Christmas Card Messages: 100 Ideas for Family, Friends and Work

The photo is the easy part. Then you sit in front of a stack of cards and the pen stops. This list collects 100 Christmas card messages you can copy as they are or adapt, grouped by who the card is for. Pick one that sounds like you, add a name, and you're done.

Short Christmas card messages

Short messages work on photo cards, where there's room for one line under the picture.

1. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
2. Wishing you joy, peace and love this season.
3. Warmest wishes for the holidays.
4. Peace, love and plenty of cookies.
5. Merry everything and happy always.
6. Sending you holiday cheer.
7. May your days be merry and bright.
8. Wishing you a cozy Christmas.
9. Joy to you and yours.
10. Happy holidays from our home to yours.
11. Love and light this Christmas.
12. Here's to a wonderful year ahead.

Messages for family

13. Merry Christmas! Being together is the best gift of all.
14. No matter how far apart we are, you're always home for Christmas in our hearts.
15. Thank you for every laugh, every hug and every second helping this year.
16. Wishing our favorite people the merriest Christmas.
17. From our crazy family to yours: Merry Christmas!
18. Christmas isn't the same without you. We can't wait to celebrate together.
19. Grateful for you this Christmas and always.
20. May your home be full of laughter and your plate full of pie.
21. To the best parents anyone could ask for: Merry Christmas, with all our love.
22. For our grandparents: thank you for the traditions we still love. Merry Christmas!
23. Happy first Christmas as a family of three!
24. Our family grew this year, and so did our gratitude. Merry Christmas!

Messages for friends

25. Merry Christmas to the friend who feels like family.
26. Cheers to another year of friendship. Merry Christmas!
27. Wishing you a Christmas as fabulous as you are.
28. You're on my nice list, always.
29. Let's make more memories in the new year. Merry Christmas!
30. Thanks for being my favorite person to celebrate with.
31. Miss you this Christmas. Coffee in January?
32. Hope your holidays are full of good food and better company.
33. To many more years of ugly sweaters together.
34. Merry Christmas! Let's never stop being this ridiculous.

Funny Christmas card messages

35. We were going to send fruitcake, but we like you too much.
36. Merry Christmas! Our family photo took 47 tries. You're welcome.
37. Santa, define "good".
38. Eat, drink and be merry. Diet starts in January. Probably.
39. Wishing you a Christmas with more presents than calories.
40. Our elf on the shelf quit. Merry Christmas anyway!
41. Dear Santa, I can explain.
42. May your coffee be strong and your relatives be few. Just kidding! Mostly.
43. The cookies were for Santa. The crumbs are ours.
44. This card counts as a visit, right?
45. Sleigh all day. Merry Christmas!
46. Yule be glad to know we're thinking of you.

Messages for coworkers

47. Happy holidays! It's been great working with you this year.
48. Wishing you a restful break and a great start to the new year.
49. Thanks for all your help this year. Enjoy the holidays!
50. Here's to another year of great teamwork.
51. Season's greetings, and may your inbox stay empty until January.
52. Wishing you and your family a peaceful holiday season.
53. Thank you for making work feel a lot less like work.
54. Enjoy a well-earned break. Happy holidays!

Messages for clients and businesses

55. Thank you for your trust this year. Wishing you happy holidays.
56. Season's greetings and best wishes for a successful new year.
57. It's been a pleasure working with you. Warm wishes for the holidays.
58. Thank you for being part of our story this year. Happy holidays from all of us.
59. Wishing you peace and prosperity in the new year.
60. We're grateful for clients like you. Happy holidays!

Religious Christmas card messages

61. May the peace and joy of Christ be with you this Christmas.
62. Celebrating the birth of our Savior. Merry Christmas!
63. "For unto us a child is born." Wishing you a blessed Christmas.
64. May the light of the star of Bethlehem guide you this season.
65. Wishing you the hope, peace and love of Christmas.
66. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace. Merry Christmas.
67. May God bless you and your family this Christmas and always.
68. Rejoice! Christ is born. A blessed Christmas to you.

Romantic messages for a partner

69. My favorite gift is you. Merry Christmas, love.
70. All I want for Christmas is you, every year.
71. Under the mistletoe or anywhere else, I'm glad it's with you.
72. Our first Christmas together, and the first of many.
73. You make every season feel like Christmas.
74. Thank you for another year of loving me through all my holiday playlists.

Messages from (or for) the pet

75. Happy Howlidays from Max!
76. Meowy Christmas and a Happy Mew Year!
77. I've been a very good boy. Mostly. Merry Christmas!
78. Fur-ever grateful for you. Merry Christmas!
79. Have a pawsitively wonderful Christmas.
80. Santa Paws is coming to town!
81. Wishing you a treat-filled holiday season.
82. Season's greetings from the whole pack.

Messages for a new baby's first Christmas

83. Our littlest elf is celebrating a very first Christmas!
84. A new star on the tree this year. Merry Christmas!
85. Our greatest gift arrived this year.
86. Baby's first Christmas, and our happiest one yet.
87. Twinkle, twinkle, little star: Merry Christmas from our growing family.

Messages for someone who is grieving

88. Thinking of you this Christmas and sending love.
89. Holding you close in our thoughts this holiday season.
90. We know this Christmas is hard. We're here for you.
91. Remembering [name] with love this Christmas.
92. Wishing you moments of peace and comfort this season.

New Year add-ons

Add one of these after your main message.

93. Cheers to the new year!
94. Here's to health and happiness in the year ahead.
95. May the new year bring you everything you wish for.
96. See you in the new year!
97. Here's to new adventures together.
98. Wishing you twelve months of happiness.
99. Out with the old, in with the joy.
100. Bring on the new year!

How to write your own message

Before

After

• Lead with the person. Mentioning something specific ("our beach trip", "your new job") makes any message feel personal.
• Keep it short on photo cards. One line plus a sign-off reads best under a picture. Save longer notes for the inside of a folded card.
• Sign it the way they know you. "Love, the Garcias" or "Love, Anna, Tom, Lily and Max (the dog)" both work.
• Match the tone to the photo. A silly photo booth strip pairs well with a funny line; a candlelit family portrait with a warm one.

Turn your message into a card

Once you have the words, you can make the card itself from a photo you already have. Upload a family photo to the AI Christmas card generator, type your greeting, and it's placed on a finished card design, ready to print or send. Popular designs include the classic family Christmas card and a playful pet Christmas card for messages from the dog.

Before

After

Need the steps from upload to printing? Follow our photo-to-Christmas-card guide. If you still need a photo idea, browse 12 family Christmas looks.