The festive season is a joyful time for many; a true cause for celebration. Christmas is the time of year to express gratitude, and sending a personalized message out to those who matter to you is the perfect sentiment.
Finding the right wording isn’t always easy – especially when you’re planning on sending out Christmas cards (ecards, we hope!) to a variety of people who hold a special place in your life.
So, whether you’re planning on sending out a message to your colleagues, customers, or your nearest and dearest – we’re here to help shed some light on different greeting messages to write inside your Christmas cards this holiday season. Read on to discover what to write inside a Christmas card…
The history behind Christmas messages
If you’ve ever wondered about the origin story of Christmas messaging, you aren’t the only one.
Although hard for the younger generations to believe, Christmas wasn’t always a cheerful time. In fact, Christmas was illegal during the mid-16th century for well over a decade. However, lucky for us, the restoration of the festive period resumed by 1660 – and spreading the festive cheer became common once again.
We’ll save delving into the rich history of Christmas for another time and skip to 1843. This is when the first-ever Christmas card and message was created by Henry Cole. The greeting was simplistic and straight to the point, reading “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you”.
Happy Christmas or Merry Christmas?
Since then, it’s become pretty common to see either “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Christmas” written on a Christmas card. Which greeting seems normal to you will depend on where you’re from.
The term ‘Merry Christmas’ is more commonly used in the United States, whereas you’ll likely hear ‘Happy Christmas’ used around Europe. There is no right or wrong, so use the phrasing that you prefer the most!
Some might prefer to spend additional time adding a personalized touch to their Christmas cards – but finding the right or appropriate wording can prove difficult for some. We’ve provided some examples below, depending on the Christmas card recipient.
Writing a Christmas message to acquaintances
Writing to an acquaintance can be tricky. You don’t know them well enough to consider them a friend, but you do know them well enough that if you weren’t to say anything – it could be considered ill-mannered.
Whether the recipient is a friendly neighbor or someone you once went to school with, we would recommend keeping it short and sweet with a generalized message. This way, you’ll be able to send it out to all your acquaintances!
Here are some examples below:
Merry Christmas to you. I hope that the festive season brings you joy and happiness!
Happy Christmas to you. Sending love and warmth to you and your family.
Merry Christmas. May your holiday sparkle with joy and laughter.
Happy holidays from our house to yours.
Writing a Christmas message to your boss
Generally speaking, you’ll want to keep a Christmas message to your boss warm and somewhat ‘professional’ – without appearing aloof. This, of course, depends on the relationship that you have with your boss.
If you’re unsure, our advice would be to show that you have an appreciation, but do not overthink it. We’ve provided some commonly used phrases to use when writing a Christmas message to your boss below:
Happy holidays to a superb mentor – looking forward to doing great work together in the New Year.
Wishing you and your family a terrific holiday period.
Our team wouldn’t be the same without you. Merry Christmas!
Thank you for being a great boss. Sending happiness and warmth to you over the Christmas period.
Merry Christmas – enjoy the break. Looking forward to what next year has in store!
Writing a Christmas message to colleagues
It is likely that you spend much more time liaising with your colleagues than your boss. The relationship you have with them will depend on a person by person basis, however, here are some “safe” phrases that are commonly used when writing a Christmas message to a colleague:
Merry Christmas. I wish that we are blessed with another superb year working together!
Wishing you a Christmas that is merry and bright.
Wishing you a fantastic Christmas. Thank you for being a great colleague.
What a great year it has been. I hope that you have the best Christmas and thank you for being a great colleague and friend.
Merry Christmas to you and your family. I hope you have a wonderful time – you deserve it!
Writing a Christmas message to loved ones
Writing a Christmas message to loved ones is a much more personal affair. Generally speaking, you may want to write a personal heartfelt message or include jokes that only those involved would understand.
When writing a Christmas message to a loved one, we would recommend taking some time out to think about what you are grateful for in the relationship. This will make it easier to create a worthwhile message that can be appreciated.
Writing religious sentiments
If you’re planning to express gratitude on Christmas for an individual with religious beliefs – knowing which religion the person belongs to would be a good place to start. This is one of the many reasons why using an ecard is the best course of action, as you’ll be able to personalize the card fully as opposed to struggling to find a fitting paper card version!
If you’re unsure of their religious affiliation, consider not wording the sentiment around religion – as some people do not celebrate Christmas. We’ll cover some widely followed religions below.
Jewish
Hanukkah is the Jewish alternative to Christmas, so If you want to send a seasonal card out to Jewish friends – you’ll need to send a happy Hanukkah card.
Hanukkah, like Christmas, is a time where people of the Jewish religion come together to express gratitude for their blessings – but it does not hold the same importance as Christmas would for others (theirs would be Yom Kippur). Nowadays, it’s common for Jewish people to get together with family and/or friends to spend time together, however, there are no “holiday traditions” in particular on the 25th of December.
The dates for this holiday can vary, but celebrations for Hanukkah will take place somewhere between the end of November to late December time.
Here are some common holiday phrases used in cards on this occasion:
Happy Hanukkah.
Chag Sameach (which means “happy holidays” in Hebrew).
Wishing you a season of peace.
May your Hanukkah be filled with unexpected blessings.
Wishing your family peace and light this holiday season.
Wishing you a bright and meaningful Hanukkah.
Islam
If you know people who are followers of Islam – you needn’t send a Christmas message because it is not celebrated. However, if you have close friends of this religion who you would like to express gratitude to – consider composing a thoughtful message during the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr, which is commonly referred to as the “Muslim equivalent to Christmas”. Families will get together during this time to express gratitude.
It’s worth noting that the celebration of this holiday can vary in terms of dates, usually falling somewhere in May. Here are some commonly used phrases that align with the Islamic celebration of Eid Al-Fitr:
Eid Mubarak!
May God give you happiness, Happy Eid Mubarak to you all.
May this special day bring peace, happiness and prosperity to you and your loved ones.
May Allah’s blessings be with you today, tomorrow, and always. Eid Mubarak!
Christianity
Generally speaking, people who belong to the Christian faith will celebrate Christmas at the “normal” time, starting from the 24th of December.
Here are some thoughtful and conscious phrases that are commonly used to write inside Christmas cards on this occasion:
May God bless you and let the Christmas season bring comfort and joy to you and your loved ones.
The glorious Christ child was born in a manger on this night. Wishing you a merry Christmas as we rejoice and show gratitude.
Let the Lord send good tidings and the angels ring with joy. Wishing you peace and happiness this Christmas!
In Christ alone – wishing you peace and prosperity this Christmas.
Send a personalized Christmas ecard this year
There are so many advantages to choosing an ecard for Christmas this year. Whether it’s for your business or personal use, we offer an extensive range of services when it comes to ecards.
eCard Shack is here to help your business with our selection of high-quality ecards – you can quickly create your own design using our eCard design tool with a choice of designs and personalisation available, choose from our range of Premium eCards or get your bespoke Christmas business eCard, designed from scratch for your business which will be unlike any other.
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