Do you do a family Christmas letter?

[woodmort]

Quote:
Yes and address each one to the people they are being sent to: i.e. "Dear Aunt Jane and Uncle Dick"--not" Dear Family". My wife or I may also add a personal note as well. The thing is we have extended family all over the US and overseas, may of which--over half--aren't on computers so this is our way of staying in touch with each others' lives. Believe me it isn't tough to be positive especially if, in my case at least, I'm a fairly positive person. It helps that I am a writer and can edit myself fairly well. I agree though, I hate those outright bragging letters--I like to know Jason is playing varsity football, maybe even that their team won the state title but don't need to know all the scores, how many touchdowns/tackles he made and awards he won.

 

[ranchhand]

I have one friend in TX who sends one every year, with a handwritten personal note at the end. I love getting them. She has a very interesting life as a travel agent and I enjoy hearing about it. We don't stay in touch on a regular basis, but I do like hearing how she and her family are and what the year has delivered to them all.

 

[Teach97]

We send them...figure if you don't want to read it then don't. Love getting them from friends...sure don't want to get one about what I have done...already know I was there...I want to hear what they have been up to. I like getting them from folks that I talk to once and awhile cuz that way I get all caught up...can't be there for everything...

 

[Kansaseq]

My brother's ex wife use to write one every year, and it was horrible! She made it rhyme!
I've gotten some that were horrible brag fests, and others that weren't too bad. If done well, they aren't too offensive. Overall, though, I don't care for them.

 

[Orchid]

I think if they are done in a spirit of "here's what we've been up to", they aren't so bad. But we get one from my cousin's wife every year that is sickly sweet enough to gag a maggot...ish.

For her it's like her opportunity to tell everyone how perfect their family is.

I personally don't do one, I'm lucky to not still be wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve, I don't have time to do a letter besides!

 

[colowyo0809]

It's a bit of a tradition to do one in our family, at least on my mother's side. And yeah, from one in particular its all bragging "oooh look at how much money we have, look at what our kids have done, blah blah oooh" but from people like my great uncle, who travels all over the world he generally has some decent stories in his letters. one of my aunts writes theirs and it tells about the good and the bad, and catches people up with whats going on. When I write one, I tend to minimize the negative impact and mainly just let people I haven't talked to on a consistent basis know whats been going on here. Plus, with as often as I move, it's a good way to make sure people have the current address!

I also try to include a small note asking questions about things I know have happened in the recent past, and otherwise personalizing it so it's not just a form letter. And, like other poster's, not everyone I'm hooked to are on the internet.

It's all about moderation and taste really. Plus printing on recycled paper!

 

[WriterofWords]

I write around 35 newsletters each year as a ghost writer for people who want to do a letter but don't have the time or talent. They send me the details and the months they happened in and I attempt to makes some pretty boring lives sound great lol!! Others I shake my head and wonder how they do what they do in one year.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

The Annual Brag Letter.

It was sad, for a few years while our child was sick, we were broke, tired and lonely, to receive these letters from people who's lives just rocked their world, just bragging and showing off photos about their own blue-ribbon lives. Nothing made me feel crummier about my own efforts and my own failings, than to see those brag letters about how successful, healthy and lucky THEY were.

Believe me, if somebody wants to know where you vacationed, how nicely you've improved your house, what awards your kids are winning, how fancy you can dress up for photos, etc., THEY'LL ASK YOU FOR IT. If you care about the person you're sending that Annual Brag Letter to, just write them, saying that you care, maybe wish them well. Even if your mailing list is 50 people. If they ask for photos or stories, that's another thing altogether. (That's a conversation!)

On the other hand, I like the part about keeping one for yourself. That's a very, very nice idea. Like a group journal. On birthdays and Thanksgiving, our kids tend to pull out the photo album and its quite nice to hear the kids talk about the good days. I think it's bolstering and strengthening, to sort of have proof that, on some days, things have gone well and life has been good once in a while.

Thanks for the opportunity to put this out there. I think you're brave for asking.

 

[colowyo0809]

6chickens in St. Charles :

The Annual Brag Letter.

It was sad, for a few years while our child was sick, we were broke, tired and lonely, to receive these letters from people who's lives just rocked their world, just bragging and showing off photos about their own blue-ribbon lives. Nothing made me feel crummier about my own efforts and my own failings, than to see those brag letters about how successful, healthy and lucky THEY were.

Believe me, if somebody wants to know where you vacationed, how nicely you've improved your house, what awards your kids are winning, how fancy you can dress up for photos, etc., THEY'LL ASK YOU FOR IT. If you care about the person you're sending that Annual Brag Letter to, just write them, saying that you care, maybe wish them well. Even if your mailing list is 50 people. If they ask for photos or stories, that's another thing altogether. (That's a conversation!)

On the other hand, I like the part about keeping one for yourself. That's a very, very nice idea. Like a group journal. On birthdays and Thanksgiving, our kids tend to pull out the photo album and its quite nice to hear the kids talk about the good days. I think it's bolstering and strengthening, to sort of have proof that, on some days, things have gone well and life has been good once in a while.

Thanks for the opportunity to put this out there. I think you're brave for asking.

I can see where this would be true. But, at a time when we weren't sure if I was going to live or die, and had no clue what was going on in my body, knowing that other people in the family had good times and bad times and made it through ok was enough to keep me going. There was a time when I thought, you know, maybe it might be easier if I just kinda went to sleep. but then I got one of those letters and thought, how would that look? This family was dealing with cancer and didn't give up, and if my mother has to write a christmas letter next year and start off by saying "well, its been a tough year. Matthew offed himself on the 1st of january because he felt sorry for himself, and it was the day before the test results came back" that might not be good

So, I kept going. Was tough, but I toughed it out

I'm not saying that one letter saved me, I'm saying the thought of my mother having to write that letter and them bring me back to kill me all over again for making her write that letter is what saved me

*i'm ascared of my mother*​

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I sometimes write one and like this year sometimes don't. I wish I could say all my family was on-line but some are not, all of them seem to like the letters so in my extended family it is normal to write a family letter. Usually with at least a small personal handwritten something at the end.

This year of course my BIL is kicking up Drama by coming home for Christmas thinking he is getting married to a woman he has never met. I don't know what to do with this information- if I ignore it in the letter than it is like I am ignoring him. I know it would look like I don't support this event. And even though I don't really support it mostly because I see so many issues that have yet to be solved and see so many potential problems I want it to work. I want to be supportive but to do so I need to meet her- which of course won't happen until Christmas. So I am avoiding even thinking of the holidays and am not going to be sending out Christmas cards.


As for reading them. Even when I keep up with my cousins and friends I still enjoy reading them. And I really like it when people include photos. We change so much over the year, well kids do anyway that it is nice to see what people are up to.