A throwback to the pioneer days, when news from family and friends came in time delayed lumps, if at all. Considering today's environment of E-Mail/IM/cell phones etc..., the practice of a typed up mass mailing seems contrived and self congratulatory, like some kind of annual "it's all about me" autobiography. Whenever I get one of these, I just toss it.
I don't toss them, I read them, but then I actually care about the lives of my friends and relatives.