Wishes
Merry Christmas Wishes
Every December the same few phrases go around: merry and bright, joy and peace, all the best. They are fine, but they rarely sound like you. This page collects more than 100 original Christmas wishes written to be sent as they are or tweaked with one detail: short texts, warm notes for family and friends, messages for the person you love, for someone spending the holidays far away, for a friend who had a rough year, and wishes that cover Christmas and New Year in one go.
Tap Copy or Send and add a name. Need something more specific? See what to write in a Christmas card, Christmas wishes for friends, for family, for coworkers and clients (including inclusive Happy Holidays messages), funny Christmas wishes and religious Christmas wishes. For the week after, go to New Year wishes.
Below the list you will find a simple way to write your own Christmas message, when to mail cards and send texts, and how to choose between Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Merry Christmas wishes for anyone on your list 15
Christmas reminds us that the light comes back even on the shortest days. I hope a little more of it finds you every day this season.
Merry Christmas! I hope your house is warm, your coffee is strong and your people are close.
This year went by fast, but you were one of the good parts of it. Wishing you a Christmas as kind as you are.
I hope this Christmas gives you the one thing nobody can wrap: a few quiet hours with nothing to fix, nowhere to drive and nobody waiting on an answer.
Sending you warm socks, cold cookies and a very merry Christmas.
Here's to a Christmas that smells like pine and cinnamon and sounds like your favorite people laughing in the next room.
Thank you for being part of my year. I hope your holidays are full of small, perfect moments you'll still remember in July.
Merry Christmas! May the only thing on your to-do list today be enjoying it.
Whatever this year handed you, I hope Christmas hands you a soft blanket, a good movie and the people who make it all feel lighter.
Some gifts are under the tree and some are sitting around the table. I hope you get plenty of both this Christmas.
Thinking of you as the lights go up. Have a beautiful, unhurried Christmas.
I hope this Christmas is the kind where you lose track of time in the best way: too much food, too many stories and nobody checking the clock.
Christmas has a way of slowing everything down for a few days. I hope you let it. Put the phone away, eat the extra cookie, and say yes to every board game. You've earned a merry one.
Merry Christmas from our home to yours. Thank you for every kind word, borrowed ladder and wave across the street this year.
Happy holidays! I hope the season brings you rest, warmth and at least one great surprise.
Short Christmas wishes for texts 15
Merry and bright, just like you. Merry Christmas!
Cozy socks on, phone off, people you love nearby. That's my Christmas wish for you.
Wishing you a Christmas with more naps than errands.
Peace on earth, cookies on the counter. Merry Christmas!
Hope Santa reads your list very carefully this year.
Thinking of you this Christmas Eve. Sleep well and wake up to something wonderful.
Merry Christmas! Thanks for making this year better just by being in it.
Sending holiday hugs your way. Save me a cookie.
Have the merriest Christmas, and don't let anyone rush you through it.
Hot cocoa, twinkle lights and good company. Enjoy every bit of it.
From our crazy house to yours: Merry Christmas and lots of love.
Hope your tree is bright and your wrapping paper runs out at exactly the right time.
Christmas morning coffee tastes better when you know someone's thinking of you. I am.
Joy, rest and a second slice of pie. That's the plan. Merry Christmas!
Happy holidays! Hope this week is as warm as your kitchen.
Christmas wishes for family 14
Mom, every Christmas I've loved started with you up early, getting everything ready while the rest of us slept. This year let someone else do the dishes. Merry Christmas. I love you.
Dad, thanks for every crooked tree you insisted was perfect and every string of lights you untangled without a single complaint. Okay, a few complaints. Merry Christmas.
Mom and Dad, you gave us Christmases that felt magical even in the years I know money was tight. I understand now how much work that was. Thank you, and Merry Christmas.
Grandma, nothing says Christmas to me like your kitchen on December 24. Thank you for every cookie and every story. Love you so much.
Grandpa, Merry Christmas to the man who taught me how to hang lights, carve a ham and tell a story that gets better every year.
