Every December I end up sat with a pile of cards, a pen and a completely blank head. I know exactly who each card is for. I just can’t think of a single thing to say that isn’t “Merry Christmas, love Corinne.”
And if you’re dyslexic like me, there’s the extra fun of writing it in pen. No backspace. No spellcheck. One wrong letter and you’re doing that thing where you turn it into a different word and hope nobody notices.
So I’ve pulled together a list of Christmas card messages, a few quotes and some short poems you can write straight in. Pick one, tweak a word or two so it sounds like you, and you’re done. (Write it in pencil first. Trust me.)
If you’ve got a different kind of card to write, I’ve also put together what to write in a new baby card and birthday messages for mum.
Short And Simple Christmas Card Messages
For the cards where a line or two is plenty.
- Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
- Merry Christmas! I hope it’s a lovely one.
- Hoping your Christmas is warm, cosy and full of good food.
- Sending you lots of love this Christmas.
- Merry Christmas to you and yours.
- Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.
- Happy Christmas! Hope you get a good rest.
- Thinking of you this Christmas. Hope it’s a good one.
- Wishing you joy at Christmas and all through the year ahead.
- Season’s greetings, and all my best wishes for the New Year.
Christmas Card Messages For Family
For mum or dad
- Merry Christmas, Mum. Thank you for everything you do, all year round, not just at Christmas.
- Happy Christmas, Dad. Thank you for always being there. I love you lots.
- To the people who made Christmas feel magical when I was little: thank you. Merry Christmas.
- Mum, you make Christmas feel like home. Love you always.
For grandparents
- Merry Christmas, Nanny and Grandad. We can’t wait to see you and have a big family hug.
- Happy Christmas to the best grandparents. Thank you for the stories, the biscuits and the love.
- Wishing you a cosy Christmas. We’re so lucky to have you.
For brothers and sisters
- Merry Christmas to my favourite sibling. I’ll let you win at the board game this year. Maybe.
- Happy Christmas! Thank you for always being on my side, even when I’m being annoying.
For your partner
- Merry Christmas to my favourite person. I love you more than all the chocolate in the tin.
- Another Christmas with you is all I want. Love you always.
- Thank you for making our home feel like Christmas. Happy Christmas, my love.
For your children
- Merry Christmas to my wonderful girl. You make every day magic, but Christmas especially.
- Happy Christmas to my brilliant boy. I’m so proud of you.
- Whatever’s under the tree, you’re the best present I’ve ever had. Love you lots.
Christmas Card Messages For Friends
- Merry Christmas to a friend who’s always had my back. Let’s see each other more next year.
- Happy Christmas! I’m so glad we found each other.
- Thank you for being such a good friend this year. Wishing you a cosy Christmas.
- Merry Christmas! I owe you a catch-up and a big cuppa. Let’s make it happen in the new year.
- To my friend, who makes the hard days easier and the good days better. Merry Christmas.
- Sending you a hug (and a mince pie) this Christmas.
Funny Christmas Card Messages
For the friends and family who’ll appreciate a joke.
- Merry Christmas! I hope Santa’s been kinder to you than the shop queues have been to me.
- Wishing you a Christmas with fewer cooking disasters than mine.
- Happy Christmas. May your turkey be juicy and your relatives be on their best behaviour.
- Merry Christmas to someone who I’d happily share the last roast potato with. That’s love.
- Hope your Christmas is merry, your sprouts are tolerable and your pudding is on fire for all the right reasons.
- Merry Christmas! Eat, drink and be merry, and eat again.
- Don’t worry, I’ve kept the receipts.
Christmas Card Messages For Neighbours, Colleagues And Teachers
For neighbours
- Merry Christmas to the best neighbours. Thank you for being so kind to us this year.
- Wishing you a lovely Christmas from next door.
For colleagues
- Merry Christmas! Thank you for a great year working together. Enjoy the break.
- Happy Christmas to a brilliant colleague. You’ve earned a good rest.
For teachers
- Thank you for everything you’ve done this year. Merry Christmas and enjoy a well-earned break.
- Thank you for being such a kind and patient teacher. Wishing you a happy Christmas.
Christmas Card Messages For Someone Having A Hard Christmas
Christmas isn’t easy for everyone, and a simple card can mean a lot. Keep it gentle, and don’t tell them to cheer up.
- Thinking of you this Christmas. I’m here whenever you want a chat, or a cuppa, or just some company.
- No pressure to be merry. I’m just sending you lots of love.
- I know this Christmas might feel different. I’m thinking of you, and I’m only a message away.
- Wishing you moments of peace this Christmas, and a bit of comfort when you need it.
Christmas Quotes For Cards
A few lines that suit a card and are well-loved for a reason. These ones are from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
- “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
- “A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!”
- “God bless us, every one!”
Short Christmas Poems For Cards
Little rhymes you can write inside a card. I wrote these myself, so you can use them for your own cards without worrying about copying anyone.
A cosy one
The tree is up, the lights are bright, the kettle’s on, the fire’s alight. Wishing you warmth, and love, and cheer, a merry Christmas, and a happy year.
For family
The best bit of Christmas, I think you’ll agree, is gathering round with the people we see. So here’s to the laughter, the food and the fun, and a Christmas with love for every one.
For a friend
A card to say thank you, a hug to send, for being the kind of friend I can depend. I hope that your Christmas is merry and light, with good food, good company and a cosy night.
A funny one
I’ve eaten the chocolates, I’ve wrapped every gift, I’ve lost all the sticky tape (that’s the real drift). But I’m sending you love and a very warm cheer, so merry Christmas, and see you next year!
For children
Santa’s checking his list, and so I hear, you’ve been a good one for most of the year. So leave out a carrot, a mince pie or two, and have a merry Christmas, from me to you.
For someone far away
Though we’re not together, and miles lie between, you’re in my thoughts this Christmas scene. I’ll pour a cuppa and think of you, and send my love, the whole way through.
For neighbours
Merry Christmas to those who live next door, for being such kind neighbours, and so much more. Wishing you comfort and good cheer, and all the best for the coming year.
A short and sweet one
Warm wishes at Christmas, wherever you are, whether you’re close by, or very far.
How To Write A Christmas Card Message
- Write a draft first. Use pencil, or a scrap of paper, especially if you’re nervous about spelling or handwriting. I always do.
- Start with the person. Use their name. A card that says “Dear Sarah” always feels warmer than one that doesn’t.
- Keep it short. Two or three lines is plenty. Nobody wants to read an essay while the kettle boils.
- Add one thing that’s specific. A memory, a thank you, a joke you share. That one line makes a card feel like it came from you.
- Don’t stress about perfect. A handwritten card that’s a bit wonky is worth more than a shop-bought message in perfect print.
- Sign off warmly. “Love”, “Lots of love”, “Thinking of you” or just your name, whichever feels like you.
Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve found something to write in your cards. The message doesn’t need to be clever. It’s the fact that you took five minutes to write something by hand that people remember.
What do you usually write in your Christmas cards? Do you go for a poem, a joke or a simple “Merry Christmas”? Let me know in the comments!