The Christmas gift that arrives on its own, years later
A message written tonight, delivered on 25 December. This year, or ten years from now, when the whole family has changed.
Christmas messages written in December all sound the same, because they're written under pressure. A capsül scheduled for 25 December goes out in the morning, whether you wrote it in January or three years earlier. Below: when to write it, and three messages for three different Christmas tables.
Next Christmas
Write in January, when nobody's thinking about the holidays. Delivered 25 December.
To the grandparents
Words for the ones who matter, opened by the tree.
To your kids
One message per Christmas, to be opened when they're adults.
The Christmas you turn 40
Write to your future self. They'll read it between the turkey and dessert.
When should you write a Christmas message?
Any time except December. In December you're writing between shopping trips, in the tone the season expects.
In January you still remember the dinner: who sulked, who drank too much, the present that missed. By July, you're far enough away to say what the year changed in the family.
The message arrives in the mood of the 25th. It wasn't written in it. That's what makes it readable.
Who should you send it to?
Someone who'll be at the table, or, better still, someone who'll be far away this year. Children are the obvious choice: one message every Christmas, delivered once they've left home. Grandparents read their emails too, whatever people say.
From the first pack, a single capsül can go to several people. Each of them gets an email on the 24th saying it opens tomorrow, then the link on Christmas Day.
The idea of leaving words for those who come after is very old. And if a family capsule going wrong worries you, these famous disasters put things in perspective.
What do you say, apart from "Merry Christmas"?
Usually, what happened at the last dinner. Here are three messages, from longest to shortest.
My lovelies, I'm writing this on 3 January. There's still Christmas cake in the tin and nobody wants it. This year, Josh gave his dad the same book as last year. Your dad thanked him twice, with the same face. I saw him put the two copies side by side on the shelf. Hattie got in at ten because the train from Leeds was late, and she had cold turkey. She said it was the best bit. I don't know who'll be there tonight. Read this out at the table. Josh, you're reading, you've got the loudest voice. Mum
Poppy, We've laid an extra place here, out of habit. Your nan's done the sprouts you hate, so that evens things out. Don't feel guilty about being away. At your age I was on the rigs and I didn't ring home once. Your nan still reminds me. Eat something local and send us a photo. Grandad
Merry Christmas. Last year you spent Christmas Eve answering work messages. Phone, in the drawer by the front door. Now.
Common questions
What Christmas message should you write to your family?
A story rather than good wishes: what happened at the last dinner, what changed over the year. Everyone sends good wishes by text on the 24th. A message that brings back one specific detail from last Christmas will get read out loud, or at least read twice.
How do you send a message that arrives on Christmas Day?
Write your capsül whenever you like, with 25 December as the opening date. On the 24th, each recipient gets an email telling them it opens the next day. On the 25th, in the morning, a second email brings the link. Before then, the recipient can't read the message, even by opening the link.
Can you write to your children for future Christmases?
Yes, one capsül per Christmas, each with its own date. Without buying anything, the 180-day limit only lets you reach this year's Christmas if you write after the end of June. A pack pushes the horizon out to as much as ten years, depending on which one you take, and extensions go further.
Can you add a family photo?
Yes, with a pack: one photo per capsül, or three on Prestige. Without one, it's words only. No video, no audio. A photo from last Christmas Eve, sent a year later, shows who was there, and who's had a haircut since.