DEAR ABBY: A few days before Christmas, my family received a Christmas card from an aunt. Enclosed in the same envelope were two birthday cards: one for my brother and one for me. We both have December birthdays. Mine is Dec. 23 and his is on the 28th.
My mother thought this was incredibly rude and refuses to send this aunt a card next year. She thinks it was cheap, and people should have the decency to send each card in a separate envelope.
I, on the other hand, say it would have been wasteful to send two cards in separate envelopes. That's just two more postage stamps and envelopes arriving on the same day. I wouldn't mind if I didn't get my own envelope. (My brother said he wouldn't either.)
Abby, if you say it isn't proper etiquette, my aunt will no longer receive Christmas cards from us. -- A 12-YEAR-OLD DAILY READER
DEAR DAILY READER: Your aunt was not "cheap" -- she was wisely conservative. In addition, she was helping the environment by conserving paper -- a tree product. Please show this letter to your mom.