It's December 19th and I haven't mailed one Christmas card. It seems that every year, I get fewer and fewer cards. Maybe it's because I've gotten out of the habit of sending them every year. Now, I send them every 2 years or so. He who hath a friend must first show himself friendly, right?
But, I realized that part of the reason I no longer write out holiday cards the day after Thanksgiving is due in part to the fact that I've gotten older and more cynical, but more importantly, I'm not excited about the selection of Black cards from which to choose.
I know that email has done away with the old-fashioned form of letter writing but nothing can replace the annual greeting from friends and family, right?
However, I used to get such a thrill out of finding the most unique Black Christmas cards. The cards that were made by African American artists and sold in African American stores. You know - "for us, by us."
In fact, my relatives would comment on how they couldn't wait to get my holiday cards every year to see what cute and unusual one they would receive. It just seems that once Black cards went "mainstream" and Hallmark and everybody in China was producing them, they lost their originality and thus the thrill was gone. At least for me.
So, as I ponder whether to send a cute little puppy or a traditional wreath or a Christmas tree this year, I pose the question, are African American holiday cards still relevant.
And, on that note - are we still celebrating Kwanzaa?
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