Sending holiday cards is a wonderful tradition, but if you have a lot to send, it can get a bit overwhelming. That is especially true if you can't find the right words to put in your Christmas card.
If you're looking for a unique way to send your holiday greetings or just want to find some inspiration for what to write, check out our list of different ways to say “Merry Christmas," “Season's Greetings," and “Happy New Year" to all your contacts.
What to write in a holiday card?
These days, it's easy to upload a family photo, add your name, and be done with your Christmas cards. But taking that extra step to write your holiday wishes for friends and loved ones makes all the difference. You can still include your beautiful family photos, but also be sure to include a few words to go along with them.
What you write in your holiday cards will depend on the recipient. If you're sending Christmas card wishes to close friends and family, you can be informal and casual with your greetings. Choose a greeting inspired by your favorite Christmas song or movie or quote, or write a funny holiday greeting that's full of personality and festive cheer.
If you know the person receiving your card celebrates Christmas, you can relate a religious message in it. Alternately, your message can be more secular, with wishes for a happy holiday season or happy new year.
Going with a short and simple greeting, or combining several of your favorite lines, are ways to create a truly special and personal message. You can even incorporate a heartfelt “Thank you" in your holiday cards to show your gratitude during this special time of the year.
No matter what you want to write in your holiday cards, this list offers plenty of ideas and inspiration to craft your best Christmas cards yet!
Best merry Christmas wishes
There's something wonderful about the classic “Merry Christmas" wishes. If you want to call out Christmas, here are are some sample card messages with the word “Christmas" in them.
- May your days be merry and bright this Christmas season and throughout the new year.
- Best wishes for a joyous Christmas and a new year filled with love, happiness, and prosperity.
- We hope you're having a simply wonderful Christmas time! Best wishes to you and yours.
- Merry Christmas! May all the joys of this happy season be yours this holiday and into the new year.
- May the magic and wonder of Christmas stay with you throughout the new year.
- The most wonderful part of Christmas is spending time with family and friends. May your holidays be full of joy and good cheer.
- When the magic of Christmas fills the air, we hope you find it everywhere. Merry Christmas!
- Wishing you a blessed Christmas and every happiness in the new year.
- May the true spirit of Christmas fill your heart and home with joy today and into the coming year.
- Have a warm and cozy Christmas and a new year filled with wonderful adventures.
Happy holidays & season's greetings
If you're not sure if your recipients celebrate Christmas, using “holiday season" and “season's greetings" instead are great options. Here are some ideas you can use to get started writing your own holiday message.
- Wishing you joy, peace, and good health this holiday season.
- Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a joyous new year.
- May all that is beautiful, meaningful, and brings you joy be yours this holiday season and throughout the coming year.
- Sending wishes to you and yours for a beautiful holiday season and peaceful new year.
- As the holidays approach, it is a great time to remember those who are close to us, helping to bring love and happiness to our lives. Wishing you a happy holiday season.
- Our favorite part of the holiday season is thinking of you, who makes this time so special. Wishing you love and happiness this season and into the new year.
- Hope this holiday season brings you many great memories and wonderful reasons to smile.
- May the light of the holiday season fill your heart, and may the music fill your soul. Happy holidays.
- Wishing you a sparkling holiday season and a brilliant new year!
- Sending warm wishes of peace and happiness this holiday season and into the new year.
Religious Christmas messages
Adding a religious note to your Christmas cards helps us remember the true reason for this joyous season. Here are some examples of religious messages you can include in your card.
- Wishing you God's wonderful gifts of faith, hope, peace, and love at Christmas and always.
- As we take a moment from our busy lives to celebrate the birth of our Lord, we pray your holidays are filled with love and your new year with peace.
- His miraculous birth and the gift of His love give us reason to pause and rejoice on His special day. Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
- Christmas is a wonderful time to rejoice and share in the warmth of those dear to us. May your Christmas be filled with God's love and blessings.
- May God's love be your true blessing this Christmas season and throughout the new year.
- May God fill your life with love, joy, and peace this holiday season and throughout the new year.
- Rejoice, for unto us a child is born. Wishing you God's blessings this Christmas season.
- Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace and goodwill toward men.
- Rejoice in the miracle of Christmas as your heart fills with the gift of His love.
- May you receive the gift of faith, blessing of hope, and peace of God's love at Christmas and always.
Short & simple holiday greetings
If you only want to include a few words, consider one of these simple and short holiday greetings. These are especially good options if you plan on writing out your cards by hand this year.
- Happy holidays from our house to yours.
- Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
- Merry everything and happy always.
- Hoping your holidays are filled with love, family, and happiness.
- Happy holidays and happy 2024! Make it the best year ever.
- Best wishes for a new year filled with love, happiness, and success.
- Hope you get everything you want under the Christmas tree this year!
- Merry Christmas and many blessings in the new year.
- May the wonder and magic of Christmas fill you with delight.
- Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a fantastic new year.
Funny holiday greetings
A little humor never fails. Make everyone who opens your Christmas cards this year smile with these fun and amusing holiday card messages. Or include your favorite holiday puns, witty quote, or funny greeting.
- Wishing you hope, peace, and lots of Christmas cookies.
- You know you're getting old when Santa starts looking younger.
- Get your fat pants ready. It's Christmastime!
- Santa has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
- Merry Christmas from one hard-working elf to another.
- It's all fun and games until Santa checks the naughty list. Merry Christmas.
