Tuesday 23 January 2018

Christmas Card Audit 2017


Executive Summary:

·        No startling variations from last year evince themselves, apart from the decline in the snowy category.  This may be due to the misappropriation during 2017 of the word ‘snowflake’.

·        Several animals and birds (such as foxes, cats and owls) are resting, but will doubtless be back.  Others (dogs and nuthatches)are debuting: we wish them well.

·        The slight reduction in the volume of glued-on glitter is to be welcomed.  I read that the stuff is the next ecological-disaster-in-waiting.

·        A cute little girl has replaced a choirboy.  I’m saying nothing.

 

The full figures (2016’s, where applicable, in brackets):

 

Snow/Snowmen/Snowflakes:                 4 (10)

Santas/Reindeer:                                   3 (3)

Animals/Birds:                                      12 (12)

of which          

Robins:                                     2 (3)

Free-range reindeer:                  3 (3)

Horses:                                     1 (1)

Foxes:                                      0 (1)

Sheep:                                      2 (1)

Cats:                                        0 (1)

Squirrels:                                  0 (1)

Wrens:                                     1 (1)

Owls:                                       0 (1)

Penguins:                                 1 (1)

Partridges (in pear tree):            0 (1)

Bullfinches:                              0 (1)

Dogs:                                       1

Nuthatches:                              1

Landscapes:                                          3 (4)

Nativities/Wise Men/Angels:                 6 (7)

Christmas trees/Baubles:                       4 (9)

Abstract:                                              4 (2)

Mail-letterboxes:                                   1 (3)

Choirboys:                                            0 (1)

Booze:                                                  1 (1)

Flowers:                                               1

Forests/woods:                                      3

Cute children:                                       1

Houses:                                                1

 

Special categories:

 

Homemade/designed:                            3 (4)

Cards with glued-on glitter:                   8 (10)

Wonderfully weird:                               3 (1)

Posh yet restrained:                               1

 

Again, I can’t nominate a Card of the Year– they are all equal in their various ways.

4 comments:

  1. I've just found another, homemade by grandchildren and so very special that I'd kept it apart. I think it fits into several categories, though not the glitter one.

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  2. I've been waiting for this list Tim. One of the few highlights in January.
    I noticed several cards with a black background. The design being either white or gold, all included some glitter. I liked them.

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  3. A clear secularisation trend seems apparent. And the reduction in snow is categoric evidence of climate change (as if more were needed).
    Nature is favoured. Good to see the free range reindeer holding their antlers high.
    Reduction in letterboxes goes with societal trending also. Surprised there's no Santagram cards - maybe next year.
    Well done. You should submit all your years' works to the Office of National Statistics.

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  4. Actually I wonder if there is an Office for Nativital Statistics? (And yes, that should have been "for" not "of".

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