A pair of cousins carried on a 57-year-old family tradition this December after their annual delivery of Christmas seals – a form of “cinderella” stamp issued to raise money for charity – failed to arrive in the mail.
For many years, Tara Dewerson and Maureen Valleau have sent the same restaurant napkin complete with seals issued by the Canadian Lung Association through the mail. It continues a tradition started by their grandmother in 1962, reported Valerie Leung, of British Columbia’s Richmond News, on Dec. 25.
“Cards are so costly I’m forced to send this to express my greetings with a real Christmas wish,” wrote their grandmother in 1962. “When a card has been sent ‘tis of no further use, but this comes in handy after pudding and goose.”
After her order of Christmas seals was held up in the holiday mail rush, Dewerson visited the British Columbia Lung Association, which still had some of this year’s seals in stock, before mailing the napkin to Valleau.