Good morning, it’s Tuesday.
Every year around this time, they start to trickle in – the holiday cards sent by die-hard traditionalists who cling to tradition of offering annual greetings via snail mail.
In this digital age, when everything from doctor’s appointments to party invitations arrive online, the time-consuming task of procuring cards, filling them out, addressing and stamping them, and then physically taking them to the post office to mail (or leaving them in the mailbox for the carrier to find?) seems almost like an act of defiance.
You might think that I, an avowed luddite, would partake in this practice, but you would be sadly mistaken. I struggle to remember and prepare for milestone days in my own life – birthdays, anniversaries etc. – there is no way in hell I would be able to get it sufficiently together to maintain – and execute on – an annual holiday card list.
I do like receiving these holiday greetings – even the one-sheet photo montage ones that do not require an envelope – but I have to confess that I’m not entirely sure what to do with them. We are not a “magnets on the fridge” sort of family, and our fireplace mantle is already fairly crowded with plants and knickknacks.
Usually, the holiday cards hang around the kitchen island for a few weeks, along with the other flotsam for which I cannot find a permanent location and then, when the pile gets too large, are sorted into the circular filing cabinet.
A surprising number of Americans are still sending out holiday cards – more than a billion a year, the U.S. Postal Service claims – and more than half of them prefer a physical (as opposed to digital) greeting, according to a 2023 survey. In so doing, they are carrying on a tradition that dates back to the 1800s.
The first modern-day holiday card was sent by a man named Sir Henry Cole, who, in 1843, commissioned an artist (John Callcott “J.C.” Horsley) to design a time-saving device that he could use to send formal salutations to all his contacts without penning a personalized letter to each of them.
Cole, a prominent patron of the arts in Victorian England and founder of founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, had a lot of people to correspond with, and, he felt, too little time to do each response justice. He also wanted to capitalize on the creation of the so-called “penny post”, which made bulk mailings more affordable.
The resulting design – a triptych that included scenes of celebration and also helping those less fortunate – included a generic greeting and also a space for Cole to personalize each missive. Cole had several thousand copies made by a printer in London, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Interestingly, there was a bit of backlash to Coles card – not because of its mass-produced nature, but because one image despited younger children drinking wine. This was back when the Temperance Movement was in full swing, and some people were absolutely appalled by the image. It was not, however, enough to dampen the enthusiasm for the concept of mass produced cards.
Today is Christmas Card Day, which serves both as a commemoration of Cole’s cards AND a reminder for those who still engage in the tradition of sending out holiday greetings to get off the stick and do so before it’s too late.
I find the weather almost too depressing to bother with these days, but I guess I’ve created an expectation that we’re going to do it, so here goes. It will be cold (in the low to mid 20s) with mostly cloudy skies. The sun might make a brief appearance early in the day, but then the clouds will close in and snow flurries/showers are possible.
In the headlines…
A federal judge yesterday rejected the Trump administration’s effort to halt approvals for all new wind energy projects — dealing a blow to the president’s efforts to hamper renewable energy.
Judge Patti B. Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts wrote that the president’s sweeping executive order, which halted all leasing of public lands and waters for new wind projects, was “arbitrary and capricious,” violating federal law.
Led by New York, a coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia challenged the executive order in court in May. They were joined by the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Albany.
At the White House yesterday, the president announced $12 billion in bailout money for America’s farmers who have been battered in large part by his trade policies.
The rescue package, which was unveiled at an event with farmers at the White House, comes as President Trump’s trade policies have hurt America’s agriculture sector.
Trump touted the program in relation to the revenue the government is taking in as a result of his sweeping tariff program and also referenced his popularity among farmers.
Trump warned that Mexico’s failure to deliver water owed under a decades-old treaty is harming Texas farmers and could trigger a new tariff if the country does not immediately release a critical share of its required supply.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Mexico must release 200,000 acre-feet of water through the 1944 Water Treaty before Dec. 31 or face a 5% tariff.
The president said that his administration had granted Nvidia permission to begin selling its second-most-powerful chip to China, a big step up from what the artificial intelligence chip maker had been allowed to offer to Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping “responded positively” to the proposal, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. The policy “will support American Jobs, strengthen U.S. Manufacturing, and benefit American Taxpayers,” Trump wrote.
Trump shifted his position on publicly releasing video of a September boat strike that Democrats have called a likely war crime, saying he would defer to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump is headed back out to the campaign trail — to fight for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said.
Cheryl Hines, the wife of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said her husband is “not going to run for president” in 2028.
Alina Habba, New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor, resigned yesterday, leaving it unclear who will now serve as the state’s acting U.S. attorney after an appeals court ruled that the former defense lawyer for Trump had been serving in the position unlawfully.
In a statement posted on social media, Habba assailed the court’s ruling as political, but said she was resigning “to protect the stability and integrity” of her office.
ABC has extended Jimmy Kimmel’s show for at least a year and a half after the late-night comedian was suspended in September for his controversial comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassin.
Democratic lawmakers from New York introduced legislation that would prohibit Department of Homeland Security officers from detaining anyone at an immigration court to attend or participate in a hearing, except when they have obtained a judicial warrant.
The U.S. Supreme Court signaled that it may favor loosening New York’s strict school vaccine requirements, which do not allow for religious exemptions.
