You have a stack of Christmas cards, a pen and no idea what to say beyond "Merry Christmas!" That's normal. Below are original Christmas card messages and wishes sorted by style: short, warm, religious, inclusive "happy holidays" lines and UK-style "Happy Christmas" greetings. After the messages, you'll find a simple way to write your own and answers to the etiquette questions people ask every December.
50 original messages. Tap copy, then add a personal line.
For a long card list, a small card or a quick line under a printed greeting.
Merry Christmas! Wishing you a cozy season and a happy new year.
Warm wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a bright year ahead.
Thinking of you this Christmas and sending lots of love your way.
Merry Christmas from our house to yours. Enjoy every bit of the season.
Hope your Christmas is full of good food, good naps and good people.
Wishing you calm days, warm drinks and a very merry Christmas.
Sending you joy for Christmas and all the luck in the world for the new year.
A little longer and a little warmer, for people you want to say more to.
Merry Christmas! We hope this season gives you time to slow down, sit by the tree and enjoy the people who matter most. Wishing you peace now and plenty of happy surprises in the new year.
Wishing you a Christmas that feels like a deep breath: quiet mornings, full plates and long talks with people you love.
May your Christmas be bright, your home be warm and your heart be light. You deserve a season of rest and real joy.
Merry Christmas to someone who makes every year a little kinder. We're grateful for you and hope your holidays are as lovely as you are.
Here's wishing you the simple joys of Christmas: a favorite song on the radio, a cookie straight from the oven and someone to share it with.
We hope Christmas morning brings you happy faces, a few good surprises and a slow, lazy breakfast. Love and merry wishes to you all.
Merry Christmas! We're so glad you were part of our year. Every visit, call and kind word meant more than you know.
Short, classic-sounding lines that work on their own or as an opener.
Peace, love and joy to you this Christmas and all through the coming year.
Warm hearts, bright lights and plenty of cheer. Merry Christmas and a wonderful year!
Eat, drink and be merry. It's Christmas, after all, and you've earned it.
Wishing you a season wrapped in love and tied with a bow of happiness.
May the glow of the tree and the warmth of good company stay with you long after the decorations come down.
Christmas comes once a year, but good friends are a gift all year round. Merry Christmas.
Bells ringing, kids singing, cocoa in every mug. Here's a Christmas wish for joy, and one great big hug.
For friends and family who share your faith. Bible verses are labeled "traditional" (King James Version).
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14, traditional) May the peace of Christ fill your home this Christmas.
Rejoicing with you in the birth of our Savior. May the light of Christ guide your steps through the coming year.
May the hope of Bethlehem fill your heart, and may the love of the Christ child stay with you all year. Merry Christmas.
Praying that your Christmas is full of wonder at God's greatest gift, and that His peace stays with your family in the new year.
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." (Isaiah 9:6, traditional) May your Christmas be blessed and full of joy.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we give thanks for friends like you. Have a blessed Christmas and a faithful new year.
May the quiet wonder of the manger remind you how deeply you are loved. Blessings to you and yours this Christmas.
Inclusive wording for neighbors, mixed-faith families and anyone whose traditions you don't know.
Happy holidays! Wishing you warmth, rest and good company this season.
Season's greetings! Here's hoping the new year brings good health and plenty to smile about.
However you celebrate, may this season bring you peace and plenty of joy.
Warm wishes for a cozy holiday season and a hopeful start to the new year.
Wishing you light on the shortest days and lots of good things in the year ahead.
Happy holidays to you and your family. May the end of this year be gentle and the start of the next one bright.
"Happy Christmas" is common in Britain and Ireland, and the cards often nod to crackers, mince pies and Boxing Day.
Happy Christmas! Hope Father Christmas is good to you and the mince pies never run out.
Wishing you a very happy Christmas and a peaceful new year. Enjoy the crackers, the pudding and a proper lie-in.
Happy Christmas to you all. Have a lovely time, and we'll see you for leftovers on Boxing Day.
Love and good wishes for a very happy Christmas. Hope the turkey's tender, the telly's good and the whole family's home.
Happy Christmas and a very happy new year. Let's catch up properly in January over a cuppa.
For cards that land late in December or need to cover both holidays.
Merry Christmas and a healthy new year! May the next twelve months bring you good news and even better company.
Joyful Christmas wishes, and a new year full of fresh starts and small wins.
Merry Christmas! Here's to closing this year with gratitude and stepping into the next one with hope.
Thank you for making this year brighter. Merry Christmas, and may the new year treat you kindly.
Have a wonderful Christmas, and may next year hand you everything on your list, plus a few things you didn't think to ask for.
Merry Christmas, and here's to a good new year. Let's make time to see each other more often in the months ahead.
A line or two to print under the photo or write at the end of your yearly update.
Christmas hugs from all of us! It's been a full year of school runs, new jobs and one very naughty puppy. We hope yours was just as full of love.
