So, December is here.

It just shyly arrived today, without fanfare. Almost nothing changed at my place since yesterday, everything is the same. Just the name of the month shifted from November to December.

{This would be a very boring announcement of December on my part, right?} 😂

Still, this month usually brings joy and light with the holiday celebrated at the end of the month. I don't have to name it, we all know which holiday it is! Yes, yes, you guessed well, it is Christmas! 🎄

I remember that my parents used to say that Christmas evening has to be celebrated in the family. We were not allowed encouraged to go out with friends that evening. Maybe as a teenager, I didn't understand this completely... Now I think I get their idea to preserve a tradition of sharing special moments in the family which would strengthen the bonds among us.

The reality is that families can't always celebrate this holiday together. We had family members who lived in different cities and countries, but at least a Christmas card was sent to wish them happy holidays. Also, we received many Xmas cards from all of them. Who knows where all those cards finished... Luckily, some ten years ago I started collecting them, although the habit of sending and receiving Christmas cards has drastically declined in the last decade. All the technological advances contributed to the extinction of this tradition.

It may be easier to text or call our loved ones, but it is not the same as receiving a real, paper Christmas card which leaves a trace.

While taking these photos, I had a nice time reading the lines that were written inside these cards. For example, in the photo above we see a card that I got from my aunt, from Norway. She wrote to me with the news about her health and that she was in the hospital for some days but that everything finished well.

The German Christmas cards were sent to us by my husband's uncle. We used to receive every year a card for Christmas, but also for other holidays and birthdays.

When our son was little, he wrote the lines of the best wishes to the family members. Sometimes we made them by ourselves (the cards) because we had so much fun in the creative process. Still, I think we could not make a cute card like this one:

I really like these ones from Germany and I know that there are more of them that we have got, but I don't have them with me now. Anyway, my collection also contains some very nice Christmas cards received from Serbia:

From Spain, friends and students send me good wishes through these cards. Maybe the appearance of these cards is not so interesting, but the intention is what counts. They made their way into this collection:

You know how sweet students can be. I will open one card ;)

The retro look of this batch is cool. We got all of them in the past few years, but they bring some feelings of nostalgia.

We also have some English Christmas cards, and even this little one is worth keeping it. It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year. Actually, it reminds me of a song so now I continue this post with music in my ears.

I can't miss out on mentioning my dear second neighbours, an elderly Dutch couple. Imagine, they write to me in their language, even though I don't understand Dutch. In any case, I do appreciate their gesture and this beautiful Christmas card.

And here I come to the end of my humble collection of Christmas cards received and collected during the last decade... But this post actually had the intention to invite all of you to take part in this initiative that will last during the whole month of December.

Christmas Card Collections

Show us your collection of the cards you received from others during the years and what story they bring. Or maybe you have made a collection of cards that you would send to others? You can bring that too.

It can happen that you don't have any Christmas cards... but you have a nice collection of ornaments for this holiday. Perfect, as here is the alternative initiative you can participate in:

Collections of Christmas Decoration

Show us the collection of ornaments that you use to decorate your home or the Christmas tree.

I am sure we all have some, but mine will come in a separate post when I find them. 😁
The initiative lasts during the whole month of December, and you can participate in both topics, in different posts if you like. Spread the word! 😜