Though the use of Christmas cards has dropped sharply over the past few years, Maltapost still receives numerous letters – even without a stamp – bearing childish handwriting.
The addresses written on them range from the North Pole, to Finland, Lapland, Korvatunturi, “Reindeerland” and “Għar ta’ Betlehem”. All such letters were forwarded to an address in Finland, Maltapost CEO Joseph Gafà said.
“While our statistics don’t distinguish between Christmas cards and other mail items, the volume of letters has decreased drastically over the past 10 years,” he said.
The advent of technology, including telecommunications application software Skype, means many people speak to relatives living abroad frequently and at no cost.
The downward trend, Mr Gafà continued, was a universal one and reflected the continuous technological developments. This month, Maltapost handled 2.5 million letters.
“The volume of letters has been going down by five per cent every year over the past 10 years. In fact, our postmen would work on the public holidays of December 8 and 13. Now there is no longer the need to do so.”
E-commerce, however, is on the increase, with the number of packages tripling in December.
“Since we launched the Send On service two and a half years ago, the demand has increased. Given that the majority of online stores do not ship internationally, we offer customers the choice to mail their items to a UK address from where we ship it directly to their doorstep.”
And while many people have taken to wishing their relatives and friends a happy Christmas using online means, others prefer to design their own Christmas cards.
Charmaine Cassar, 36, handcrafts her own Christmas cards, which she makes from cardboard and embellishes with ribbons, rhinestones, buttons and embossed designs.
“I love making and receiving Christmas cards. They’re so much nicer than generic ones bought from shops.
“You can personalise a card, making it totally unique both in design and in content and people appreciate them much more. In fact, many people don’t throw away handmade Christmas cards as they’re unique. It can take me up to four hours to complete one.”