To E- or Not to E-?

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Did you hear that sigh? That was me, hitting "send" on the last of my holiday greetings. Or the last one until I remember one I forgot.

Okay, so maybe I didn't sigh quite that loudly. And it's not that I mind sending out Christmas cards. In fact, I rather enjoy the feeling of regaining contact, albeit briefly, with people who are significant to me in some way. It's the looming nature of the task before it's completed that drags me down.

For at least two years, I've sworn I'm going to switch to e-greetings, but so far, the bulk of my Christmas correspondence remains more traditional. This year, however, I tried a hybrid method. Most of my greetings went through United States mail (and will, therefore, probably arrive after Christmas), but I sent a few via email as well.

And you know what? It was a piece of cake. I've written a Christmas letter every year for at least the last fifteen years, and that's what goes inside the out-of-town cards I mail. Sending it as a PDF with an e-note attached took me minutes instead of hours, and with the exception of the pretty card bearing a pre-printed message, it's the same greeting.

Next year, I will probably go hybrid again; there are just some folks I need to send a traditional card to. But next year, I'll start with the e-version. I'll save trees, paper and time.

What do you think? Should Christmas cards be cards? Or is that just so twentieth century?