Sis, we still fight over who gets to open the first present, and I hope we never stop. Merry Christmas to my favorite partner in crime.
Merry Christmas, little brother. You're taller than me now, but I'm still the one who knows where Mom hides the gifts.
Sweetheart, when you were little you'd sit by the window watching for Santa. Now I'm the one watching the driveway for your car. Can't wait to have you home. Merry Christmas.
Son, the house gets louder and happier the minute you walk in. Merry Christmas, and drive safe on your way home.
To all of us crowded around one table that's definitely too small: you are my favorite people. Merry Christmas to the loudest, kindest family I could ask for.
Merry Christmas, little one! Be good, go to sleep early, and listen for reindeer on the roof.
Thank you for always having room at your table and a gift with my name on it, even in the years I showed up empty-handed. Merry Christmas.
To my cousin and forever kids'-table buddy: Merry Christmas! Same seat next to you this year?
Merry Christmas to the daughter-in-law who made our family bigger and better. We're so glad you're one of us.
Christmas wishes for friends 12
Thank you for being there through the good months and the strange ones. Merry Christmas, you deserve it more than anyone I know.
Every year I make a list of what I'm grateful for, and every year you're on it, usually in the top three behind coffee and my mom. Merry Christmas, best friend.
Merry Christmas to my favorite person to text about absolutely nothing.
Here's to another year of friendship that survived busy calendars, bad weather and at least one questionable karaoke night. Merry Christmas!
You're the friend who always remembers the little things. I hope someone remembers all of yours this Christmas.
Ugly sweater on? Good. Now go have the merriest Christmas.
Our holiday coffee date is one of my favorite traditions. Same booth, same order, next week? Merry Christmas until then.
We don't see each other nearly as often as we should, but every time we do, it's like no time has passed. That's rare, and I'm grateful for it. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you and the whole crew. I hope the kids sleep past six. I know, I know. A person can dream.
Thanks for being my person this year. Merry Christmas, friend.
To my neighbor and friend: thanks for the shoveled sidewalk, the porch chats and that famous fudge. Merry Christmas!
I hope this Christmas finally gives you the break you keep postponing for everyone else.
Christmas wishes for the one you love 10
My favorite part of Christmas isn't the tree or the gifts. It's waking up next to you on the 25th. Merry Christmas, love.
Our first Christmas in our own place, with a tree that leans a little left. It's perfect, and so are you.
To my wife: you make every holiday feel like home, even the year we spent it in a hotel with a microwave turkey dinner. Merry Christmas. I'd choose you every December.
To my husband, who wraps presents like a raccoon but loves like nobody else: Merry Christmas. You're my favorite gift.
Merry Christmas, beautiful. All I want under the tree this year is more time with you.
Thank you for making this the coziest December I can remember. Merry Christmas to my favorite person to share a blanket with.
Another Christmas, another year of building a life with you. The tree gets a few more ornaments every year, and I love the story each one tells about us.
Our first Christmas together. I'm already planning the next fifty. Merry Christmas.
No gift beats a quiet morning, two coffees and you. Merry Christmas, love.
We spent this year apart more than I'd like: flights, shifts, long days. This Christmas, let's turn off every screen and just be home. I love you.
For someone far away this Christmas 10
The miles are long, but the video call is free. Let's open presents together on Christmas morning. Merry Christmas from home.
We'll set out your stocking anyway. It doesn't feel like Christmas without you, so we're keeping a little bit of you here.
Different time zones, same Christmas. Thinking of you and sending all my love across the miles.
To everyone working through the holidays, in hospitals, on the road, in uniform or behind a counter: thank you. We'll save you a plate and a seat. Merry Christmas.
To our service member far from home: the tree is up, your ornament is front and center, and we're counting the days. Merry Christmas. We're proud of you.
Your first Christmas in a new city. I hope you find a good diner, a kind neighbor and a reason to smile. Call me when you can.
