“To Card or Not to Card: The Great Christmas Card Debate”

“To Card or Not to Card: The Great Christmas Card Debate”

Ah, Christmas cards.

That glorious tradition of sending joy, glitter, and awkward family photos across the land.

Every year, I swear I’m not doing them. I say it with full conviction. I whisper it into my coffee like a secret pact with myself:

“This is the year we’re skipping Christmas cards.”

And then… suddenly I’m three hours deep in Canva, questioning my font choices, yelling at my kids to “just pretend to like each other” for ONE picture, and stress-Googling if forehead shine can be Photoshopped out.

So let’s talk about it—the pros and cons of Christmas cards, mom-style.

🎄 The Cons (aka: Why Christmas Cards Feel Like an Olympic Sport)

1. The Photoshoot Meltdown

All you want is one good picture. ONE.

Instead, you get a montage of weird blinks, forced smiles, and your toddler screaming because someone else touched the candy cane first. If you manage to get a photo where everyone is looking in the same direction, you immediately consider running for president because clearly you have superpowers.

2. Addressing 80 Envelopes Feels Like a Prison Sentence

Nothing says “holiday cheer” like hand-cramping your way through a pile of envelopes at 11:30 p.m. while muttering, “Who even is Cheryl in Wisconsin and why do I still send her one?”

3. It’s Just One. More. Thing.

There’s the school party. The class gift. The elf. The cookies. The wrapping. The “can you bring something to the work potluck?” Yes, Susan, I’ll bring my sanity—if I can find it. Christmas cards feel like one more beautiful, glitter-dusted burden in a season already bursting at the seams.

4. They Aren’t Free

Between photo printing, postage, and cardstock that must be matte with gold foil (because we’re fancy), you’ve accidentally spent $96 to tell people what they already know: “We’re alive. Here are our faces.”

❤️ The Pros (aka: Why We Keep Doing It Anyway)

1. They’re a Moment of Connection in a Noisy World

There’s something deeply special about seeing familiar handwriting in your mailbox. It slows us down. It reminds us that someone thought of us in the middle of the chaos. A card says, “We’re still here. You’re still loved. Let’s stay connected.”

2. They Document Your Beautiful Mess

You may see the crooked smiles and the toddler who wouldn’t wear pants—but one day, these photos will be the treasure. They’re a timeline of growth, love, chaos, and memory-making. Someday you’ll look back and be so glad you captured it.

3. They Bring Joy

Real joy. The kind that can’t be measured in Instagram likes. Friends and family keep these cards on their fridge, their mantle, or tucked in keepsake boxes. You’re not just sending a photo—you’re sending love.

4. They’re a Tradition Worth Keeping (Even If It’s Not Every Year)

You don’t have to do it every year. But when you do? It matters. To you, to your people, to that aunt who still has your 2016 card in a frame because “you all looked so sweet.”

Final Thoughts from a Tired (But Sappy) Mom:

Christmas cards might not be practical. They’re definitely not convenient. But they’re one of the few ways we pause, reflect, and share a little slice of our life with the people who matter.

So whether you’re sending 100 cards, 10 cards, or none this year—be gentle with yourself.

But if you do send one out… throw a sticker of a candy cane on it, and know that somewhere, someone smiled because they saw your family and thought,

“I love those people.”

And that, my friend, is worth the glitter in your kitchen and the meltdown in the family photo.

Merry Christmas, from one overwhelmed mom to another.