Oh, it was compulsory to write a Christmas letter to your classmates? Hahaha, yes, I imagine there were funny ones 😅 But in the end, it was a way to teach the children to respect their classmates and wish them happy holidays.
I think it was a good thing.
The handwriting thing. I am a piano teacher, and I notice a huge difference among students. Those students that have computers in school and use them to read, write and learn have way worse handwriting than those who still use pencil and paper to write down notes and homework. And I notice it in myself too, so that's why I try to find more and more reasons to use pen and paper again :D
Most people just have bad handwriting. Others just scribble anything cos they’re lazy:(