Even from across the country, you're part of every toast we make tonight. Merry Christmas.
I can't make it home this year, but I'm baking your recipe, playing your music and missing you a lot. Merry Christmas.
The box is in the mail and my heart is right there with it. Merry Christmas from far away.
Wherever you're waking up on Christmas morning, I hope it's somewhere warm and that you know you're missed back home.
For someone having a hard Christmas 8
I know this Christmas feels different. You don't have to feel merry. I'm just a text away, any hour.
This is your first Christmas without your dad, and I know his chair will feel very empty. I'm thinking of you and remembering how he always sang louder than everyone during carols.
This year asked a lot of you. I hope the holidays give you a little rest and remind you how loved you are.
If the big family dinner feels like too much this year, that's okay. I'll bring takeout and a movie, no questions asked.
Holidays can feel heavy after a loss. Take them at whatever pace feels right, and lean on us whenever you need to.
I won't tell you to have a merry Christmas. I'll just say I'm glad you're here, I'm proud of how you made it through this year, and I'm saving you a seat on the 26th if you want company.
Not expecting a reply. Just leaving a little warmth in your inbox this Christmas.
Sending you warmth for the quiet moments and patience for the loud ones. One day at a time.
Short Christmas poems for cards 8
The tree is lit, the cocoa's hot, the ribbons are a tangled knot. But all I'm wishing, if I may, is you, right here, on Christmas Day.
The snow is soft, the night is still, a candle glows on every sill. May peace come knocking at your door and stay a while, and then some more.
We've baked and wrapped and lost the tape, the cookies came in every shape. Whatever mess December brings, with family, it's the best of things.
My gift to you is not a sweater, nor anything that's even better. It's simply this, with all my cheer: you're stuck with me another year.
A star on top, a light below, a quiet street beneath the snow. I hope this Christmas, warm and bright, brings all you need on Christmas night.
Leave the cookies, leave the milk, put on pajamas soft as silk. Close your eyes and count to ten, and Santa's sleigh will come again.
The fire's warm, the night is long, the radio plays our favorite song. Of all the gifts the year could send, you are the best one, love and friend.
Some carols, some candles, some cookies to share, and people who love you right there in their chair.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year wishes 10
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! I hope the warmth of this week follows you well into January.
A cozy Christmas now and a fresh start in a week. Here's to both, and to you.
Happy holidays! Rest up at Christmas, then go make the new year yours.
Thank you for everything this year gave us together. I can't wait to see what the next one brings. Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
As this year wraps up with the presents, I hope you keep the best parts of it, let go of the rest, and walk into the new year with a little more courage than you had last January. Merry Christmas.
Season's greetings and best wishes for a peaceful, healthy and genuinely good new year.
Merry Christmas now, champagne next week. Enjoy them both!
From all of us to all of you: Merry Christmas, and may the new year bring more Sunday dinners together.
Late to the party, as usual, but here with every good wish for the new year and a hug for the Christmas I missed.
Merry Christmas! Let's make plans for January before we both forget. Happy New Year too.
Search all Christmas wishes
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How to write a Christmas message that doesn't sound like everyone else's
By December 24 most people have read the same greeting dozens of times. The message they remember is the one where they recognize themselves. You don't need to be a writer for that; you need three small parts.
- A name and one detail. Something only the two of you share: a tradition, a moment from this year, a running joke.
- A thank-you or an observation. One sentence about what this person meant to you this year. The end of the year is a natural time to say it.
- A wish that fits them. Instead of "all the best," wish what they actually need: a quiet week after a busy fall, an easy first Christmas with the baby, a smooth move into the new place.
Then close with a short holiday line: Merry Christmas, Happy holidays, or Love you, see you on the 25th.
Worked example
"Linda, your banana bread got our whole street through that long power outage in February. Thank you for being that kind of neighbor. I hope your Christmas is warm, loud and full of grandkids, and that the new kitchen is finally finished." It has a detail, a thank-you and a wish that could only be for Linda. That is the whole trick.
Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?
Both are kind, and most people are glad to get either. A simple rule of thumb:
- Merry Christmas for people you know celebrate it: family, friends, neighbors you've swapped cookies with.
- Happy holidays or Season's greetings for clients, a whole team, a mailing list or anyone whose traditions you don't know. It covers Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year in one phrase.
- Religious wording (the birth of Christ, blessings, prayer) for people who share your faith. Our religious Christmas wishes page is written for exactly that.
If someone wishes you Merry Christmas and you don't celebrate, a warm "Thank you, and happy holidays to you" is all you need.
When to send Christmas cards and messages
| Format | When to send | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Mailed cards (within the US) | First half of December | Mail gets slower in the last two weeks before Christmas. Check the Postal Service's holiday shipping dates each year. |
| Cards abroad or to military addresses | Late November to early December | International and APO/FPO mail needs extra time. |
| Work emails and team messages | The last working days before the break | Send before people go on vacation, not on the 25th. |
| Texts to friends and family | Christmas Eve or Christmas morning | Morning texts get read before the gift chaos starts. |
| Late greetings | Up to New Year's Day | Combine Christmas and New Year in one message and don't over-apologize. |
Matching the message to the person
- Parents and grandparents: nostalgia works. Mention a childhood Christmas, a recipe, an ornament that still goes on the tree.
- Siblings and close friends: mix one sincere sentence with one joke. Pure sentiment can feel strange between people who mostly tease each other.
- A partner: be specific about this year together. "Our first tree in the new apartment" beats any general line about love.
- Someone grieving or having a hard year: skip "merry." Acknowledge that the season can be heavy and offer something real: a call, a visit, a plate of cookies.
- Coworkers and clients: short, inclusive and grateful for something concrete.
Mistakes to avoid
- The group text with 40 strangers. Send individual messages or use a group whose members already know each other.
- The year-in-review brag. A holiday letter can share news, but keep it about the reader as much as about you.
- Copying a famous quote without a word of your own. Add one sentence that only you could write.
- Misspelled names. Double-check spelling, especially for in-laws and new partners. It matters more than any clever line.
- Signing only your first name on cards to people who know several Jennifers. Add a last name or "and family."
Christmas wishes: all parts
Save the birthdays of the people you love – we remind you the day before and that morning, with wishes ready to send.
Sign in and saveHave a lovely wish of your own? Sign in and suggest it – we publish the best ones with your name.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Christmas wish?
A good Christmas wish is short, warm and specific: name one thing you appreciated about the person this year and wish them something they actually need, like rest, a cozy day at home or an easy trip. For example: 'Thank you for all the Sunday calls this year. Have a slow, cozy Christmas.'
How do you say Merry Christmas in a unique way?
Swap the stock phrase for a detail: 'Hope your tree is still standing and your cookies survived the dog,' or 'Wishing you a Christmas that smells like cinnamon and sounds like your favorite people.' A specific image always feels more personal than a generic greeting.
What do you write in a Christmas text message?
One or two sentences that fit on a phone screen: a greeting, a personal touch and a sign-off. 'Merry Christmas, Sam! Thinking of you and the great year we had. Talk soon.' Send it on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.
Should I say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?
Say Merry Christmas to people you know celebrate it and Happy holidays to clients, groups or anyone whose traditions you don't know. Both are polite, and most people appreciate any warm greeting.
When should I send Christmas cards?
Mail cards within the US in the first half of December, and international or military cards by early December. Texts and calls are best on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.
How do you wish someone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in one message?
Give each holiday its own wish: comfort and warmth for Christmas, hope and fresh starts for the New Year. For example: 'Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! May the coziness of this week last well into January.'
What do you say to someone who is having a hard Christmas?
Acknowledge that the season can be difficult, avoid telling them to cheer up, and offer something concrete. 'I know this Christmas feels different. I'm thinking of you and I'm free on the 26th if you want company' means more than a cheerful card.