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Christmas mailings on decline in Hinsdale
Donna Przyborowski of Westmont puts stamps on Christmas cards she is sending to Europe at the Hinsdale post office last week. | Kimberly Fornek—Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 25, 2013 2:20AM
HINSDALE — With electronic communication, such as email, texting and Facebook, commonplace, is mailing holiday cards passe?
The United States Postal Service said as of Dec. 20, there has been 8.4 percent fewer first-class stamped mailings in the Chicago area this month than in December 2011.
People in the western suburbs tell a different story.
“It’s a tradition,” said Mark Lucaccioni of Hinsdale. His family enjoys opening the Christmas cards they receive. “Email just isn’t the same.”
And mailing cards is not a lot of work, Lucaccioni said. His cards are photo-cards printed at a store. He prints out the mailing labels on his computer and his wife puts the photos in envelopes and the labels on.
“I love Christmas cards,” said Sue Pircon of Hinsdale, who sent 545 of them this year. “Most of them are very inexpensive, just a picture of my kids.”
But the picture takes some planning, as Pircon sets a theme for the family photo.
“I am already planning for next year,” Pircon said.
The theme one year was “Angels We Have Heard on High,” and the family gathered on the skydeck of the Sears Tower in Chicago.
This year, the cards read, “Ho Ho Ho,” and each family member held a box of Hostess’ Ho-Hos, a nod to Hostess Brands’ decision to go out of business.
Pircon’s children, age 15 to 22, go along with their mother’s wishes.
“They have no choice,” she said. “This is the one thing I ask of them. Although last year I made them do ‘Wizard of Oz.’ That was pretty bad.”
Donna Przyborowski of Hinsdale was putting stamps on her Christmas cards in the Hinsdale post office last week.
About 30 of her cards will go to friends and family in Europe and about 20 to people here in the United States. The postage is $1 per card to mail to Poland, she said, but that does not change her desire to send holiday greetings to the people she loves.
While postage has become expensive, Przyborowski can talk to relatives overseas on her cellular phone or see them via Skype for a nominal charge.
Amy Rogus Velco said she always mails Christmas cards, except this time. Her family moved to Hinsdale this year and she has been too busy.
“All my Christmas cards have been traditional,” Rogus Velco said. “What has changed are party invitations. There has been a huge transition to evites, or similar online invitations. Even from people who used to send gorgeous invitations by mail.”
