Journal of Sacred Work

Are Holiday Cards Dead? – Days 353-357

   For all 57 years of our marriage, my dear wife has labored to assemble and mail hundreds of Christmas cards including this year's, reproduced here. FAMILY XMAS '23 

    She and millions are wondering: "Should I keep this up?" Beyond labor, there is the cost and paperless ease of free, digital alternatives.

   In 2014 a Global News story asked if Christmas cards were officially dead: "While some traditionalists continue to send annual holiday cards," it began, "the practice – which began some 170 years ago – continues to decline as well-wishers go digital." 

   The Golden Threads of tradition matter. But the card is only one symbol. Must we have the touchable form? Will cards mimic newspapers…not dead but yielding to computerized alternatives?

   A recent news blip reported on an artist who submitted a "mixed media" piece for copyright. It merged one of his photographs with an AI-generated Van Gogh. Our U.S. Copyright Office rejected it because the artwork lacked the "human authorship" required for protection. 

   Digital or not, holiday greetings are lovely human communications. What matters, of course, is not cards but how we honor rituals of loving care. 

   Happy Holidays from the Chapmans to caregivers everywhere.

-Erie Chapman

Photo by Tia Chapman

 

Erie "Chip" Chapman Avatar

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Erie “Chip” Chapman
Former President & CEO of multiple hospital systems and founding president & CEO of 20-hospital OhioHealth, best selling author, film artist, ordained minister, composer, published poet, syndicated T.V. host, trial attorney, federal prosecutor and Municipal Court Judge. Erie is internationally known as the founder of the Radical Loving Care(R)movement. He also heads Erie Chapman Foundation, Dane Dakota Productions, LLC, and Chapman Health International, Inc.
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4 responses to “Are Holiday Cards Dead? – Days 353-357”

  1. Jolyon Avatar
    Jolyon

    If the price of postage would go down I believe a lot more well wishes would be delivered during the season. I still have many cards from years gone by that I relish…though many are getting digitized as we downsize our storage needs. They do bring a smile as they go through the scanner to be put into a digital folder.
    Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

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  2. erie chapman Avatar
    erie chapman

    You have, and save, many cards because you are clearly an unusually kind and thoughtful soul! Happy holidays to you!

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  3. Liz Wessel Avatar
    Liz Wessel

    What a gorgeous family Erie and a lovely holiday wish!
    This is the first year since the pandemic hit that I sent some Chritmas cards. However, my card was square and I found out that doubled the postage required, so 1/2 of my cards sent did not have the extra postage needed before I discovered and in checking in with some family no one has received them yet. They may wind up being returned to me…ugh!
    My mom loved to hand write letters, send birthday cards and she kept track of anniversaries and special occasions, when babies wern born and when poeple died which she recorded in her address book. I think this reflects how much she valued friends and famiy and she kept in touch with so many friends through the years. It seemed to be an expression of her spirituality, her art of letter writing.
    So aften I buy cards with every intention to send but don’t get aoround to it. However this year, I wrote several notes and letters with my cards and I enjoyed the act of writing, pen in hand and the ink flowing out onto the blank page. I felt a greater sense of connection by taking some time, making the effort and that in itself communicates to the person that they valued, cared about and loved (or at least the is my hope 🙂
    Sending good thoughts and best wishes may “God bless us all!”

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  4. erie chapman Avatar
    erie chapman

    Yes. “God bless us, everyone” As Dickens has his character say at end of A Christmas Carol.” And thank you, Liz, for sharing you Mom’s tradition of card writing. Hope you will forgive yourself for not sending cards since you already do so much for others – Including not only your writing for this Journal by your GREAT artwork!

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