55 Holiday Card Messages for Everyone on Your Nice List

It’s that time of year again. You’re busy wrapping presents, doing some last-minute holiday shopping, and booking tickets to see friends and family members. And for those loved ones you can’t quite get to this year, you’re trying to craft the perfect holiday card messages.

But what do you write to every last person on your list? You want to keep it personal but short — especially if you have lots of cards to write. You want to let people know that no matter how many miles are between you, you still think about them. And of course, you want something a bit more unique than the standard, “Happy holidays!”

Below, we’re sharing heartfelt messages for everyone you love. From friendly messages to share with family members, appropriate notes to send to your team at work, and a few jokes for friends, you’ll find the perfect way to share the holiday spirit with those you care about.

Add your own custom greeting, or feel free to copy these directly. Either way, be sure to let everyone know you’re so thankful for another year spent with them.

How to Write the Perfect Holiday Card Message

Wondering how to craft the right message for someone special? Here are some tips for writing your happy holidays messages.

Consider the Recipient

Think about who you’re sending the holiday or Christmas card to and what type of holiday card message they’d love to receive. Are they all about the warm and fuzzy heartfelt greetings? Or do they adore your hilarious (or not so hilarious) festive jokes? Tailor the message you write to their personality and the kind of message they’d expect from you.

Write a Meaningful and Personal Message

Anyone can write “have a wonderful holiday!” inside a festive card. To make yours stand out, write something that feels personal and meaningful to the recipient. Touch upon a memory you’ve shared together, like when you wore matching festive sweaters; wish them well on something they’ve been worrying about or working on; and celebrate the year you’ve had together.

Use a Template

You don’t have to come up with all the wording for your holiday messages by yourself. While it’s a nice idea to personalize your greeting, you can always borrow one you find online — like our collection below! Use the wording ideas as they are, alongside another message, or with a personal touch.

Match Your Message to Your Card

Design: Creo Study

One of our favorite tips is to match your message to your holiday card (or the other way around). If you’re known for your sense of humor, choose a funny holiday card. If you’re celebrating a religious holiday and your message relates to that, look for a card that matches.

Whatever your style and whichever holiday you’re celebrating this festive season, Greenvelope has an online card that matches perfectly — including this adorable photo card. What’s even better is the designs are customizable, so you can experiment with the layout, fonts, colors, and wording until it feels completely, uniquely “you.”

55 of the Best Holiday Card Messages for a Joyful Holiday Season

Ready to start writing your best holiday cards ever? Here are our favorite wording ideas for different groups at this special time — so you can write something thoughtful to everyone from your closest friend to your boss. We’ve also included some of our matching digital holiday cards too, so you can visualize how they’ll look together.

17 Holiday Messages to Send to Just About Anyone

Design: Shari Margolin Design | Holiday card: Scandi Tree Card

Whether you have too many cousins to count or just like to keep things simple, these quick messages are fit for just about anyone. Brief but heartfelt, they’ll let everyone know they’re in your thoughts this season.

1. Happy holidays! Cheers to another great year.
2. Best wishes to you and your family — can’t wait to see what the New Year has in store.
3. Have a wonderful holiday season with plenty of time spent with family and friends.
4. Merry Christmas! Thinking of and grateful for you this season.
5. Wishing you well at this most wonderful time of the year.
6. Sending you the warmest holiday wishes.
7. I hope you have a fabulous Christmas. Say “Hi!” to your family for me.
8. Sending seasons greetings from our family to yours.
9. Wishing you a very wonderful holidays, from all of us to all of you.
10. I hope the new year brings you everything you’ve ever dreamed of.
11. Sending you very merry Christmas wishes!
12. Cheers to another year and many more to come. Happy holidays!
13. Sending you good tidings for the holiday season!
14. Have a very wonderful Christmas!
15. Wishing you a very merry holiday. Can’t wait to see you in the new year!
16. The days are long, but the years are short — have a happy holiday!
17. Sending my warmest thoughts and best wishes for a magnificent holiday season.

11 Holiday Card Messages to Send to Coworkers

Design: Olivia Raufman Design | Holiday card: Ornament Fun Card

Colleagues hold a special place in our hearts. Sometimes, we spend so much time with our “work family” they become just like real family — helping us crush deadlines, shatter sales goals, and celebrate at happy hour afterward. They’ve been with us through late nights and early mornings and, therefore, deserve a nice note filled with holiday cheer.

