Last week’s alarming episode at the University of Maine at Orono, in which a renegade administrator sent out a staff-wide email barring any religious displays of the upcoming Christmas holiday (an effort that was eventually reversed), got us thinking this week about holiday traditions, and how many of them seem to be slowly fading.

For example, who sends Christmas cards anymore? Most of us choose to send our greetings by email, Twitter or Facebook. Perhaps the cost of postage stamps is taking its toll on this once-strong tradition. We calculate the number of our friends and family members by the exorbitant cost of a stamp, and quickly realize it’s a lot of money, especially with stamps costing “forever,” which, at last count was 49 cents. For decades, this Christmas tradition has been among the best. Recipients proudly show off their accumulated season’s greetings by taping them over the mantle or a wall. And senders take great care in choosing just the right card, many of which are stunning works of art. We hope this tradition continues, but with the millennial generation entering adulthood, which is when the card-sending tradition begins in earnest, we highly doubt they’ll be keeping in touch with loved ones by non-digital means.

We’re also wondering about how the virtual world is impacting other holiday-related traditions, such as that Yule log in the fireplace, the lighting of the menorah and perusing family photo albums. Those sentimental experiences can now be experienced with a digital photo frame, or on an iPad, laptop or TV screen. There’s nothing like watching and hearing a crackling fire, but is the experience as satisfying displayed in pixels? And, isn’t there something less satisfying about looking at old photographs in something other than a classic album?

Another sputtering tradition seems to be real Christmas trees. In Maine, we seem to be holding onto this time-honored tradition, but fake plastic trees are gaining market share. For sure, they have their plusses: No sticky pine-pitch, no dead needles on the living room floor, no straining when reaching down with a watering can every night, no need to shell out a lot of cash every year for a live tree and no fire or toppling hazards. And now, to add to the dilemma, the fake trees are so lifelike and can even replicate that lovely evergreen smell. But, they’re not real. And any amount of tinsel and garland won’t hide that fact.

Another tradition seemingly nearing its end is community caroling. This might happen in some spots, such as the Maine Harness Racing Association’s event for Scarborough seniors last week, but not nearly as much as it used to. Gone are carolers visiting random strangers’ homes, starting at one end of the street and singing their way to the other. We wonder if would-be carolers are worried they might offend, embarrass or irritate their audience? Whatever the reason, this slice of Americana is dying pretty quickly. Which is sad, because there’s nothing quite like a surprise visit from on-key singers to buoy someone’s Christmas and overall community spirit.

Granted, some traditions are good to let go – like real candles on a Christmas tree. Whoever came up with that idea must have sold fire insurance. Or how about those garish Christmas-themed sweaters? There is a special day, Dec. 12, dedicated to these intentionally ugly manifestations of the holiday spirit. But a lot of our traditions provide a link to the past and the true meaning of Christmas, and can bring quite a bit of holiday spirit.

Whether you cling to the old traditions, embrace new ones or have come up with your own, we hope you enjoy them safely and joyously this holiday season. Season’s Greetings from Current Publishing.

–John Balentine, managing editor