Cro at Cro Magnon writes about the decline in the number of Christmas cards sent through the so-called snail mail.
It is as he says, more expensive and time consuming than sending a tweet or an email.
It's a good while since I've had to peg the Christmas cards on their strings.
Today, the few are huddled together under some seasonal greenery.
Are the images on the cards meaningful and relevant? A glance at the cards received to date revealed the following:
nativity scene 1
reindeer 3
baubles 2
image of a sound wave 1
lighted candles 1
hedgehog in snow 1
kingfisher in snow 1
the "12 days of Christmas " 1
frosty landscape with tree 1
women carrying water 1
children sledging 1
snowmen 2
star 1
There we are then. Just one card shows the birth of the baby Jesus. But that's not important.
Important are the positive messages that come with the cards or with the Christmas emails.
With that said, I shall now send my Christmas thoughts into universe. All can do the same.
Somebody somewhere will read them.
One mustn't be a cardinal or a king, or even a politician or a spin doctor.
" Let there be peace in the world for all people of goodwill. "
After I'd typed the above, a most wonderful Christmas card fluttered down to us here. I'd like to share it with you.
The image comes from the palette of Stanislaw Kmiecik, an artist who paints with his foot.
It's titled Dem Licht entgegen - Against the Light.
Thank you Gwill for your wishes. Both cards shown here are beautiful. It is wonderful to receive a Christmas card by snail mail; I think of the person sat down writing it to me and going out of their way to the post office, putting a postage stamp (doubled the price in the past couple of years), and sending it to me.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
Auguri Maria!
DeleteI agree. I've just been to the post with two parcels. I could have gone to a website and paid and got them to send the things. But I like to go to the local shops and on to market and browse. And go to the post office in the rain, and stand in the queue. And pay for the stamps. I really don't mind. Soon all this will be history and people will say 'Did they really do that? Oh, how quaint."
On the tram into town I saw something on the information screen about a witch who gives out presents to good children in Italy on 6th January. I wrote the name down on back of an envelope which I've unfortunately thrown away as is my modus operandi. :-(
DeleteShe is called La Befana. She leaves gifts, fruit and sweets to well behaved children in a sock, if they are not well behaved then they receive a small chunk of coal with their sweets.
DeleteIn Verona each year, on the main city Square of Piazza Bra, a bonfire with the resemblance of a witch (old year) is lit at sundown; the direction that the sparkles and ashes blow then that will foresee whether the coming year will be a good (harvest) year.
X
P.s. the bonfire is lit at sundown on the 6th January after the three wise men appear in the Square. X
DeleteI do not send cards, instead I give a donation to an organisation operates without the need of paid employees or CEO's and gives direct aid to the homeless.
ReplyDeleteSnail mail is great when you open a card and see that somebody's gone to the trouble to writing you a card. Happy Christmas Gwil!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Dave. See my comment above to Maria in Italy.
DeleteI'm beginning to sound like an old Scrooge, but I don't think I'm alone. It's just how things are today. Looking at our cards, the main theme seems to be 'snowy landscape'.
ReplyDeleteSnow is the vital ingredient. About half of our cards show snow. As yet, we have not received any Father Christmases, holly twigs or robins.
DeleteIf I think too much about Christmas cards I start to wonder about them but at the moment I still like to send some and receive some.
ReplyDeleteI've had one particular card on show for 3 years running. Next year maybe there will be a couple more 'regulars'. It'll help keep the numbers up.
DeleteI still get a lot of 'snail mail' cards Gwil and I really do appreciate them, especially this year. I have moved around a lot over the years and the only time I hear from so many old friends is on a card at Christmas. Lots of robins in mine this year.
ReplyDeleteRobins eh, now there's a good sign. Keep on singing your song, Pat.
DeleteJust received two more. A nativity scene and Christmas tree. Still no robin! Maybe a real one will duly appear? We can only hope.
DeleteI love getting cards through the mail
ReplyDeleteMe too. I remover (spellchecker sic) the days when there'd be a small postal order inside :)
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