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Enveloped wishes

Old habits Die hard

One would like to believe that in this age of the Internet, Christmas and New Year cards would have become obsolete. Happily enough, the card tradition continues to thrive.

Cards from UNICEF and CRY always found favours among people, as they also helped a social cause. Now, the likes of Indian Mouth and Foot Painting Artists too have joined. They have a popular selection of cards for the New Year, along with calendars. "Being an artist myself, I prefer sending cards from the Indian Foot and Mouth Painting Artists, as I know the money goes to support a physically-challenged artist," says Shobha Nagendran.

Sending cards is more prevalent among the older generation. Youngsters buy cards along with gifts. Despite the postage cost, even a large number of multinationals prefer handwriting and posting their New Year cards.

Archie's merchandise is popular among all age groups as they cater to a variety of tastes and desires. "I always buy my New Year cards from Archie's," says Sana Mashood. "They have a huge variety, and I especially send cards to my brother, studying in Melbourne."

Mona Printer sits with a pile of cards, addressing them to relatives dotted across the globe. Why does she spend so much money on hand posting a card? "I enjoy writing cards and sending something personal to my loved ones," she says. "I look for traditional Indian motifs, especially cards sold at the charity bazaars held over the season."

"I post my cards in November to beat the Christmas and New Year postal rush," says Loretta Furtado. "This year I was lucky to get a relative visit earlier in the year, so I wrote out my cards and gave them to her to post in Australia, to all my children and relatives there," she says.

"I too buy my Christmas cards at a charity bazaar," says Maureen Noronha. "It is for a good cause, and the cards are usually recycled. My relatives are in the U.K., Pakistan and Canada, so I post them off early."

Buying Christmas and New Year cards is a tradition that happily has not gone out of style. And, as my postman says: "I hope people don't ever stop sending cards, it keeps our jobs alive."

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