Christmas Card Photos

Here's a post I should probably save for my anonymous blog.*  But I'm hoping my nearest and dearest can recognize this as philosophical reflection that in no way dims our appreciation for the great Christmas Card photos we've been receiving and displaying proudly.**

My question: Why are so many holiday cards a photo of children only?  I'm not talking about putting a photo of your kids INSIDE a holiday card. What I'm talking about are those cards that are basically a single sheet of photo paper, with a photo printed on one end and a brief message printed on the other. 

We've chosen cards like that, but we've always included a photo of the whole family.  It's the whole family sending holiday wishes, after all.  Granted, it's very tough to get the whole family to smile at the same time (see here for a hilarious experience that echoes our own.  We found someone to operate the camera, went to a special location, then spent two hours waiting for the girls to wind down enough for a photo, while the girls hollered "Run around! Run around!" and ran around like Monty Python extras.  They never DID wind down) but we'd rather send a so-so picture of all of us than a fabulous picture of just the girls.

Clearly we are in the minority.  Only one other family has sent us a whole-family photo.  The rest have all been photos of kids in various ages.  Naturally, we are charmed by these photos, most especially when we have a special connection to the children (e.g., Emma's Best Friend). 

After looking at all the cards en masse, though, it seemed odd that so many showed only children  in the spotlight.  Children make Christmas extra-special, but must children also be the stars of the holiday?  Some of the photos are from a photo studio.  I picture the kids under the hot lights for hours while the photog hollers, "Arch your back a little more.  Beautiful!  Smile!  That's it!"  (I know the reality involves a puppet or stuffed animal and several frenetic assistants hopping up and down, but still.)  Christmas may be for children, but I'd like to be able to tell whether my friends and relatives are aging as fast as I am.

And then there's the question of how old children should be  before they're too old to herald the holidays in this way.  Infant cards are absolutely adorable; I just got one of those, shaped like an ornament with an insert for the newborn photo.  Can't stop admiring it.  And toddlers are just as adorable as infants; I have some toddler cards I've kept from year to year and look at periodically, just because they are so gorgeous.  Preschoolers look terrific when all dolled up in their holiday best and they often even smile for the camera!  Grade schoolers--who isn't astonished to see how fast they grow?  I suppose you could say the same thing about middle schoolers.  And high schoolers?  College students?  At what age do kids move OUT of the spotlight? 

When they become parents, I suppose.

* No, I don't have a secret blog.  I only daydream about having a secret blog.  I'm sure I'd have the same experience as jill/txt, except that I'd be less likely to write witty things for any length of time in even one blog, much less two.

** If you've sent a kid-photo-card, please don't take this post personally!  We LOVE hearing from you and we love the pictures.  Cards with photos are our favorites!  And we're impressed that you were able to get the photo taken and the cards in the mail BEFORE Christmas, a feat that we have never managed.  I just can't resist waxing philosophical about The Meaning of Photo Cards.

[Update: Barely Attentive Mother notes that many people feel obligated to keep the photos of friend's children, just because they are printed on photo paper.  Wonder if it's the same for the photo cards?  I do keep some of the pictures of friends/family that I'm especially close to, but not all.  B.A.Mother also prefers sending pictures of kids only--wonder why?]

Comments

[Christi]

We never get the cards sent, but we'd probably send kids only cards too.

Reason? The kids are cuter than we are! They're so much cuter! :-D I'd rather have people admiring my beautiful children than checking out how fat I've gotten in the past year.

Of course, I'm sure other people have less shallow reasons. :-P

[Printed Christmas Cards]

You have got to admit though that kids are cute. They don't show the negative signs of aging like we do. I guess because children are your legacy then it is as if you are showing off your asset to the world every year with a Printed christmas card.