What to Write in a Christmas Card: Messages for Family, Friends and Work

In short: A good Christmas card message has a greeting, one personal line and a sign-off. Example: "Merry Christmas! It was so good to see you in the summer, and I hope next year brings more of that. Love, Ana." Two or three sentences is plenty. The lines below are grouped by who the card is for.

A simple formula for any Christmas card

1. Greeting: "Merry Christmas", "Happy Christmas" or "Season's greetings".
2. One personal line: something about them or the year you shared. "Congratulations on the new house" beats any poem.
3. A wish for the year ahead: health, rest, adventures, more time together.
4. Sign-off: a warm closing and your names.

You can skip any part except the personal line. That's the bit people keep the card for.

Christmas card messages for family

• Merry Christmas! Nothing beats being together this time of year. Can't wait to see you all.
• Wishing you a Christmas full of good food, bad jokes and everyone around one table.
• Thank you for everything you did for us this year. We love you lots. Merry Christmas.
• Merry Christmas to the best parents anyone could ask for. Save us a seat by the fire.
• Missing you this Christmas and counting the days until we're together again.
• To our favourite (and only) grandparents: Merry Christmas, with love and big hugs from all of us.
• Happy Christmas! Here's to another year of family chaos, the good kind.

Christmas card messages for friends

• Merry Christmas! This year was better because you were in it.
• Wishing you a cosy Christmas and a New Year with more weekends like the one in June.
• Happy Christmas to my favourite person to text at midnight. Here's to next year.
• Merry Christmas! Let's not wait until next December to catch up properly.
• Hope Santa brings you everything on your list, and a little sleep too.
• Thinking of you and your family this Christmas. Lots of love from all of us.

Christmas card messages for coworkers and your boss

• Merry Christmas! Thanks for making this year easier and a lot more fun.
• Wishing you a restful break and a great start to the New Year.
• Thank you for your help on the launch this year. Have a wonderful Christmas.
• Season's greetings! Enjoy some well-earned time off with the people you love.
• Merry Christmas and thank you for your patience, your ideas and your good humour.
• Happy holidays! It's been a pleasure working with you this year.

Christmas card messages for clients and business contacts

• Season's greetings and thank you for working with us this year. We wish you a happy and healthy New Year.
• Thank you for your trust and your business. Warm wishes for the holidays and the year ahead.
• Wishing you and your team a peaceful holiday season and a successful New Year.
• It was a pleasure to work with you this year. Happy holidays from all of us.

Sign business cards by hand where you can, with a name the person knows.

Religious Christmas card messages

• May the peace and joy of Christ's birth be with you this Christmas and always.
• Wishing you the blessings of Christmas and the hope of a new year.
• "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14, KJV) Merry Christmas.
• "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." (Isaiah 9:6, KJV) May His love fill your home this Christmas.
• Praying for you and your family this Christmas. God bless you all.

Funny Christmas card messages

• Merry Christmas! Let's eat until we need a nap, then eat again.
• Wishing you a Christmas with more presents than you deserve and fewer relatives than you expected.
• I tried to be good this year, but you know how it goes. Merry Christmas anyway.
• May your Wi-Fi be strong and your family arguments short. Merry Christmas.
• Merry Christmas from all of us, including the dog, who ate one of the ornaments.

Short lines for a family photo card

Photo cards have room for one line and your names. Keep it to ten words or fewer:

• Merry Christmas and a happy New Year
• Peace, love and joy this Christmas
• Merry and bright, from our house to yours
• Wishing you a joy-filled Christmas
• Love and warm wishes this holiday season
• Happy Christmas from the four of us (and the dog)
• Our first Christmas as a family of four

The year and your names go underneath: "Love, the Garcias · 2026".

For someone who had a hard year or is grieving

• Thinking of you this Christmas and sending all my love. I'm here whenever you need me.
• I know this Christmas will be different. I'm holding you close in my thoughts.
• Remembering [name] with you this Christmas. Wishing you peace and gentle days.
• No need to reply. I just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you.

Keep it short and avoid "Merry". "Thinking of you" and "With love" are enough.

For a baby's first Christmas

• Merry first Christmas, little one! You've already made this year the best one yet.
• Wishing your family a magical first Christmas together.
• A very merry first Christmas to [name]. Enjoy every sleepy, sparkly minute.

How to sign off a Christmas card

• Family and close friends: Love, Lots of love, With love from all of us, Hugs.
• Friends and neighbours: Warmly, Warm wishes, Merry Christmas from.
• Work and clients: Best wishes, Kind regards, Season's greetings, With thanks.

For a family card, list names in the order you like ("Ana, Tom, Mia and Leo") or use the surname ("the Garcias"). Adding the pet is always allowed.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

Write "Merry Christmas" (or "Happy Christmas" in the UK) to people you know celebrate it. For clients, a mixed team or anyone you're unsure about, "Happy holidays" or "Season's greetings" is warm and leaves nobody out.

Printing a photo card this year? The free Christmas Card Maker puts your photo and one of these lines on a 5x7 or A6 card with bleed, and the card size guide has every size in pixels.