- Wishing you a white Christmas. (And when you run out of white, just open a bottle of red.)
- Sure, being on the nice list gets your more presents, but being naughty is its own reward.
- Only a few more shopping days left until your loved ones find out you have no idea what they like.
- We want you to have the happiest holidays ever. (Don't feel too special, though, we gave this card to a lot of people.)
Inspiring holiday quotes
Crafting an uplifting, moving message for your cards can be a difficult task. Adding one of these inspiring holiday quotes is a great way to accomplish that. Look for other holiday quotes you love to include in your message.
- “Out of the silence, music. Out of the darkness, light. Out of uncertainty, promise. Hope was born that night."
- “At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year."
- “Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day."
- “The story of Christmas is a story of love."
- “It's not what's under the Christmas tree — it's who's gathered around it."
- “May you be inspired by giving, changed by love, filled with peace, and touched by miracles."
- “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."
- “One of the nice things about Christmas is that you can make people forget the past with a present."
- “Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present remembered."
- “At Christmas, all roads lead home."
Christmas sayings inspired by Christmas songs
Those who love Christmas songs will appreciate these sample greetings that contain the lyrics of some of their favorite holiday music. Use these or your favorite song lyrics to inspire your own Christmas card message this year.
- Have yourself a merry little Christmas and let your heart be light!
- Joy to the world, the Lord has come. May songs of joy fill your home and your heart this holiday season.
- It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Hope yours is filled with peace and joy.
- Deck the halls with boughs of holly and have a jolly Christmas time!
- Feliz Navidad! Wishing you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart.
- Hark! The herald angels sing glory to the newborn King!
- Have a holly, jolly Christmas! It's the best time of the year.
- It's the most wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas and remember to be of good cheer!
- Fill your hearts with Christmas cheer! Santa Claus is coming tonight!
- Star of wonder, star of night, guide us to thy perfect light.
Holiday messages for friends & family
When sending holiday wishes to your closest friends, family, and loved ones, feel free to get personal. Consider adding a short message about your family, special news, and any important announcements you want to share.
- As the holidays once again approach, may the joy and love the holidays bring remind us of the love of our friends and family. Wishing you the very best this season.
- Thinking of you fills our hearts with joy at Christmas time. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a happy and peaceful new year.
- Wishing you and your family all the warmth this holiday season has to offer. Have a wonderful Christmas and a new year filled with peace and joy.
- As the holidays once more approach, our family would like to send you our warmest wishes. May the true spirit of the season find you and fill your heart with joy.
- From all the gifts under the Christmas tree, the best gift is your friendship. Have a Merry Christmas, my friend.
- May the wonder of the holidays fill your heart with happiness as you gather together with family and friends. Merry Christmas.
- Thinking of you with warm wishes for a very Merry Christmas spent among family and friends.
- Dear friend, I hope your Christmas is filled with love and your new year with joy.
- There is nothing more special than family and good friends to brighten up the holidays. Merry Christmas.
- Wishing you happy holidays and a new year filled with happiness. May the holiday spirit be with you and your family today and throughout the coming year.
A holiday thank you
Wiring your holiday cards for clients, business partners, sponsors, teachers, and others sometimes requires a sincere thank you. Find ideas to express your gratitude with these sample card messages.
- As the holiday season approaches, there is no better time to say “Thank you." Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.
- We would like to pause at the holiday season to say “Thank you" for your goodwill and dedication, and wish you a happy and successful new year.
- There is no better time than this to say thank you and happy holidays, from our family to yours.
- I'm so thankful for you and your support this year. Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year.
- Your help this year was the best Christmas gift. We can't thank you enough! Wishing you happy holidays and all the best in the coming year.
- Thank you for always thinking of us. We are so grateful for you and your thoughtfulness.
- Just sending you a heartfelt thank you for your help and support this year. It means so much to us! Have a wonderful holiday season.
- One of the best parts of our business is people like you. Your support means the world to us! We wish you the best this holiday season and throughout the coming year.
- Thank you for making our holidays even brighter with your thoughtful gift. It's always such a pleasure doing business with you. Here's to a great year ahead!
- Wishing you happy holidays with thanks and appreciation for your help, support, generosity, and thoughtfulness, and a sincere wish for a fantastic year ahead.
New Year's wishes
If you happen to be sending out your cards later than you plan, consider including New Year's greetings instead of the typical holiday messages. Here are some popular New Year's wishes to inspire your own.
- Our New Year's wish for you and yours is that your year is filled with love. Happy 2024!
- Wishing you and yours good times, good cheer, good health, and good fortune in the new year!
- When the bells ring in the new year, may your days be filled with peace, love, and everlasting happiness.
- As the holiday season comes to a close, we wish you and your family a bright and beautiful new year.
- Wishing you a super healthy, crazy happy, and wildly successful new year!
- May the dawn of this new year fill your heart with bright, hopeful days as you turn your dreams into reality and your efforts into great achievements.
- A new year is a blank page and an opportunity to write a new story for yourself. Hope yours is beautiful.
- May this new year give you courage to explore, dream, and discover. Here's to your best year yet!
- Cheers to the years we've been blessed to call each other friends and to the new year ahead.
- May every day of the new year bring a new opportunity for joy and laughter, warmth and love, and everything you desire.
And, finally, our favorite…
- The magic of Christmas never ends, and its greatest gifts are family and friends.
AUTHOR
Kasia Lorenc is a writer and editor at Personalization Mall, covering gifting, home decorating, and more.