Christmas Rants

What’s a Christmas Letter?

In case you are wondering, a Christmas letter is a tradition that I found out about sometime last century. By last century, I mean the ‘90s. I received my first Christmas letter in 1999, and I’ve been hooked on the idea ever since.

A Christmas letter can be a good idea if you have family members that live in different parts of the country and not everyone gets to see each other as often as they would like. Christmas cards are a great tradition, but often everyone just writes a two sentence inscription on them. A Christmas letter can keep family members up-to-date on just what your family has been doing by including a more detailed message.

Creating a Christmas letter is easy. Limit it to a page or two but include all the important events that your family members have been up to throughout the year. If your son started kindergarten, let everyone know. If your family purchased a gerbil, mention that. Choose a holiday-themed stationary to print your letter on. Specialty stores usually have gorgeous choices, but your office supply store probably has a good selection too. You can make the letter on your home computer, and simply change the heading for each family member (or address it by hand).

Many families are opting to send out Christmas letters rather than Christmas cards, and this might be a tradition that your family members would enjoy. Brainstorm a list of ideas for events you can include and write a rough draft. Print it out and see how it sounds. If you don’t like it, you can always stick with sending out the traditional Christmas cards.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Whether you send Christmas letters or Christmas cards, don’t forget to include a picture of your family or your son or daughter. Months (or even years) often go by before family members living in different states get to see each other, so including a picture with your Christmas letter will be well-received by your friends and relatives.