it's coming to the end of ramadhan: where are all the raya cards?
i have only gotten one! my dad received three, not so bad huh?!! normally, i would have a pretty full basket by now ─ at least 15 or 20 cards. i am trying not to take it too personally ツ
it is reported that it has been shaping up as a no-no year for holiday cards. even the post office has noticed a significant thinning of the usual torrent of festive envelopes. there are two principal reasons: technology and the economy.
well i am probably not the best one to ask as to what good manners are as i have my own unique opinions about such things, but for what they are worth…
i never open ecards because of computer viruses, trojans, adware etc and wish people would not send them as then i feel bad for not opening them to see what they had to say.
i know, i know i am into saving the environment so much but for some reasons i hate ecards! i am very sentimental and i love to save all my cards. i have cards from my parents and siblings from when i was a child. they cheer me when i am down and remind me of them and the good times. i believe sending an ecard shows a lack of caring. it is very easy to click a button and send multiple ecards. i usually spend a lot of time picking out just the right card for my friends and family, and then handwrite an apopropriate message. soon nobody will even remember how to write a letter. the texting, email, is convenient, but does not replace snail mail.
and whether you all realized it or not, with the existence of facebook, things became more easy-peasy for some people~ they post related graphics/pics on their page, then just tag people on the friend's list. don't you think it's kinda rude? well at least i think it's more appropriate if you post the pics, wishes or whatever without tagging anyone. and it's up to own individual if they wanna leave comment(s)/reply(ies) to your post.
anyhow i do appreciate the e-mailed holiday letters i have gotten in lieu of a physical card this year, but i find that sitting at my netbook to read them feels more like work than raya pleasure.
ecards emerged as a cheap, convenient alternative to traditional paper cards in the mid-1990s. at the time, most ecards were free of charge and virus-free. these days several major card companies charge for their electronic greetings. meanwhile, experts are cautioning receivers of online cards to take care before opening them, lest they end up with a nasty surprise.
as for snail mail, i don’t get a lot of raya cards this time around, because i don’t send any. on the rare occasions that i do send one, it is either handmade or particularly lovely, sent with a letter too. i would LOVE to receive one like this ─ i love the concept of snail mail art and am now thinking i should get out there and do more of it this coming years.
receiving cards is a mixed bag. i appreciate that anyone thinks of me at all, but getting a non-descript card with just a signature in it seems to me a waste of money and paper and postage and fuel to get it to me, and it ends up in the trash (then i feel bad for throwing it out immediately) unless it is lovely to look at or has a personal sentiment that makes me display it for pleasure for a few weeks. i always think to myself, why bother with this ritual unless you can make it meaningful?
of course, snail mail greeting cards will never be out of fashion. in fact, i love to receive greeting cards through snail mail. it's still simply the best compared to electronic greeting cards.
