The other day, I sent my friend a Christmas card along with some stories about Christmas I had written. When I phoned him to inform him about what I had done, jokingly, he replied, "I suppose you want the best Christmas card that the dollar store has to offer in return." For a while, we bantered with each other about our responses. In essence, though, when people send a Christmas card, they do expect to receive one in return. This has not changed since the tradition of sending Christmas cards was put into practice. Christmas cards have a way of making you think about the future and your friends. Most cards offer best wishes for the Christmas season with the words "Merry Christmas", while others offer wishes for the future with the words "Best wishes for the New Year" or "Happy New Year". Some have both "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" written on them. While some cards may be commercially produced, these cards may evoke the sentiments of the sender and the receiver can feel these sentiments as being genuine Now while great lines have been written for and about the Christmas card, good lyrics have been written about them as well. One such song sung by Jim Reeves and written by Vaughn Horton entitled, "Memory of an Old Christmas Card" evokes memories of my childhood when my mom would send out many cards to family and friends. About two weeks before Christmas, mom would send cards to both dad's family and her own. Then she would send cards to friends. Cards for friends sometimes would be sent just as soon as we received cards from them. We looked forward to receiving those Christmas cards and we hoped that those receiving a card from us enjoyed it as well. When we received Christmas cards, mom would have dad put up usually four ropes running corner to corner on the ceiling in the front room, where the tree stood. As the cards would come, they would be placed on the ropes. When those ropes were filled, Dad would put up ropes in the kitchen to place cards on. After that, cards would be placed wherever there was space. Mom would keep all the cards for the next Christmas. These cards were discarded only when we received a card from the same person the next year. Our family still has this tradition. We never got into the tradition of returning cards as some people did and still do. In the 1950s, my immediate family would receive at least one hundred cards. Cards would come from all over, including from aunts and uncles, and friends living in other parts of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and the USA. We would receive a variety of cards. Of course, we took great delight in telling others about our cards as they did in telling us about their cards. In those days, the cost of sending a Christmas card was cheaper than sending regular letters. Stamps for Christmas cards costed only one cent, while regular letters costed two cents. Another thing about Christmas cards was that you did not seal them. All you had to do was fold the outside flap inside and mail them. Of course, back then, you just had to write the name of the person on the envelope, along with the street, and instead of having St. John's on the envelope, just write, "the City." There was no such thing as a postal or zip code unless the card was being sent to the USA. With regards to Christmas cards, I recall one of dad's and mom's friends receiving almost five hundred cards most Christmases. This lady and her family received cards from not only their immediate family living in St. John's, the mainland, and the USA, but from neighbours and friends living all over St. John's and in other parts of the world. When you went to see this friend at Christmas time, there was hardly enough room in the house to sit, for cards were placed all around. Most cards were placed on ropes running to the four corners of the ceiling. The lady and her family, like us, delighted in receiving so many cards. I think that her daughter still receives a lot of Christmas cards. As the cost of cards and the mailing of them has increased, there began to be a decrease in the number of cards that were sent. Greeting card companies saw a dwindling in sales. They began a campaign to halt the decrease in the number of cards being sent. The cost of mailing Christmas cards did not drop, but increased. As well, when the cost of mailing cards increased, people began to place ads in local newspapers wishing family and friends "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year." This ad, though, while it is still being done, never did replace the sending of cards. It seems rather impersonal. My dad, though, was quick to read those when he saw them in the local paper. My wife's family sent out Christmas cards the same as my parents did. My wife can recall seeing cards from all over arrive at her house and be placed all around. Her family sent lots of cards, as well. My wife and I still delight in sending and receiving Christmas cards. Nowadays, though, the most we receive are from family and very close friends. The greetings and lines for Christmas cards of today have changed somewhat from that of the 1950s. I guess this has resulted in the mass production of them and the political correctness of our times. Along with the cards having "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," cards having "Happy Holidays" or "Peace be with You" are being produced. I assume these are being made to include the various cultures, religions, and beliefs which exist. In the past, only the Christians were really considered when Christmas cards were being produced. With regards to the wording of the greeting or wish on Christmas cards, I really don't mind what it is as long as it is sent with genuine feeling. I must admit, though, I still find it hard to wish anybody "Happy Holidays." I wonder, though, will it become a tradition to send cards to students or to friends having the wish "Happy Holidays" when they get their summer vacation. Today I received a lovely Christmas card from my friend. The message incorporated Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Peace, Season's Greetings, and Best Wishes. Greetings were all intertwined. Upon reading the message, I smiled. Some Christmas cards have nice greetings, but the cost of sending one may be expensive. The cost, though, is not much when compared to the great feeling that the receiver may get upon receiving a nice greeting. Robert Wayne Tucker Halifax