We already know what our friends and families look like so this seems rather narcissistic on the part of the person sending the picture. Christmas is, whatever the ignorant think, a Christian festival overlaid onto a pagan mid-winter party. Therefore more appropriate images are either Christian ones (nativity scenes are popular) or mid-winter scenes (eg robins or snow-scapes).
Just because something is popular in the USA does not always mean that it will be popular elsewhere in the world (look at the so-called "World Series" of baseball or carrying of personal firearms for a couple of pertinent examples).
Honestly, I have used the idea of a family photo shoot as a threat to my teenage kids. I tell them they will be forced to wear dungarees, black polo-necks and do star jumps from a haystack. Unfortunately, I don't think it is exactly unpopular over here.
I've seen a fair few awful ostentatious portraits in the homes of friends and family. Mostly black and white with everyone looking like they are auditioning for the Sylvia Young Theatre School. Perversely, I'd love it if people would send hilarious family photos for Christmas, but that's because I'm a shrew and it will make me cackle.
I open all cards over the bin regardless.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.