How can children discover the magic of Christmas? By writing cards

Christmas poses challenges for many of us: how can we recreate the magic we felt as children? And where do we find the true spirit of the season? What can we do to stop the festivities becoming a predominantly commercial enterprise focused on gift-giving, social engagements and the endless shopping associated with both?

My answer is a simple one – the humble but mighty Christmas card, which people in Britain have been sending since 1843, is in stark decline. I believe we must save it to save ourselves.

I remember my mother used to hang garlands of Christmas cards over the mantelpiece: red silk draped in Christmas wishes from across the world. There was great excitement as the post dropped on the mat each morning and we examined the handwriting and postmarks. Over the past decade, however, I’ve noticed the gradual reduction in garlands as only a few stalwarts of the tradition soldier on.

Millions of young people will never know the thrill of an envelope arriving in the post, their name written in the hand of someone who loves them. The irony is that in this digital age, although we are able to communicate more efficiently and economically, many people are lonelier and feel more disconnected than ever. Perhaps this is a consequence of how disposable our new forms of communication are: the little effort required often results in little effort taken. Christmas cards demand more labour, but like most of the great things in life, they are worth it.

Older generations understand the power of the lost art of letter-writing. Maybe this is the year to reach out to someone you’ve lost touch with and allow a card to build a bridge between you. Including more than a generic greeting – a proper note of well wishes and news – elevates the experience for everyone, an antidote to stress for both the recipient and the sender. Who wouldn’t be moved to receive that in the midst of all the pre-Christmas panic? It’s a moment to slow down and connect. We should also be encouraging children to write Christmas cards before the idea of doing so becomes as alien as sending a telegram. It would encourage creativity as well as literacy skills, and teaches the importance of making time for others during this season in a way that is not consumer-led but part of family tradition. Children struggle to be what they cannot see. If we want them to be readers and writers, they must bear witness to our own habits of doing the same.

Christmas cards can also become an archive of physical memorabilia from the most important people in our lives – memories that we can hold, look through and cherish. Will any of us be reflecting on our great loves in our later years by clicking through the contents of a hard drive? I have kept all the Christmas cards my mother has ever sent me. They are as consistent as her love, and those little gestures across a lifetime can become the glue that holds relationships together when families are apart. Likewise, my partner and I also post each other a card every year, a tradition that began before we lived together, where we share our favourite memories from the year before. They are now a touching, amusing record of our years together and it is really poignant seeing how our relationship has developed over the years. Please let us not be the ones to allow one of our greatest traditions to fade away.

• Helen Cullen is author of The Lost Letters of William Woolf