzle with several of their children -- plus an unknown child. The theme that year was "What Child Is This?" Another year, family members were shown in the photo while standing on an L platform, looking down the tracks and being puzzled, checking their watches. The Christmas theme that year was "No L?" (Noel). After 30 years of doing this, the couple says they are finally running out of ideas -- and have to begin this project in August.
Are you that energetic and creative?
