Just as long letter writing gave way to sending Christmas cards back in the mid 1800’s; so it is that trying to write individual notes inside of Christmas cards have given way to an annual Christmas newsletter, printed in mass quantities for distribution.
The purpose of a Christmas Newsletter
The purpose of the Christmas newsletter is to update friends, family and loved ones with whom you have had little contact over the year. It is a way to keep in touch with each person, in the midst of a very busy lifestyle. Although some were initially offended by receiving a form letter rather than a handwritten personal letter or note in the card, acceptance is now widespread. It is now the norm to receive several family newsletters throughout the season. They become treasured keepsakes, just as Christmas cards do.
Newsletters are typically printed from home computers, on holiday stationery. Most writers search on sites such as here at (MyExpression.com) for stationery that matches their personality and the content of the newsletter, much like shoppers who search for unique cards that will strike a cord of appreciation and stand out from the rest. Mothers are likely to pick stationery that has Santa or snowmen or gingerbread cookies on it. Bird lovers will choose a winter scene with cardinals on it, while an older person might choose a Victorian paper. Devout Christians will likely choose stationery with Scripture or a Nativity scene on it. Colored envelopes and seals add to the air of expectancy that the recipient feels when the letter is received.
Formatting the Newsletter
The newsletter can be formatted in a number of ways. Below are some ideas:
Depict the year in photos. You can select thumbnails of 5-6 pictures and write captions, or you can do a collage and write a paragraph or two about the collage. Information is limited in this type of format; however people enjoy looking at the photos.
Have each family member type a “journal entry”, about one paragraph in length. The content should highlight interests, achievements or a job. Usually the format allows the writing to be done youngest to oldest, ending with the parents entries. An example might be “Hi, this is Alyssa. I am 15 now and a sophomore in high school. I spent the summer working at Dairy Queen, and played field hockey this fall at Central High. We won the State Championship. I will be taking Driver’s Ed this winter. I need to buy a car.”
Assign one family member to write about the events of the year, from their viewpoint. It will be interesting and amusing to see which things get highlighted. One child wrote “One time, we ate cold spaghetti with mustard, and it was good”. MMMM. No editing allowed in these newsletters, unless inappropriate material is put in!
The more traditional newsletter is written by the mother, on behalf of the family and is a narrative chronicle of the previous year. Included are highlights of the life of each individual, family vacations, births and deaths and weddings.
This article was originally published in 2007 as internet content no byline given to me as I was ghostwriting for them. I did, in fact, write hundreds of text blocks for their site...
