Christmas Cards

This past Christmas, my old friend, in a moment of festive virtue, WhatsApped me to announce that he and his wife were not sending Christmas cards this year. Instead, they’d be donating the money to charity. Lovely sentiment, of course, but I couldn’t resist a cheeky reply: “Too late! I've already sent you a Christmas card. I'm prepared to feel smug when it arrives.”

 

I’ll admit, it was satisfying knowing that my card would grace his mantelpiece as a small, glitter-dusted monument to tradition while he was busy patting himself on the back for his charitable wisdom. I imagined the scene: his front door creaks open, my card falls onto the doormat. He picks it up, and there I am - rubbing it in with a holly-encrusted “Merry Christmas!”

But, not one to let the festive spirit stop at irony, I followed up with another WhatsApp on New Year’s Day wishing him a Happy New Year. This time, I added, “Next New Year, I’ve decided not to send WhatsApps."

He saw the funny side, thankfully. We laughed, as old friends do, at the absurdity of one-upping each other’s seasonal sentiments. In truth, whether it’s a card, a WhatsApp, or a donation to charity, the real gift is the thought behind it - even if it comes wrapped in a layer of good-natured mischief.

So, to my remaining friend, consider yourself warned. Next year, expect nothing. Or maybe something. Who knows? But rest assured, it’ll come with a side of humour - charitable or otherwise. Perhaps I'll send Christmas cards, but put a codicil in them to the effect that I'm only sending them the following year to people I like....