Bored Panda has reached out to Reddit user u/wayofcain, whose Christmas card you can actually find in the list. It's the one where he, his wife and their not-so-satisfied kitty cat are posing as if they're anticipating a call from the '80s who want their retro wood-panel wall back.
"Cain told us that this was actually their first Christmas card. "We saw some vintage clothes at a reseller and ended up coming up with the idea," elaborated Cain. "The cat was obviously tired of being held and the perfect photo was caught. Afterwards, it was so popular we make a new theme every year."
And if you're wondering, the cat's name was Lift. Sadly, she passed away a few years back, but her legacy lives on in the form of an angry feline stuck in a retro holiday card.
#6 Me And My Cat's Christmas Card Was Deemed "Sacrilegious" By A Few People. What Do You Think?
Cain's holiday card became so popular among Redditors, it garnered over 28,000 upvotes on r/funny.
Many marveled at the iconic watermark effect (which was quite popular back in the day) done with the cat. Others were amused by how the cat's furious in their arms, but serene in the watermark. All the cat needed was glasses to complete the look.
#7 I Work At A Photography Store In Norway. This Was Our Christmas Card This Year
#10 This Years Christmas Card With The Roommates Turned Out Better Than The Expected
Since then, Cain and his wife have been doing annual Christmas cards.
"Usually [the process is] spontaneous. We have to start in August to make sure everything is done and each year they get more outlandish," explained Cain.
For example, 2020's Christmas card references E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, specifically that one scene where E.T. and Elliott take off into the skies with their bike. While it does take a jab at the whole pandemic thing with the caption "Everything's Terrible 2020" (either that, or it doubles as a critique of the E.T. video game on the NES that many people love to hate), otherwise it's solely a tribute to the classic 1982 movie.
Other epic examples of Christmas cards from Cain and his lovely wife include this, this, this, and this.
#11 My Girlfriend Celebrates Hanukkah. I Celebrate Christmas. Here Is Our Holiday Card
#12 Every Year I Illustrate My Sister's Family's Christmas Card In The Style Of Norman Rockwell. Here's This Years!
#13 Our Parents Got Divorced, Re-Married, And Divorced Again. So During The Holiday Season This Is The Best My Sister And Me Could Do
#14 Grandpa Eugene Had Professional Pictures Taken Of Himself For His Christmas Cards
#15 My Friend Got A Christmas Card From His Nephew... He Decided To Copy It And Send It Back
Mind you, most people who create Christmas cards do it on an annual basis, and Cain's family is no exception. He admits that the most challenging part of it all is coming up with ideas that would, at the very least, match the previous year's card, and ideally beat it.
But challenge means payoff, and that's what Cain highlighted: "The most rewarding part is the response we get after they arrive in people’s mail." He explained that some who get the physical cards might end up keeping them up on their fridge all year round because of how good they are. This is besides all of the success they end up getting among Cain's friends on social media.
Speaking of social media, you should probably share this list on your wall. Or whatever the kids call it these days. Otherwise, keep scrolling—there's plenty more where that came from.
#20 When I Was 7, My Mom Had Us Take Christmas Card Pictures
