What to Write in a Christmas Card

There's a particular kind of pressure that builds up around Christmas card writing - not because any single message needs to be profound, but because there are so many of them to write, and each one is for someone different.

A card for a close friend needs something different from a card for a colleague, and a card for someone who's had a hard year needs something different again. The good news is that Christmas messages don't need to be original. They need to be warm, and they need to sound like you.

This guide will help you find the right words, whoever the card is for.

Pack of 6 Relove Santa's List – christmas card – Katie Leamon

Before You Start Writing

A couple of things worth doing before you work through the pile.

Make a list first. Christmas cards multiply quickly - close family, extended family, friends, neighbours, colleagues. Splitting the list into groups before you start makes the task feel manageable rather than endless.

Decide on your register early. Are you writing warm and personal messages throughout, or is a shorter, simpler greeting enough for most of the list, with something more considered reserved for the people closest to you? Both approaches are fine. Trying to write twenty deeply personal messages in one sitting usually backfires.

Leave time. Christmas is a busy season for everyone. A message written in a rush often reads that way. Set aside a proper stretch of time rather than trying to fit it between other things.

Short and Sincere Christmas Messages

For the wider list - colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances - a short, warm message does the job well. These work especially nicely alongside a card with a strong design of its own.

  • "Wishing you a very happy Christmas and all good things for the new year."
  • "Season's greetings, and warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas."
  • "Merry Christmas - hope it's a restful, happy one."
  • "Wishing you a Christmas full of warmth and good company."
  • "Happy Christmas to you and yours."

Warm and Personal Christmas Messages

For the people closer to you, it's worth adding something specific - a line about the year you've shared, or what you're looking forward to seeing them for.

For close friends:

  • "Another year done, and I'm so glad you were part of it. Merry Christmas - can't wait to see you soon."
  • "Wishing you a Christmas as lovely as you've made this year for everyone around you. So much love."
  • "Here's to another year of us. Merry Christmas, and see you very soon."

For family:

  • "Wishing you a Christmas full of everything that matters most. So much love to you all."
  • "So grateful to have you in my life this Christmas and always. Sending all my love."
  • "Can't wait for us all to be together this Christmas. Wishing you all so much love."

For a couple you know well:

  • "Wishing you both a Christmas full of warmth, good food, and each other. With love."
  • "So happy to be sharing another Christmas thinking of you two. All our love."

Red stripe paper crown Christmas card flat with envelope - luxury christmas card - Katie Leamon

Funny Christmas Messages

A bit of humour goes down well with people who'll appreciate it - close friends and family who share your sense of humour, rather than the whole list.

  • "Wishing you a Christmas with just the right amount of mulled wine and just the wrong amount of Monopoly-related conflict."
  • "May your fridge be full, your jumper be tacky, and your family only mildly argumentative this year. Merry Christmas."
  • "Sending you a Christmas with more presents than pounds gained. Unlikely, but wishing it anyway."
  • "Officially giving you permission to eat a full tin of Roses before December 25th. Merry Christmas."

For a Difficult Christmas

Christmas isn't easy for everyone, and a card doesn't need to pretend otherwise. If you're writing to someone who's had a hard year - a loss, an illness, a difficult change - a gentler message is often more welcome than a bright and breezy one.

  • "Thinking of you especially this Christmas. Sending love and warmth for the days ahead."
  • "Wishing you moments of peace and comfort this Christmas. You're in my thoughts."
  • "Sending you love this Christmas, and hoping the season brings you some gentleness."
  • "Thinking of you as Christmas comes round. Here for you, always, if you need anything at all."

There's no need to over-explain or dwell on the difficulty in the message itself - a short, sincere line that acknowledges the year, without making the card feel heavy, usually strikes the right note.

Christmas Messages for Colleagues and Acquaintances

Office and neighbour cards call for something a little more measured - warm, but not overly familiar.

  • "Wishing you a very happy Christmas and all the best for the new year ahead."
  • "Merry Christmas - thank you for making this year at work such a good one."
  • "Season's greetings to you and your family. Wishing you a restful break."
  • "Happy Christmas, neighbour - it's been lovely getting to know you this year."

Quotes for Christmas Cards

A quote can round off a message nicely, but it works best alongside your own words rather than in place of them. Your own line, followed by something well-chosen, tends to feel far warmer than a quote signed with just a name.

  • "Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." - Norman Vincent Peale
  • "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." - Burton Hillis
  • "Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts." - Janice Maeditere
  • "Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day." - Helen Steiner Rice

The Most Important Thing

You don't need to write something clever. You need to write something that sounds like you, addressed to someone who'll be glad to hear from you. A short, sincere line will always land better than a long one that strains for the perfect words.

Make your list, set aside the time, and write by hand where you can. The card matters far less than the fact that you sent it at all.

Looking for the perfect card to write in? Shop our collection of Christmas cards - designed in our North London studio, printed on sustainably sourced paper and plastic-free throughout. Free UK delivery on orders over £50.

Tree & Lights Christmas Card – christmas card – Katie Leamon

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