A Christmas card needs a greeting, one line that is only for that person, and a wish for the year ahead. "Happy Christmas, Ruth. I still think about your mince pies from last year. Hope next year is kind to you all." That is a whole card. The one personal line is the difference between a card and a list of names.
If you have forty to write, do not try to make each one special from top to bottom. Keep the greeting and the wish the same, and change the middle line.
The formula
- The greeting, and their names. "Happy Christmas, Ruth and Alan." Names written by hand matter more than anything printed inside.
- One line for them. Something from their year, something you did together, or something you are looking forward to.
- A wish. For Christmas itself or for the new year. Specific where you can: "hope the new kitchen is finished in time for the turkey".
- Your names. In your own hand, even if the rest is printed.
Which greeting to use
| Who it is for | A safe greeting |
|---|---|
| Friends and family who keep Christmas | Happy Christmas, Merry Christmas |
| Someone for whom it is a religious day | Wishing you a blessed Christmas |
| Someone of another faith, or you are not sure | Season's greetings, Happy holidays, Best wishes for the new year |
| Clients and customers | Season's greetings, With best wishes for Christmas and the new year |
| Someone who has had a hard year | Thinking of you this Christmas |
Examples
Close friends
Happy Christmas, you two. This was the year of the Scottish trip and the tent that nearly blew into the loch, and I wouldn't change any of it. Same again next summer, with better pegs.
Merry Christmas, Bex. I'm sorry we only managed two proper catch-ups this year. I'm fixing that: the 10th of January, my place, I'm cooking.
Family
Parents:
Happy Christmas, Mum and Dad. Thank you for another year of Sunday phone calls and emergency casseroles. We can't wait to be home on the 23rd. Save us the good chairs.
Grandparents:
Dear Nana, Merry Christmas. I think of you every time I make your shortbread, which never comes out as well as yours. I'm coming to see you in the new year, and I'll bring the photos from the wedding.
Family far away:
Happy Christmas from a very wet Manchester. We'll miss you at the table this year. The kids have grown about a foot each and want to show you on the video call on Boxing Day.
A brother or sister:
Merry Christmas. I've bought you something you'll pretend to like. See you on the 25th. It's your turn to do the sprouts.
Coworkers and your boss
Friendly and brief. Thank them for one thing from the year if you can.
Merry Christmas, Imran. Thanks for all your help this year, especially in October. Have a proper rest.
Happy Christmas, and thank you for a good year. I hope you get a real break with the family.
Clients and customers
Thank you for your business this year. It has been a pleasure working with you and the team. With best wishes for Christmas and the new year, from all of us at Harrow Lane Joinery.
Season's greetings, and thank you for trusting us with the kitchen. We hope it is full of people this Christmas.
Neighbours and people you barely know
Happy Christmas from number 14. Thank you for taking in our parcels all year. Knock any time over the holidays, the kettle is always on.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, with best wishes for the new year.
Someone who has had a hard year
After a death, an illness, a divorce or a lost job, "merry" can feel wrong. Say you are thinking of them, and do not tell them to be cheerful.
Thinking of you this Christmas, the first without George. I know it will be a strange one. We'd love to see you on Boxing Day if you feel like company, and there's no pressure if you don't.
I know this year has been a hard one. No need for merry. I'm wishing you a quiet few days and a kinder new year, and I'm at the end of the phone.
Funny
Happy Christmas. I hope your dad doesn't start on politics until at least the pudding.
Merry Christmas from all of us, including the dog, who ate the first draft of this card.
Happy Christmas. Your present is that I'm not bringing my guitar this year.
When you have a stack to write
Two lines that suit nearly anyone. Add a name at the top and one detail if you have it.
Happy Christmas. Thinking of you all, and hoping to see you in the new year.
Merry Christmas, with love from all of us. Here's to a good year ahead.
Signing from the whole family
Put the adults first, then the children in age order, then the pets if you like. "With love from Hannah, Luke, Milo and Edie" reads more warmly than "the Carter family", which suits people you know less well. If the children can hold a pen, let them sign their own names.
What to leave out
- The year in review. A list of promotions, exam results and holidays reads as a boast, however it is meant. One line of news is plenty.
- "Hope you've had a great year" to someone who has not.
- Religious wording for someone who is not religious. And the other way round: keep the Santa jokes out of a card to a devout friend.
- "We must catch up" with no date. Name one, or leave it out.
- A printed signature alone. Add one handwritten line, even if it is only their name and yours.
- An apology for last year's missing card. Just send this one.
Writing them with Hemmingway
The Christmas message generator helps when the list is long and every card has started to sound the same. Tell it who the card is for, how you know them, and one thing about their year or yours. It works only from what you tell it, so the personal line still comes from you. Read the result, change what does not sound like you, and write it in by hand. There is a free trial with no card needed, and the plans are on the pricing page.
For the first of January there is a New Year wishes generator, and for the presents afterwards, a guide on what to write in a thank you card.
Try HemmingwayDownload the app
Common questions
What is a good short Christmas card message?
"Happy Christmas, and here's to a good year ahead" works for almost anyone. Add the person's name and one detail, such as something they did this year or when you will next see them, and it becomes theirs.
Is it "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Christmas"?
Both are right. "Merry Christmas" is used everywhere, and "Happy Christmas" is common in Britain and Ireland. Write whichever you would say aloud.
What do you write in a Christmas card to someone who is grieving?
Say you are thinking of them, name the person they have lost, and leave out "merry". A plain line such as "Thinking of you this Christmas, the first without George" is kinder than ordinary cheer, and an invitation with no pressure helps.
What do you write in a Christmas card for a coworker?
Keep it short and friendly: the greeting, a thank you for something from the year, and a wish for a proper rest. On a shared office card, "Merry Christmas, and thanks for all your help this year" is enough.
How do you sign a Christmas card from a family?
Write first names, adults first and then children in age order, as in "With love from Hannah, Luke, Milo and Edie". Use the family surname only for people you do not know well.
What do you write to someone who does not celebrate Christmas?
Send good wishes for the season or the new year instead. "Season's greetings" or "Wishing you a happy and healthy new year" is warm without assuming anything about their beliefs.