Festive greetings: what to write on a Christmas card

Sending Christmas cards is a treasured tradition that can be deeply meaningful to those celebrating the holiday. It evokes warmth and festivity for the receiver and sender alike, especially when those Christmas cards include a personalized message.

There are many ways to approach crafting personalized holiday cards. Artistic types might create handmade Christmas cards unique to each family member, while Mixbookers love to express their creativity with custom photo cards. Many prefer to seek out beautiful store-bought cards. Wherever you land on this spectrum of card-givers, writing a thoughtful message inside each card is well worth your time.

First, consider the Christmas card recipient

Before writing holiday greetings for cards, the most important consideration is the recipient, your relationship with them, and their personality. Carefully consider the level of formality and tone of voice.

Tip: Always be certain somebody celebrates Christmas before sending them a card. If you’re unsure, choose a neutral holiday greeting instead. There are many great options among Mixbook’s holiday cards.

Classic Christmas greetings

Timeless sentiments of the season are easily found in often-quoted lines from Christmas carols, movies, and classic stories. These can be appropriate for card recipients, from co-workers to your Mom.

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year long.” – Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”
“Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day. It’s a frame of mind.” – “Miracle on 34th Street”
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight.”
“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” – Buddy in “Elf”
“O tidings of comfort and joy / Comfort and joy / O tidings of comfort and joy.”

Heartfelt holiday wishes

Struggling with what to write on a Christmas card to your nearest and dearest? Focus on the pleasures of family get-togethers, sharing treats, and expressing gratitude. These ideas encompass such heartfelt holiday wishes:

dad holding child to put a star in a Christmas tree

Mom, you always made every Christmas special for me. I hope I can do the same for you.
Thank you for making me feel so loved on Christmas Day and every other day of the year.
I can’t believe this is our 15th Christmas together as husband and wife.
The thing that makes me feel the merriest is having our family together for Christmas.
You are my best Christmas blessing.

Funny Christmas card message ideas

While you must use humor cautiously, funny and light-hearted messages are an excellent choice for greeting cards. These funny Christmas card messages will bring smiles to the faces of those receiving them:

You’re still lucky I put in a good word for you with Santa when we were kids.
Merry Christmas to the only other person who agrees that cheese is an excellent and thoughtful gift idea.
Merry Christmas, and I’ll see Yule in the new year!

Custom Christmas verses

How about a humorous twist on classic Christmas verses? Personalize the lines to poke fun at the recipient or share an in-joke.

“‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house…”

… Michael was secretly eating cookies, quiet as a mouse.
… Dad was snoring on the sofa, remote control in his grasp.

“Do you hear what I hear?...”

… It’s Jim, yelling at the TV as if the football players can hear him.
… It’s the sound of Sarah singing and dancing in the kitchen again.
… Oh yes, it’s Dad’s story about only getting oranges and nuts in his stocking.

Religious Christmas blessings

Those who spiritually celebrate the holiday will appreciate cards with religious messages. Consider including one of these Bible verses:

"And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God." – Luke 1:35
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." – John 3:16
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." – Matthew 2:10
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” – Luke 2:14

Short and sweet greetings

A good tip for how to write heartfelt Christmas messages is to keep them short and sweet. In one sentence, you can let one know you’re thinking of them and wishing them a happy holiday season. In fact, your message could be just that:

“Thinking of you and wishing you a happy holiday season.”

Some more short and sweet ideas:

The merriest of Christmases to you and your family
May visions of sugar plums dance in your head
You’re forever on my “nice” list
I’m so grateful to have you as a friend/sister/neighbor.

How to personalize your Christmas card messages

There are some easy ways to make any Christmas greeting more personal. One is to write your messages by hand, and another is to include the person’s name in the greeting. Here are some more:

Share memories

I never go a single Christmas without laughing at the memory of your mom dragging us out caroling! Those poor neighbors!
Remember those epic snowball fights in the old neighborhood? Let’s get the kids together soon and show them how it’s done!

Remember milestones from the year

I’m so thrilled you get to spend your first Christmas as parents. What a joy!
Enjoy your first Christmas in your very own home – can’t wait to visit you soon.
You have so many reasons to celebrate this year! I’ll be raising a glass of eggnog to your achievements.

Reference their hobbies

Here’s to even more baseball games next year.
May your roses bloom bigger than ever!
I hope Santa delivers even more yarn for your hoard!

Make plans

My new year’s resolution is to have more brunch dates with you.
Merry Christmas to the busiest mom I know! Let’s video chat after the holiday chaos is over.
Consider this Christmas card my IOU for a drink.

A few more personalized Christmas card tips

Start early! Writing thoughtful messages in your cards is easier when you’re not on a deadline.
Break the task into multiple sessions so you don’t run out of steam.
Put on some Christmas music or a cheesy movie in the background to help create a festive mood.
Have children hand-write cards and messages. These messages can be adorable and surprisingly creative.

Finally, head to Mixbook and browse the custom photo card options. The site makes it easy to create beautiful, personalized cards, calendars, photo books, and more. We’d love you to share your creations with us — @Mixbook on Instagram!