Bring Back The Traditional Christmas Card!
Do you remember the last time you received a Christmas e-card from a cherished friend or family member? Maybe not, because it’s not something that people often do for the people they love and care about the most. You might have received an e-card from your employer or supplier, but when it comes to friends and family there is no substitute for a printed card.
At TL Colour, we are passionate and unashamed advocates of the traditional Christmas card, and in this article, we are going to explain why!
In an intangible way, e-cards decrease the sentimental value and appeal of Christmas cards – maybe because they are too quick and easy and don’t require much effort, but also, perhaps, because we are so bombarded by digital media that e-cards are too easily forgotten. A traditional printed Christmas card is a powerful symbol of love and durability in a fast paced, throwaway culture.
Embracing The Christmas Spirit
Whether you celebrate Christmas as a religious festival or cultural holiday, there’s something unique and heart-warming about sending or receiving a Christmas card. Sending a traditional Christmas card to your loved ones, friends, and colleagues is once a year opportunity to express your care and appreciation for them during the holiday season. This can be especially meaningful when distances, pandemics, and rail strikes prevent you from spending the festive season together in person.
It’s also a great way to re-establish contact with old friends, family, or acquaintances you may have lost touch with – especially with fewer people now using Facebook than previously. A personal note in the card will create an extra special connection with your recipients – it needn’t be anything lengthy to make a heartfelt impact. Traditional cards also embody a time-honoured tradition that many people love and appreciate, reminding them of the Christmases of their childhood, and people they have lost. While it may take more effort to send a traditional card than a one click e-card, traditional Christmas cards, printed and designed locally, embrace the Christmas spirit in a way that simply can’t be replicated by digital media.
What About The Environment?
But wait, aren’t printed Christmas cards bad for the environment and e-cards far more sustainable? Not so much. Paper is actually more sustainable than many people realise. The main raw material, wood pulp, is now largely produced in a carefully controlled and sustainable way – so sustainable, actually, that European managed forests have grown by a surface area of the size of Switzerland over the past 15 years. At the same time, e-cards aren’t as environmentally pure as some people think. In 2019, the digital greeting card sector was responsible for producing nearly 54 million tonnes of e-waste around the world – contributing to a growing global problem having catastrophic impact on ecosystems across the globe.
Next Steps
Whether you’ve sent all your Christmas cards this year or have long since transitioned to e-cards, give your festive greetings a rethink and bring back the traditional Christmas card for 2023! You won’t regret it. Christmas cards are a festive staple for good reason – they make people smile and allow us to make meaningful connections with our families and friends, and, thanks to improvements in recycling and sustainable print technology, they are not as environmentally harmful as people used to think. To find out more, or to browse our collection of bespoke Christmas cards, please click here.
