Christmas mail

This morning with great satisfaction I posted 64 Christmas cards. Many contain the annual Christmas letter as well, but there are friends who know of all our doings so we just want to send them the yearly greetings which are a reminder that we are thinking of them.

On our walk this morning my friend M and I were discussing this annual mail out. She hates mass Christmas letters and much prefers just a card and doesn't mind a bit the card that says your name at the top and that of the sender at the bottom. I LOVE Christmas letters that contain a snippet of the life of the sender. It doesn't bother me a jot if I don't know the people who are mentioned in the letter, the fact that they have some impact on the sender is all that is important and in that regard the letter makes it interesting to me as well.

Whenever I receive a card with the hastily scribbled names, top and bottom, I feel as though the sender has heaved a sigh, thought 'not another card!' rather than actually called me to mind. I guess I'm being precious, but that's how I feel.

These days people's every minute seems to be accounted for. Doing things like writing Christmas cards is a bother rather than the joy it used to be. I have friends who wish they could just do a Christmas message on Facebook, but how can you put that up on the wall to admire and be part of the Christmas decorations?

When I was little my parents were avid letter writers. Their family was in Germany and nearly all communication was by mail. If there was an emergency a dreaded telegram would arrive. My mother originally wrote letters every week, using carbon paper so that several letters could be typed at once and then she would hand write extra bits to personalise each one.

Mail took at least six weeks to go from one destination to another and occasionally letters would overtake each other so I have a feeling that Mutti would number her letters so that they could be read in the correct order.

We had to prepare our Christmas mail early as it was sent by sea. Airmail was terribly expensive. I used to draw and paint well and was in charge of making the cards. My parents would write long letters to all their friends and relatives and we also sent parcels to our relatives who lived in the communist East Germany where there were many privations.

The parcels included delicacies that weren't readily available, such as sultanas and other dried fruit, coffee, instant coffee, tea as well as cocoa. I can't remember all the goodies that were packaged up but I do know that my mother sent both grandmothers good quality warm singlets and bloomers which they said were greatly appreciated. When Mutti's mother died all those undies were found in her cupboard. She had been keeping them 'for good'! I learnt from that - use stuff. Even if it is really special!

When all the Christmas goodies had been collected they would be packaged up, first in cardboard and then my mother would sew the whole lot up in calico. This would discourage pilfering by the postal staff at the other end. We often heard about parcels 'going missing' but none of the calico wrapped ones ever did. The calico was put to good use by the relatives as fabric was in short supply too.

We would buy Christmas cards to give to our Australian friends. In the early days we never bought packs of cards and would select individual cards which we thought suited the recipient. It was fun though time consuming.

I always loved the arrival of Christmas cards. Actually I still do. Each card was admired and then displayed on the mantelpiece or sideboard. It got you right in the mood for Christmas which always was and still is my family's favourite time of year.

We should all slow down a bit and rather than be frustrated about all things that need doing, enjoy doing them. I set the timer yesterday - 30 minutes ironing, then 30 minutes Christmas card writing and I repeated these activities plus others in a similar vein until it filled the day and no job became too much of a burden. I really felt like I had achieved something by the end of the day.

When the mail arrives and contains Christmas cards I read and enjoy the contents. When my husband gets home I show him the card, we discuss the sender and if there is a Christmas letter I read it aloud to him so I get to enjoy it twice!

I'm looking forward to our Christmas mail. It should start arriving any day now.