Writing Your Holiday Newsletter
By Mary Discenza, Director, The Writing Party
Writing Your Holiday Newsletter
There’s no getting around it; it’s time to start writing your holiday newsletter — the pandemic version, that is. Whether a holiday newsletter is something you’ve done for decades, or if this is your first time, here’s your chance to leave your Holiday card comfort zone, exercise a little creativity, and bring some cheer and lightheartedness to your family and friends in this otherwise just-plain-weird year.
Keep It Simple
Your newsletter doesn’t have to be complicated. For first-timers, a simple Word document, set up with a header and a two-column format will present your readers with a polished and efficient layout. Photos or text boxes will liven it up, if you can provide them, but they’re not essential. What is really special is what you say and how you say it in this limited edition holiday bulletin. And it can be short; one or two pages should certainly cover everything.
Set The Mood With A Clever Title
You can establish a buoyant mood with a title (or masthead) that’s lighthearted and just a little different. Use a fancy font to reflect the unique nature of this year’s letter. Perhaps The Pandemic Picayune or The Coronavirus Courant will let your recipients know this missive is not like the standard “brag and gag” holiday letters of the past.
(Of course, you needn’t completely abandon the tried and true formats of other holiday missives. After all, life did go on while we all sheltered in place. Here at the beginning, you might choose to briefly update your readers with the major life events of your immediate family, mentioning any births, weddings, graduations, and deaths among your family members. Separating this information by use of text boxes is a good way to do this.)
Take Note: Your News Came Through Different Channels
Your current perception might be that 2020 was spent in isolation, hunkered down in a self-protective funk, removed from the world and all its goings-on. However, if you really think about it, you probably haven’t been quite as disengaged as you believe. Did you maintain a lively e-mail exchange with some favorite relatives or friends? How about weekly phone check-ins? Your holiday letter gives an opportunity to acknowledge them and share some of the updates those communications imparted. Did far-flung family members meet on a regular basis for Zoom visits? Or maybe have contacts with some Facebook friends? A mention of information gleaned from those exchanges could undoubtedly be the source of some newsy items to share.
A Trick To Grab Attention
A surefire way to grab your readers’ attention in your newsletter is a trick my cousin uses with his annual holiday missive. As you’re recounting family and friends’ updated information, include the subject’s name in bold type. This will enable your recipients, upon opening your newsletter, to scan it quickly, hopefully locating their own name (jackpot!) or those of other friends or family members whose activities might be of special interest to them.
Some Ways To Get Creative
If the news you’ve summarized so far still cannot fill your page, and you need more items for this very special edition of your holiday newsletter, here is your chance to really get creative. As you sequestered at home, did you stream any memorable movies or TV shows? Take this opportunity to mention them, along with a comment—always a nice one, of course–such as “I certainly thought of you, (insert name here) when I watched (insert movie name or TV title here.)”
How about books? Do any stand out in your mind? Include the title and author and once again, you can customize your newsletter with a shout-out to another reader, mentioning that recipient’s name and an appropriate comment. The same trick can be applied to a recipe you share, a game you enjoy, a website link you’ve discovered.
Choose Your Favorite Way To Send
These suggestions should provide you with enough fodder for this year’s unique, limited edition holiday newsletter. Whether you choose to send it by snail mail, e-mail blast, or through a link to your personal website, is up to you. What is most significant is your chronicle of a year which will surely go down in history. It is a valuable record of this remarkable, extraordinary time for your family and friends in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Keep It Going!
Don’t let this be a “once and done” for your holiday newsletter. Next year, God willing and fingers crossed, you can go back to the more standard “brag and gag,” perhaps titling your letter The New Normal News. Because although your recipients will certainly enjoy reading all about your family’s comings and goings, what is most valuable for you is the year-by-year record you will have–to review, reminisce, and replay those most memorable moments in your family’s own history.
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