Sunday, December 9, 2007

Christmas Letters - Yes? No?

Christmas Letter - some likes it, some don't. I happen to like receiving Christmas letters. for me it's means "connection" as I read the updates from family and friends.

While doing our usual bookstore trip (one of our favorite family time) I happen to notice this book on the display shelf. It's called Christmas Letters from Hell. I tell you what, it's very funny! I bought a copy.

Tonight, we'll be "doing" our Christmas cards. I don't know yet if we're going to write a Christmas letter or not. Hubby is usually the one who write it - he does a better job - he writes with a "sarcastic funny flare" as opposed to my "inspirational" (ahem) or "serious" (read "boring") kind of letter.

So... are you sending a Christmas letter this year? Here's an excerpt from Newsday:

If you want your holiday letters to be memorable for all the right reasons, Michael Lent, the author of "Christmas Letters From Hell: All the News We Hate From the People We Love," has these tips:

Since your letters go out to a wide array of friends, family and acquaintances, some of whom know you better than others, carefully consider how much you should share, he says. "Letting people know that an illness is in remission is appropriate, but a blow-by-blow account may be too much information for some of your recipients."

Don't go on about how wonderful you are. "We already know you're wonderful, or else we wouldn't be your friend," he says. Don't exaggerate. "With all due respect to the Lifetime Channel, life isn't just a series of incredible highs and dramatic lows," he says. "People like to get an idea of what you've been up to, but they can easily sense when someone is embellishing to spice things up."

2 comments:

Forgetfulone said...

Not sure yet if we're doing a Christmas letter. Correction - if I'M doing a letter. My husband doesn't do letters and cards! He leaves it up to me. It's time consuming if I want to get it "just right." I enjoyed the links from this post.

Kathy in WA said...

Liza - great tips. I was also hoping you would share one of the letters (or a snippet). Are they funny?? Great title for a book. ha!

I think this year we're going to put our newsletter online and mail out cards with a picture and alink to to the newsletter. That way I don't have to worry about printing out a long newsletter.

of course, at the rate I'm going, we might not do either. Sigh. We're pathetic!