| For a lot of people, the broadcast Christmas | | | | help it if your 12-year-old son has been given a |
| letter (or read that as "year-end" or "holiday" | | | | full-ride scholarship to the Harvard Business |
| letter, as you please) has replaced the thoughtful | | | | School, and obviously all your friends and relatives |
| note written in each Christmas card. It may be a | | | | will want to know that. But at least soften the |
| sad loss, but for many it is a necessary one. With | | | | boast with a little self-deprecating humor, such as |
| all of our activities and pursuits, especially among | | | | that he still hasn't learned to pick up his shoes. |
| families with young children, we just don't have | | | | And if your 6-year-old won second place in the |
| time for that level of a personal touch. | | | | primary school art contest, at least have a sense |
| At the same time, many Christmas letters | | | | of proportion about it. |
| deserve their reputation for being annoying | | | | 5. Include your basic values. BFB (Before |
| bragfests. They don't increase the connection, but | | | | Facebook), the Christmas letter was about the |
| make distant loved ones glad they can't be | | | | only way to update our scattered friends and |
| nearby. Nobody wants to be that kind of | | | | relations about where we are in our lives. Our |
| Christmas correspondent. | | | | promotions, awards, and vacations are part of |
| Here are five tips for writing Christmas letters | | | | that, but more important is how we're changed |
| that everyone will enjoy receiving. | | | | because of them. Allow at least a couple of |
| 1. Keep it short. Mention just one or two of the | | | | sentences for this important aspect of your year. |
| highlights of that Hawaiian vacation, not every | | | | (If it's the whole letter, though, you may appear |
| restaurant and tourist stop. Make it fit on one | | | | to be proselytizing.) |
| page (I'll add some formating tips to fit more on | | | | The letter can be printed on decorative paper, |
| one page at the end). | | | | available at any office supply shop, but it doesn't |
| 2. Include everyone in the family, however you | | | | have to be. Simple white paper is fine. You can |
| define your family. If your folks across the | | | | include photos, although grainy black-and-white |
| country are going to wonder what's going on with | | | | photos printed on blue paper don't reveal very |
| the homeless lady you took in last winter, let | | | | much. If you've got a long letter, you can get |
| them know the outcome. If you have four kids | | | | away with a smaller font, but use more than one |
| or more, however, you might need to leave the | | | | column (people can only read about 10 words and |
| homeless lady out. | | | | still find their way to the beginning of the next |
| 3. Keep it upbeat. If someone in the family has | | | | line). If it's a slow news year, feel free to make |
| been recently laid off, you may want to phrase it | | | | the font and margins a little bigger and spread the |
| as he's looking for work. If there's something that | | | | paragraphs a bit. Many of your readers will be |
| you really don't want to communicate to your | | | | grateful. |
| whole Christmas list, you can do multiple versions | | | | It's amazing how much people appreciate a |
| of the letter, or add a handwritten line to your | | | | thoughtful note every year, and if you're really |
| closest friends. | | | | considering the people you're writing to, it can be |
| 4. Tone down the bragging. OK, you really can't | | | | a message of love at this season of reflection. |