Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

[I Heart Disneyland]

I have to admit...I have a few friends who send these out and they don't even get taken from the envelope. I toss them in the trash! Their family photo....I hang that up. (Normally a photo of them on a ski trip, a trip to Hawaii, a trip to Europe, etc.)

Anyone else find these just too much to handle? How perfect their kids are? How well their jobs are going? How many vacations they took last year? How fabulously they are doing? I found this online and thought it was funny. It's sort of long, so, I will just post a link if anyone wants to read it. (It's someone's blog.)

The Wonderful World Of Nothing Worthwhile: The Annual Christmas Letter

You will never see me sending out one of these letters. Maybe because I don't have trips to Europe to report, maybe because hubby wasn't made partner this year, maybe because I just don't think people care that much about everything we did all year AND if they did, we'd talk between Christmas holidays and they'd already know all of this information!!!

[aimster]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

And the funny thing is they're all like a form letter.

"Dear Friends..."

At least personalize it with the person you're sending it to's name, you know?

Tacky. Tacky. Tacky.

[Disney Wrassler]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

Depends on who it's from.

[MonkeyDishwasher]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

Fortunately, I don't know anybody who actually does this. But I do have an idea for you:

I think you should have a party with a few friends. Ask them to bring over any letters that they've gotten, read them all aloud, mock them mercilessly, and then toss them in the fire. At least, that's what I'd do

[I Heart Disneyland]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

Fortunately, I don't know anybody who actually does this. But I do have an idea for you:

I think you should have a party with a few friends. Ask them to bring over any letters that they've gotten, read them all aloud, mock them mercilessly, and then toss them in the fire. At least, that's what I'd do

I know! I will send them all to YOU so that you can mock my friends, since you don't know them! (Cause they all know each other, so, I can't do it myself!) ha!

[SCUBAbe]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

I don't know anyone who does this.....but I have heard of it and I do think it's really tacky and dumb.

Last year in December we had to pick up 2000 letters for a job I had. People were giving us funny looks so I said, "Mom they are going to LOVE our Christmas letter this year." at the time it was kind of funny...it may be a you had to be there funny though.

[MsSarah]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

I'm with you there. Those things really get to me sometimes. There are a select few people that I enjoy reading their "what I did that was fantastic this [insert year here]" letter yearly, but other than that...I scan them and put them in my card box in my closet.

[MonkeyDishwasher]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

I know! I will send them all to YOU so that you can mock my friends, since you don't know them! (Cause they all know each other, so, I can't do it myself!) ha!

Haha, OK, I'm in! I'll let you know how it goes

[CMHusband]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

haha..I got so sick of them, i started sending out christmas letters that told how ordinary we were...how my kids all sucked in school, how we managed to eat our way through 457 Pizza's this year, how Spaghetti'O's was our favorite food overall and how the dogs do nothing but &%$# on the carpet constantly..Now every year people beg me to add them to my mailing list.

Whats kind of funny is, the people who send out those bragging letters don't even get it.

[Trekkie Dad]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

Guilty as charged...well sort of. I keep it down to a single page, with a short paragraph about each of us. They only go to friends and family that we rarely see or contact otherwise, and sometimes not all the news is cheery. In any case, I keep it brief. If the recipients want more info, they can always ask.

And the funny thing is they're all like a form letter.

"Dear Friends..."

At least personalize it with the person you're sending it to's name, you know?

Tacky. Tacky. Tacky.

Mail merge. Everyone gets a personalized letter.

[penguinsoda]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

Wow... I've done a Christmas newsletter for the last 27 years. I've had nothing but positive comments from the people I send them to. Its become a written history of our family for the last 27 years.... I include things that have happened, new animals coming into the family, how the jobs are going.... Its become a way for me to look back and see when events have occurred in our life. I don't have trips to Europe, fancy new cars, awards and accolades bestowed on me... just normal every day life stuff. So as long as MY friends and relatives continue to tell me they enjoy hearing about the mundane parts of my life and as long as I am able to record the history for any grand children I may someday have I will continue to do them.

And I in turn have enjoyed the ones that are sent to me, and I still have pretty much all of them too.

[aashee]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

We have over 100 cards to send out so I'd rather not spend 3 days personalizing them. One year we didn't give the family an update letter and the family was pissed so every year it goes out.

And guess what, if my daughter gets knocked up and my son's in jail, that'll be in the letter too.

[BC_DisneyGeek]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

It's hard to describe, but the ones that are clearly meant to gloat, just have an obnoxious tone about them.

Otherwise, an annual update is not a bad idea by any means.

[flynnibus]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

wow... why all the hate?

It's not bragging - it's about catching up... knowing what people have been up to over the last year for people you may not have seen.

Sure we have facebook now, etc... but I'm simply floored by all the bitterness shown here.

Why don't you send them an email back saying 'I don't give a flying F what you've been up to' and maybe next year they won't burden themselves including you as friends to keep in touch with...

[knittingknerd]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

I think it depends on the family that sends it. And there's always a way to spin whatever you're doing to make it sound positive. For example:
"Jonathan got arrested for armed robbery and sent to Pleasanttown Prision" could read
"Little Jonny is making new friends in Pleasanttown!"

What could read as:
"Mary got knocked up by her drug dealer boyfriend..."
Could be spun as:
"We're expecting another wonderful life into our family. Mary's expecting!"

I take those letters with a grain of salt.

[Barbaraann]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

I love getting letters. I wish that more people would write them. I certainly love getting Christmas cards. When I receive a card from someone that I only hear from once a year, I always open it excitingly and hope that it includes more than just a signature.

I try and write a letter to go with most of my cards. I used to handwrite them, but have switched to typing them because quite frankly the hand gets tired after while.

Some years, I send out New Years Cards instead of Christmas ones, because of all the pictures we take between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can then include them in the cards along with any notes I might have about cards already received.

My husband has a relative who sends a news letter about herself. I love reading it. She actually comments about the everyday funny things that have happened to her during the past year. I have smiled and laughed and even gotten teary eyed from her letters. I hope she doesn't stop sending them.

If people take the time to write me a letter, I would never not read it. I don't save every one, but I do save some.

Which reminds me, I need to decide just what I am going to do for this holiday season.

[RooBear]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

Being a writer, I know it's fluff anyways. I'm like you. I toss them and keep the card. That's the part I prefer.

Peace,
Roo

[whamo]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

People who think these letters are about catching up don't get it. They're bragging. I love the idea of sending letters out about how average your family has become.

[flynnibus]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

I don't get why you all would want a card from someone - but not a message from someone.

The card is the crap they buy in a store. A message is something from the person themselves.

If you don't want to hear from someone - why do you consider them a friend to start with.. or even want the card from them?

If you can't use the holidays to look back at the year and think what is there to be thankful for... and instead see it as 'bragging'... I think you are a serious scrooge that is unhappy with their own life and don't want to hear about others being happy.

[pratt55]

Re: Who hates those bragging annual Christmas letters?

I love getting Christmas letters especially from people I rarely get to see or talk to. I think it is great when a friend or family member is doing well and have had opportunities to travel and then are willing to share that info. I don't consider it bragging, they are proud of what they have done and I am happy and joyful for them. I sometimes am a bit envious of their lifstyle, but never bitter or jealous.

Another thing my husband's dad used to do them when their kids were young and we love going through the old ones for the memories of his youth. I wish I had more creative writing skills when our kids were younger and had done it for them.

P.S. Aashee I want a holiday letter from your family.