Christmas and Holiday E-Cards

by Emily Price | More from this Blogger

17 Dec 2006 04:56 AM

I have always been one of those people that sends Christmas cards to everyone I know. Maybe not everyone I know, but I good number of people in my life receive a Christmas card every holiday season. In many cases I think a Christmas card is a way of keeping in touch with old friends. There are several friends from college that I rarely talk to, but I receive a Christmas card from them every year with a photo, and a note letting me know how their year has progressed. To some extent it's sad our friendship has been reduced to a holiday greeting, but I still enjoy them all the same.

With the rising price of stamps, and Christmas cards for that matter, sending cards to so many people has turned into a rather costly endeavor. This year I tried something a little different, holiday e-cards.

There are tons of different websites online that will allow you send free e-cards to friends and family through email. Some of the cards have games you can play, some contain music, and there are even some you can create yourself with personal photographs. For the most part, you can do everything with a digital e-card you can do with a traditional Christmas card...you just don't have the actual card when your finished.

I've been thinking about switching to e-cards for quite some time. The cards are obviously cheaper, but I had reservations about straying away from my traditional card sending. I personally really like collecting all of the paper cards and hanging them on my wall and refrigerator, and assume most of my friends like to do the same.

This year I made 2 lists of "People getting Christmas Cards." One list contained people who I knew would appreciate the paper card, another a list of people I might have not spoken to in a while, but I still wanted to send a greeting to. I also put people on this list whom I knew weren't "Christmas Card People," that way I was able to send them a greeting, without sending them unwanted mailbox filler.

Did any of you send holiday e-cards this year? Who did you send them to?

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Emily is a freelance writer and video editor in Raleigh NC.

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QueenAngie Central Illinois, USA (60081) 17 Dec 2006 06:12 PM

Emily, this is another twist to the ever popular Christmas card.

The cost of stamps is rising, as well as printing costs. I do enjoy sending and receiving cards and display them each year in the familyroom.

Certainly, having two lists one that are email cards and the other in hand cards, is an excellent option. There are some fun sites online that have lovely cards that can be personalized and sent free of charge.

leetata (11) 28 Dec 2006 06:40 PM

I think ecards are getting more acceptable as more and more people become more comfortable with internet and as more younger people grow up. Just see how the gift cards have become acceptable gifts for any occasion including Christmas. Just make sure to pick ecards that reflect your style and that of your recipients. There are many good quality free or paid ecard sites. americangreetings.com and bluemountain.com are the biggest and oldest ecard sites. You can also check out ojolie.com, a newly launched and more artistic ecard site. You will save money and keep in touch of all your friends with ecards. Oh, you will also help the planet by reducing paper waste:-)