Will Christmas cards soon become a thing of the past? Might people stop purchasing the brightly colored, sentiment-filled cards, replete with glitter or perhaps a photo of the family dog, in favor of a click of the mouse instead?
The Bishop of Hertford in England is so concerned about this happening that he has launched a campaign urging people to save traditional Christmas cards from the ‘rise of the e-card.’ He believes people need that Christmas pause–a time to write by hand a few kind words and share the merriment of the season with others–rather than simply sending off an email in a rush.
“It can be a bit impersonal and frankly sometimes a bit cold,” he says. “It is important to remember that human connection and reaching out to one another is a basic human need.”
The bishop also expresses his concern for those charities that rely on proceeds from Christmas cards to fill their tills. How will they survive if everyone sends e-cards instead? Many of these charities help battle poverty or lend themselves to finding cures for diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS.
Some trends in the U.S. might help out the Bishop of Hertford’s campaign. Many organizations are asking citizens to send Christmas cards to American troops overseas.
Twitter indicates that some are getting in on the Christmas spirit already by making their own Christmas cards.
Making homemade Christmas cards for friends and family. This is for my brother who has a dig nd dsnt like Xmas lol pic.twitter.com/5ZSVPLrC2B
— gymbunny (@weejenmonster) November 17, 2013
Don't often make Christmas cards but …had this idea for something simple…just colour and crisp design pic.twitter.com/NUH80NSKDe
— Sarah HamiltonPRINTS (@SarahHamiltonPS) November 17, 2013
While some e-cards are in fact quite lovely, there really is nothing like reaching into the mailbox and feeling an envelope with handwriting on it. You know the kind–you can feel the indentation of the ink on the paper. It wasn’t even generated by a computer. Knowing it was signed and sealed by a friend or a loved one warms the soul in ways an e-card simply cannot. Even those boastful family Christmas letters can be fun to read–or at the very least, fun to make fun of!
The Bishop of Hertford might be on to something–something really good. This world could use some more tangible kindness. Who knows? Maybe he’s started what will become a growing trend.
At the very least Hallmark will love it!
Image via Wikimedia