The court vacated a federal appeals court ruling upholding the vaccine requirements and ordered the lower court to reopen the case “for further consideration.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is preparing to enter the race for New York governor as soon as today, setting up a Republican primary between him and Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Blakeman did not respond to requests for comment, but he’s scheduled to appear on “Fox and Friends” this morning.
The looming primary has the makings of a battle royale between two ardent Trump supporters — a generational fight pitting an ascendent woman in the Republican Party against a stalwart GOP officeholder.
New York’s top cannabis official resigned yesterday at Gov. Kathy Hochul’s request following the sudden withdrawal, on the eve of trial, of a major state enforcement case against Omnium Health, a Long Island-based marijuana company.
In a statement, the governor said that she had accepted the resignation, effective immediately, of the official, Felicia A.B. Reid, who was appointed last year to lead the Office of Cannabis Management.
Hochul last week vetoed measures that would have expanded New Yorkers’ ability to sue the state and access public records, and also rejected multiple proposed changes to the regulation of utility companies.
The Adirondack Park Agency has appointed David Greenwood, an attorney from the state DEC, to preside over a special adjudicatory hearing regarding a project to test-fire cannons in the Essex County town of Lewis.
Hochul said she had “no problem” with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s instructional video on how undocumented immigrants in New York City can “stand up” to federal immigration authorities.
Mamdani plans to move to Gracie Mansion with his wife, Rama Duwaji, after his New Year’s Day inauguration, leaving the apartment they share in Astoria and ending weeks of speculation about whether he would live at the official residence.
“This decision came down to our family’s safety and the importance of dedicating all of my focus on enacting the affordability agenda New Yorkers voted for,” Mamdani said in a statement.
“While I may no longer live in Astoria, Astoria will always live inside me and the work I do,” Mamdani said. He also posted an Instagram photo of a model of Gracie at the Botanical Garden’s holiday train show. “Saw our new home!” he wrote in the caption.
At present, the rent stabilized Queens unit the couple now calls home is not up for rent. Mamdani’s office did not respond to The Post’s request for comment when asked if he intended to keep it — but a source close to the campaign said that he would.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar laughed off Mamdani’s threat to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in New York City, saying that he doesn’t want to get into a “legal debate” with the incoming mayor.
Charlamagne tha God criticized Mamdani’s messaging around Trump, with whom mayor-elect recently had a cordial meeting.
Mamdani has picked a controversial rapper, Mysonne Linen, 49, a Bronx convict-turned-activist, who did seven years in state prison for armed robbery to advise him on the criminal justice system.
The democratic socialist mayor-elect’s team misspelled the names of several appointees to his transition team — including two of his most controversial picks.
The Adams administration entered into a court settlement requiring the city to implement a series of guardrails ensuring SNAP applications are processed in a timely manner after the food benefits landed in the crosshairs of this fall’s federal shutdown.
The Adams administration did not officially take part in a City Council hearing yesterday on immigration protections, but after being confronted about its absence, the mayor’s top immigration official showed up and testified on a personal basis.
The New York City public school system is developing a new language translation app to help families better connect with teachers and other school staff, Mayor Adams and Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos announced.
When Luigi Mangione was arrested in an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald’s last year, he had a hand-drawn map in his backpack with a line connecting Pittsburgh, Columbus and Cincinnati, according to court documents presented in his murder case this week.
Mangione’s defense sought to portray the Pennsylvania cop who found the alleged murder weapon used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as rashly — and unlawfully — rooting through evidence in a frenzy over the high-profile bust.
The Wythe Diner, a beloved railcar eatery dating back nearly 60 years, was lifted from its longtime Williamsburg home and to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Saturday, where it will remain as a movie set for Steiner Studios’ future productions.
Housing advocates and lawyers say that long-awaited New York City regulations to let basement residences get legalized could add risks for homeowners and do more harm than good.
The Archdiocese of New York has agreed to negotiate a settlement to compensate 1,300 people who have accused priests and staff lay members of child sex abuse — and is working to raise $300 million to cover the cost.
The archdiocese said it had agreed with representatives of the accusers on a mediator and had begun to raise money by cutting costs and selling assets, including its headquarters and other real estate.
MoMA PS1, the contemporary art museum in Long Island City, Queens, known for spotlighting rising talent, will be free to all visitors beginning in January, the museum announced.
John Lennon fans gathered in Central Park yesterday on the 45th anniversary of his murder — with mourners including Gen Zers born well after The Beatles legend was gunned down.
Amid a crackdown on Afghan immigration, Rensselaer resident Ajmal Bariz feared that his sister-in-law’s family may be detained during a check-in yesterday with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. To his joy, that ultimately didn’t happen.
The Adirondac, one of Lake George’s ubiquitous cruise boats, was heavily damaged by fire yesterday morning. Though it was extinguished fairly quickly, the blaze destroyed the upper portion of the 115-foot vessel.
Schenectady City Council members are considering laying off more than 20 city workers in an effort to cut spending next year by roughly $2 million.
Rensselaer County’s tax rate will drop again in 2026. Republican County Executive Steve McLaughlin last week signed off on a $446 million budget proposal that will lower property taxes 9.1% due, in part, to hearty sales tax coffers.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
