Christmas Card Cheer

I love Christmas for so many reasons. One reason is because at this time of the year my post box is usually filled with letters/cards rather than bills. Well, that used to be the case. Over the past few years, the amount of Christmas cards I receive has seriously declined.

Usually by the 5^th of December, there’s at least a dozen cards hanging in my place. This year, there’s only one. This isn’t unusual as many people have stopped sending cards, preferring to send emails or texts.

To a lot of people it doesn’t make sense to send something that could take up to two weeks for someone to receive (if sending internationally), when a digital message can be received instantaneously.

The thing is, while the intentions behind the digital message is the same as the written one, it doesn’t feel as special.

There is something intimate about seeing someone’s handwriting and knowing that they have gone out of their to send you a card. It’s not just opening a laptop or picking up a phone. That person had to go out and buy (or make) the card, write it, get stamps, and then find a post box in which to send it. This seems like a lot of effort for a little message. But it is that effort, and the knowledge that someone is thinking about you, that makes it so very special. It feels like a gift in itself.

Many people say that cards are old fashioned and sentimental but if you can’t get sentimental and traditional at Christmas time when can you? Isn’t that, along with goodwill and spreading the love, what Christmas is all about?

I don’t base my Christmas card list on who sends me one. It’s who do I want to send one to? A Christmas card, to me, is a way to tell people how much they mean to me, thank them for being a part of my life, and send them my best wishes for a great festive season and beyond.

So this Christmas, why not get back into the art of letter writing and surprise some of your nearest and dearest with your handwritten message?

The last posting dates, in Ireland, to ensure that your cards get to their destination in time for Christmas are:

07^th December – International Post (excluding the US)
12^th December – USA
18^th December – Europe & Great Britain
19^th December – Northern Ireland
20^th December – Ireland

About The Bellissimo Files

Hi, I’m Sarina Bellissimo and this is the place I come to indulge in my love of all things entertainment. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by all things Hollywood/showbiz. I blame my parents! As a child my mum used to force me to watch old Elvis Presley films with her, and both my mum & dad would take my brothers and I to the Drive-In to watch the latest films (this is where my love for ROCKY began!). When not watching movies, I was trying to figure out ways to pull the back off the TV so I could somehow get into it and be a part of all the action on the screen! This blog isn’t a place that revels in gossip and negativity. It’s a place where entertainment is celebrated. That said, this is a place you can turn to for honesty. Honesty and criticism don’t always mean attacks. I choose to criticise the piece of work but not the person and I acknowledge that just because I don’t like something, it doesn’t mean someone else won’t. Here you’ll find interviews with some of the biggest names in the world of Entertainment, reviews, breaking news and my very own musings. Away from The Bellissimo Files, you can find me on Spin 1038 on Saturdays, between 1pm and 3pm,presenting Plan B. There’s celebrity interviews, entertainment news, the low down on the must see movies and music releases of the week, the ultimate guide to what’s on where in the city, as well as masterclasses with experts on standby to answer listeners’ questions. I also appear on TV3’s “Elaine” panel, talk movies on “Ireland AM” and you can sometimes hear me filling in on Moncrieff’s “Movies and Booze “(Newstalk) The Bellissimo Files is constantly evolving. Files (topics) will be added or deleted as time goes on. Feel free to read, watch, comment, share, and make suggestions for what you would like to see on the site. Sarina

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