1. I couldn’t have gotten through the last quarter (or previous three!) without you. Take a break and enjoy the holiday season with your family. Happy holidays!
2. My only wish for you this holiday season is that you don’t have to see my face before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Enjoy this time with your loved ones!
3. You’ve put in an incredible amount of effort this year, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Have a happy holiday season. See you in the new year!
4. It’s never a dull day with teammates like you. Have a happy holiday with your family, and raise a glass to a prosperous new year!
5. This past year wouldn’t have been half as successful (or nearly as fun) without you. Now enjoy this much-deserved holiday break with your family.
6. This company wouldn’t be where it is without you. Sending good wishes for a happy holiday season (hopefully with a little relaxation).
7. I hope you enjoy this well-deserved break over the holidays.
8. I still can’t believe how much we accomplished this year, and it wouldn’t have happened without you. Have a wonderful holiday. I’ll see you in the coming year.
9. Thank you for all your hard work this year. Sending warm wishes to you and your family.
10. You’ve shown a tremendous amount of loyalty, hard work, and dedication. Sending my happiest holiday greetings, and looking forward to what next year has in store.
11. Thank you for all the hard work and all the hours you put in this year. Sending warmest wishes to you and your family.

16 Religious Holiday Messages

Design: Ann Gardner Creative | Holiday card: Classic Winter Wreath Card

The holidays don’t have to have religious significance, but for some people they do. Whether you’re looking for a traditional Christmas card message or something to write inside a Hanukkah card, there’s something for everyone. Here’s a list of beautiful religious messages for the inside of a digital holiday card.

1. Let Christ’s gift of love surround your family this year. Have a blessed Christmas.
2. Happy Hanukkah, [Name]! Wishing you plenty of peace.
3. May your family be warmed with Christ’s gift of peace, hope, and faith. Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
4. Sending you Kwanzaa blessings.
5. May the grace of God provide your family with the gift of faith and the blessing of hope this season.
6. Chag Sameach! (Happy holiday!)
7. Happy Kwanzaa!
8. Peace on Earth and good will toward you and your family. May God fill your home with the blessing of hope and the gift of happiness.
9. May peace, joy, and faith fill your home during this magical Christmas season.
10. Sending you love, joy, and comfort this Kwanzaa.
11. Merry Christmas to you and your family. May Christ fill your home and answer your prayers this season.
12. Thinking of you and saying a prayer for your family this holy season.
13. Have a latke fun this Hanukkah!
14. Sending my warmest greetings to you and your family this season. May God fill the last weeks of the year with the magic of Christmas.
15. Let us give thanks to this beautiful Kwanzaa celebration.
16. There is no greater joy of the holiday than God’s love. Merry Christmas!

11 Funny Holiday Card Messages for Friends

Design: Ann Gardner Creative | Holiday card: Fun & Games Card

Your friends have been by your side through it all. You’ve kept in touch no matter how many miles were between you and always show up for the big moments in one another’s lives. For your BFFs, here are a few fun messages to send — and add them to a funny holiday card for the biggest impact.

1. They always say it’s the thought that counts. And trust me, I thought really, really hard about getting you a gift this year.
2. This time of year, there is no one I’d rather share a surge-priced Uber with. Cheers to another wonderful New Year with you by my side.
3. I can’t tell if it’s the joyous holiday season or the spiked eggnog, but there’s no one else I’d rather be single and not-mingling with through the winter.
4. You’re going to love the Christmas gift you got me.
5. My heart is filled with the holiday spirit knowing you’ll be by my side. And by “heart,” I mean fridge, and by “spirit,” I mean gin.
6. To this day, the best Christmas Eves on record are the ones I can’t remember (thanks to you).
7. This time of the year, I really wish I had enough airline miles to visit you. Actually, as long as I’m throwing out Christmas wishes, I wish we could buy the whole plane.
8. There’s supposed to be this whole “magic of the holiday” thing. Forget Santa — channel your inner wizard, get on your broomstick, and come visit me.
9. Forget looking under the Christmas tree, the best gift you’ll get this year is my sense of humor. Happy holidays!
10. I just came up with a brilliant plan: Pencil me in on your office holiday party invitation, then expense my flight so I can visit you this Christmas.
11. If I could get one holiday wish this year, I’d take us back in time to when we were in college with zero responsibilities and a month-long Christmas break. Hope you get the break you deserve this Christmas.

Spread Cheer with a Greeting Card from Greenvelope

Don’t let another holiday season go by without telling your friends, colleagues, neighbors, or family members how much they mean to you. Whether you’re grateful for your old college roommate and all the years you’ve kept in touch, your colleagues for making those late nights more fun, or your family for always having your back, be sure to send them a holiday message.

With Greenvelope, you don’t need to keep an updated address book or suffer through the holiday rush at the post office. All you need are email addresses to send friends and family your personal greetings of the season. Select from a wide range of holiday cards to wish everyone a very happy holiday and a prosperous New Year.