Two columnists at mag for over-50s promote sending festive greetings
Embracing the festivities is a feature of two of the latest columns in this month’s Saga magazine as writers Mark Palmer and Rachel Carlyle both talk about the importance of sending cards.
As Christmas fast approaches, the December issue of the magazine for the over-50s has self-confessed Grinch Mark admitting it’s the one tradition he takes very seriously, while Rachel reminisces about using cards as part of the decorations.
In his Generation Games column Mark, who also works at the Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday, admits he was trying not to mention the word because “I’m not a Christmas kind of person,” but editor Louise Robinson persuaded him that many readers might not feel the same way.
Recognising that it can be a very lonely time of year for people and is definitely commercialised, he wrote of his son Henry, now in his late 30s, who “chose to opt out of Christmas when he was younger” and spent the day helping out at a shelter for the homeless.
Musing that there might be a hereditary element with Christmas either running in the family or it doesn’t, Mark then said: “But there’s one annual tradition that I enjoy and take seriously, although it’s almost alien to my children: the sending of Christmas cards.
“I like this because it is a chance to remember people whom one might not have seen all year but who are still in our thoughts. Or those people who need a little cheering up. Christmas cards take time and effort.”
He added that he has a golden rule about sending cards with a religious theme, and likes the “chance to write a personal message in the card, nothing verbose, but heartfelt”.
And, determined to keep the tradition going – music to the ears of the greetings industry! – the columnist concluded: “I may send my grandchildren a card this year, even though I might be spending the actual day with them. Plant a seed.”
At the front of the magazine, Rachel gave the facts about card sending: “Christmas cards are heading for extinction, if you believe everything you read. But that’s not how Saga customers view it: 94% still send cards – and a decent stack of them, too.”
Explaining that 21% send more than 50 each year, although many are cutting back with 82% of Saga’s 3,000 survey respondents saying they received fewer cards last year, and 54% plan not to send so many this Christmas, she said it was encouraging that just 4% of the mag’s youngest 50-60 age group are planning to cut back.
With comments from the GCA’s PR guru Nick Agarwal, of Arena PR, that the death of the Christmas card is a myth, he also mentioned the decorating aspect, with the UK apparently the only country to use the designs to decorate.
And Rachel wrote: “Ah yes, the looping lengths of cards stapled to ribbons, or in card designer Grace Jackson‘s case, BluTacked to doors. ‘As soon as they arrived at breakfast, my mum would read them, and we’d stick them up right away, says Grace.
“A good year was when you could cover the kitchen door, the dining room door, the living room door, and the door into the conservatory. My mum would send about 120, working from a list with columns ruled off each year’!”
Rachel’s survey confirmed that 90% use cards to decorate while 25% cut them up for gift tags the following year.
And the article mentioned the well-being side of card sending, quoting Professor Stephen Gallagher from the University Of Limerick: “Letters and cards have been found to boost positive emotions in both the receiver and sender.”
His research discovered a link between depression and people who don’t send Christmas cards – and Rachel thinks this could be why 18-24 year olds are now sending more cards.