The kids are taller, we're a little grayer and the dog still thinks the tree belongs to him. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas.
This year brought a new house, a new baby and very little sleep. We wouldn't change a thing. Merry Christmas from the four of us.
Love and Christmas wishes from our whole crew. We're grateful for friends like you who cheered us on all year.
Our holiday photo isn't perfect, but the love behind it is. Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year from our family to yours.
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Most good Christmas card messages have three parts. Start with a greeting, like "Merry Christmas" or "Happy holidays." Add one personal line: something from this year, a thank-you, or a plan to see each other. Finish with a wish for the new year, then sign off.
For example: "Merry Christmas, Linda! Thank you for all the garden tomatoes this summer. Wishing you a healthy, happy new year. Love, Tom and Ana." That's short, warm and clearly written for one person.
The personal line is what makes a card worth keeping. Even on a printed card, one handwritten sentence turns it from a form letter into a real note.
For most cards, two or three sentences is plenty. People open a lot of cards in December, and a short, clear message is easier to enjoy than a crowded one.
Write more for the people closest to you, or for anyone who had a big year, like a new baby, a move or a loss. If you're sending dozens of cards, pick one base message you like, then add a different personal line to each card. That keeps the job manageable without every card sounding the same. Save long family news for a separate Christmas letter tucked inside.
Sign off with "Love," "With love," "Warmly" or "Best wishes," then your names. For a couple, the person writing the card usually signs last, as in "Love, Jordan and Sam." For a family, list everyone, kids included, or write "The Garcia family."
Watch the plural. It's "The Smiths," not "The Smith's." For a surname ending in s, x or z, add "es": "The Joneses" or "The Lopezes." If the recipient might not know your partner or kids, write your last name too. Signing the pet's name is optional and always a crowd-pleaser.
Match the greeting to the person reading it. "Merry Christmas" is standard in the US and Canada. "Happy Christmas" is common in the UK and Ireland, where many people use both. "Happy holidays" and "season's greetings" work for neighbors, coworkers and anyone whose traditions you don't know.
Save religious messages for people who share your faith or will welcome them. A Bible verse means a lot to a fellow churchgoer and less to a colleague who doesn't celebrate. When in doubt, a warm wish for peace and a happy new year fits everyone.
Skip guilt ("You never visit!"), politics, health lectures and pointed comments about someone's job or love life. Keep bragging light. A sentence about a promotion is fine. A full page of trophies is a lot.
If someone had a hard year, don't pretend it didn't happen and don't write "at least." A simple "Thinking of you this Christmas" says enough. If you're including money or a gift card, mention it lightly and never write the amount. And don't send a card with only a printed signature to someone you're close to. Add one line in your own hand.
Cards done, but someone just asked you to say a few words before the turkey? Our Christmas toasts page has short family, funny and dinner toasts, plus a free toast generator that writes one from a few details.
Open the guideWrite a greeting, one personal line and a wish for the new year. For example: "Merry Christmas! It was so good to see you at the lake this summer. Wishing you a happy, healthy new year." Then sign with a warm closing and your names. The personal line can be a thank-you, a shared memory or a plan to get together soon.
One warm sentence is enough. Try "Merry Christmas from our house to yours" or "Wishing you calm days, warm drinks and a very merry Christmas." Short Christmas card messages work well for big card lists, neighbors and group cards. If you have room, add the person's name at the start. It makes even a one-liner feel personal.
Use "Merry Christmas" for people you know celebrate it. Use "Happy holidays" or "Season's greetings" when you don't know someone's traditions, or for mixed-faith families, coworkers and clients. Neither is wrong. In the UK and Ireland, "Happy Christmas" is just as common as "Merry Christmas." The best choice is the one the reader will feel most comfortable receiving.
Write a closing like "Love" or "Warm wishes," then list every name, usually adults first and kids after, or the other way around if the kids are signing themselves. You can also write "The Nguyen family" or "The Nguyens." Remember there's no apostrophe in a family plural. If the recipient doesn't know everyone, add your last name.
In the US, aim to mail cards in the first two weeks of December so they arrive well before Christmas. International cards need more time, so send them by late November or early December. In the UK, check the last recommended posting dates, which are published each year. Cards that arrive between Christmas and New Year are still welcome, especially with a new year wish.
It's usually better to choose a neutral card for someone who doesn't share your faith. A religious message isn't rude, but it may not mean much to them. A wish for peace, joy and a happy new year carries the same warmth. Save Bible verses and blessings for friends and family who will welcome them.
Yes. The free writer on this page suggests card wording from a few details, like who the card is for and the tone you want, with a few free uses per day. If you're also raising a glass at Christmas dinner, the free toast generator on our Christmas toasts page writes a short toast the same way. Read each draft and change anything that doesn't sound like you.