It’s time for the annual text to my family group chat, “Did anyone have any groundbreaking accomplishments they would like to have included in the Christmas letter?”
When I bring this tradition up to most people, they think it is the strangest thing. However, my dad has written a Christmas letter to go along with our card for as long as I can remember. It’s not just him; some of my earliest holiday memories include trying to get through my Uncle Bill’s 10 page double sided letters as well. This tradition is an important part of the holiday season for me, so much so that when my dad told me he was discontinuing it, I begged to take over. I have been writing it ever since third grade.
I love storytelling. I like to spin tales into funny stories or sarcastic comments that make people laugh, even if it’s my brother’s 45 baseball tournament wins or insane academic accomplishments. In my first letter, it took a while to come up with a style that I thought was engaging enough. I experimented and drafted, and I poured our family story into an imitation of “The Night Before Christmas.” The flavor I needed was portrayed in the AA BB rhyme scheme.
Katy’s Christmas Letter, although with varying styles, has become a tradition. I’ve received compliments from everyone I know saying my letter is always a highlight of their Christmas. Although my elementary letters were nothing special, it is special to see the growth from each letter to the next. Growth not only in the maturity of my writing, but also in how I portrayed my years as I was experiencing life in different ways. The fairy-tale feel of my first letter mirrored my naïve lightheartedness at age seven. In the awkward depths of middle school, my letters exhibited the quirky caution I practiced daily. My most recent letter tried to evoke laughter and a sense of community in the readers celebrating the holidays in isolation.
I also enjoy these letters because they finish out the year. In what seems like the most boring 365 days, I pull the highlights and transform them into an engaging story. In doing so, I become proud of even the little accomplishments from the year and become grateful for even the smallest weekend trips. I am able to connect with family members that live in other states or countries through my letters, which is something many mediums cannot imitate in the same way.
I highly recommend writing some sort of summary of your year. You don’t have to send it to every single person you know, but it has really helped me take the time to reflect on the year behind me and make goals for the next. With a list of your accomplishments and maybe some hardships you’ve recently gone through, it is impossible not to be proud of what you have achieved in the previous year. It’s as easy as a “Dear friends and Family” to a “Happy holidays! So much love, Katy and the Nicholas’.”