Comments on: Oh No! The Generic Family Holiday Christmas Letters are Coming! (Part 2)

By: deb

deb — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:32:46 +0000

Thanks for linking to this post.
We do not send out a Christmas letter, and only receive one, and it’s pretty balanced.
I agree with all of your observations, and know that the saddest of them would go in the trash unread. Saddest meaning fake of course.
And , give Beth a hug for me. Without actually touching her unless you ask first.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:37:08 +0000

It’s nice to receive letters from people and getting to catch up on what’s been going on in their lives. But, it shouldn’t be all bragging about how good their life supposedly is. It’s not a time to say, “Hey, look what I did this yr. Look at all my accomplishments. Look how great my kids are.” It should be a time to just update everyone on how you and your family are doing and what’s been going on…realistically.
It’s stupid that people think they need to brag about all the things they’ve done rather then just being realistic about what’s gone on in their lives. There’s no need to just focus on all the great things, acting as if nothing bad ever happens to you. It just makes everyone else dislike your letters because of all the bragging…that’s just no way to be, bragging all the time. So what if you did achieve a lot or go on an awesome vacation, so what if your kids did great things, that doesn’t make you any better then anyone else. There’s no need to take on a tone in your letters as if that does.
Sure, all the great things can be included, but be serious and if something bad happened, be real about it and include it along with the good. Don’t take a bragging tone or a tone of showing off. Just be real and send a real update. No one wants a letter of bragging, I know I sure don’t.

By: shrinkingthecamel

shrinkingthecamel — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:04:40 +0000

Merry Medical Christmas? I like that one.
I have actually had a couple people email me asking if I would set up a website to post “The Worst Holiday Letters Ever.” Apparently there is quite a backlash in America these days around obnoxious Holiday Letters, and people need a place to vent. A “Hall of Shame” of sorts.

Maybe next year!

By: Marcus Goodyear

Marcus Goodyear — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:59:36 +0000

Brad, I am loving this series of posts. With my generation, photobucket picture cards seem to have solved the problem. We get mostly glossy photos of people’s kids looking cute. (And we send one too.)

My father in law sends a sarcastic New Year’s Family update though. It’s pretty funny.

By: David

David — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:48:12 +0000

I hate the exaggerated claims in family letters.

How about, “Uncle Bob is still drinking. And John cant find work because he’s too comfortable on our couch watching SportsCenter. Little Billy still fights bed-wetting and Lisa pouts all the time.”

That would be more realistic.

By: KarenDV

KarenDV — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:03:42 +0000

We did that once, sending out a holiday letter not with the lowlights, but just describing our normal, everyday existence. Kind of like Bert on Sesame Street — plain oatmeal and pigeons, thanks. Most people got the joke.

On the flip side of things, an annual feature of the Kathy and Judy Show on WGN Radio in Chicago is “Merry Medical Christmas,” during which they read holiday letters that overemphasize personal problems in excruciating detail — made humorous by the insertion of cheery Christmas music immediately uttering the word “colonoscopy” or some other vivid term you don’t want to visualize in regards to your Aunt Hattie. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine to listen each year online, and it might be a good antidote to your frustration.

By: nancy

nancy — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:02:42 +0000

this must be SOME letter!