Monday 2 January 2012

Christmas Card Audit 2011

Snow/Snowmen/Snowflakes:           12

Santas/Reindeer:                               9

Animals/Birds:                                  7

 (of which Robins:                            4)

Landscapes:                                      7

Boats:                                                3

Nativities/Wise Men/Angels:           3

Christmas trees/Baubles:                  3

Comical:                                           1

Puddings:                                          1

Twelve Days:                                    0


Special categories:

Homemade:                                      4

Cards with glued-on glitter:             5

Ecards:                                             1

Wonderfully weird:                          3


No Awards this year, apart from Best Card, which I have already announced.

Although this important data-gathering exercise has been conducted for several years now, this is only the second time the results have been scientifically recorded.  Meaningful statistical trends cannot therefore yet be discerned.  A more formal methodology will, if feasible, be employed in the future, enabling the presentation of the data in the form of graphs, pie charts and year-on-year percentile variances.  However, some early indicators are worth noting:

·         It was necessary to include three new categories: Puddings, Boats, and most significantly, Landscapes.  This may be ascribable to inconsistencies in the categorisation procedures, whereby items now recorded as ‘Landscapes’ or ‘Boats’ were previously placed under other headings; in fact this is almost certainly the case.  The same cannot however be said of ‘Puddings.
·         There is a marked decline in the incidence of Glued-on Glitter.  This may reflect economic circumstances, but is more likely to be a consequence of an increased perception that the damned stuff comes off on your fingers whenever you touch the things.
·         Robins have doubled in quantity, possibly due to the mild weather.




6 comments:

  1. I'd like to see a separate analysis of size to test my theory that cards are getting smaller.

    Also percentage of charity cards.

    I used to love receiving round Robins in which I could read what a fabulous year people and their extraordinarily talented families had enjoyed.

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  2. I suppose the poor circulation of cards can only be recorded accurately by a trained cardiologist?

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  3. Blue Witch says that cards are getting smaller, too. So you're probably right, Rog. I've found that the incidence of comical cards has fallen off sharply.

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  4. Cards are definitely getting smaller. In some cases there's hardly room for the stamp. Is this a good thing?
    My Robins seem to be getting rounder since I started putting seed on the bird table before Christmas.

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  5. I noticed that cards from work colleagues were smaller this year and I think this is a good thing. We only had one card with a Robin on it and only one pudding. We also have one cupcake and one with peas (peas on earth, that is).

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  6. We had one with caravan by pohutukawa [red-flowered] tree and green grass at a beach. Also one with only the huge [glittery] word/s HO HO HO; from 92 year old friend who sends out a leaflet of suggestive limericks each year.

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