For many people, the weeks leading up to Christmas can be as fun as the holiday itself, especially if they enjoy decorating their homes, baking cookies, and taking part in all sorts of holiday customs.
However, not everyone is equally excited about having to spend a ton of time—and, often, money—just so they can follow certain traditions. Take this TikToker, Abby, for instance – in a video that went viral, she explained why her family has only done Christmas cards once; and they’re not planning on doing that again. Scroll down to find her video below, where you will also find the netizens’ reactions to the TikToker’s thoughts.
Some holiday traditions can be a beloved festive activity or a pain in the neck
Image credits: Aaron Burden / unsplash (not the actual photo)
This woman went viral on TikTok for her reasons not to do Christmas cards
"My husband asked me one year why we didn't do Christmas cards, and he has never asked me again since.
We have done Christmas cards one year, and that was when our oldest was a baby. And my husband was like, 'Why don't we ever do Christmas cards? You should do Christmas cards.' I was like, 'Yeah, I mean, it's just cards, right? Like, why don't you do the Christmas cards?'"
Image credits: abbyeckel
"I said, 'So then you can source a photographer, and then you can find a date that aligns with her and with our schedules.
And then you can decide on what kind of clothes we should all wear and the location.
And then you can pay her, and then you can pick the edits.
Then you can find whatever website you wanna use to print out the Christmas cards.
Choose which picture or pictures you wanna put on there, what you're gonna say.
Then gather up everybody's mailing addresses that you want to send them to, your side and mine.
Then go buy the envelopes for them, then address them, then go to the post office and get all the stamps that you're gonna need, then mail them out.'"
Image credits: Ethan Hoover / unsplash (not the actual photo)
"And he was like, 'Huh?' I was like, 'Yeah. It's not just Christmas cards, is it?' The mental load behind Christmas cards has never seemed worth it to me.
Anybody that I would send a Christmas card to, I see regularly. If you don't see me regularly, then you wouldn't be getting a Christmas card for me to begin with. That is what the mental load of sending out Christmas cards is."
Abby made it clear why she didn’t think doing Christmas cards was worth the hassle
Despite being quite a hassle, preparing Christmas cards remains a holiday tradition followed by many
Many people, including yours truly, love all sorts of Christmas activities. Making Christmas wreaths? Just tell me when. Baking cookies? Get your cookie cutters ready. Decorating the home? I’m already on it. While it does take quite a bit of time and often entails spending that some would consider unnecessary, I, personally, enjoy it, which makes all of it worthwhile.
However, like most such enthusiasts, I can only really enjoy it when I have the time and am in the mood to create the holiday spirit. Not even the biggest holiday craft aficionados would have a smile on their face if they were neck-deep in errands and had something else to add to the list.
That’s why it’s easy to see why Abby didn’t think preparing Christmas cards was worth it. After her husband suggested she prepare the cards, she explained just how much work that one task entails, and, bearing in mind that the family hasn’t done Christmas cards for years, it’s safe to assume that the husband didn’t want to go through all the trouble, either.
Be that as it may, sending out holiday cards is something that many families do. It remains a tradition beloved and engaged in by many, despite some believing that in the 21st century, the regular Christmas card would fall at the feet of its digital counterpart. According to Statista, people in the US spend an average of roughly 30 dollars on holiday greeting cards and postage.
Image credits: daylight letters / unsplash (not the actual photo)
The first Christmas card dates all the way back to the 1840s
You might be wondering—do people on the receiving end actually enjoy getting holiday cards? Well, to the disappointment of all the Grinches out there, they actually do. Okay, at least half of them do. According to 2018 statistics illustrating the share of people who love receiving Christmas cards in the UK, somewhere between 50% and 65% of them, depending on the age group, do. Surprisingly, despite being the generation that grew up glued to their devices, the youngest age group—young adults aged 18 to 24—seem to be the biggest fans of holiday cards, followed closely by those 65 years of age and older.
Beloved by young and old in the 21st century, holiday cards are believed to date back to the mid-1800s. The first card, commissioned by a prominent civil servant, educator, inventor, and the founding director of the renowned Victoria and Albert Museum, Henry Cole, was sent in 1843. Illustrated by Cole’s friend, John Callcott Horsley, the card depicted three generations of the Cole family raising a toast.
The first Christmas card was later published and offered for sale at the price of one shilling a piece, but since that was considered pricey at the time, it didn’t become a commercial success. However, since then, the commercialization of Christmas has picked up speed, and the period between 1860 and 1890 became a golden age for Christmas cards, prompted by new printing processes and techniques.
Nowadays, the possibilities when it comes to Christmas cards are nearly endless. But they still require quite a bit of work to reach the final product, as Abby pointed out in her video. In the comments underneath the video, some netizens sided with her, saying that Christmas cards are not worth the hassle. However, for some, it was considered a beloved holiday tradition, worth all of the work they put into it.
Image credits: Annie Spratt / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Netizens shared their views on the matter in the comments
