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How to Write Christmas & New Year's Greetings in English (With Examples)
Not sure how to write Christmas and New Year greetings in English? Or are you just tired of the same old "Merry Christmas! Love, (your name)"?
You're not alone! Our students often ask us to help them write holiday greetings that are more fun and creative. So, we’ve put together the following guide for both writing and saying holiday greetings. We’ve also included some samples at the end.
Remember that Engoo tutors are available 24/7 to help you write your greetings!
Basic Greetings
“Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”?
Christmas is now celebrated by people around the world, regardless of their religion. For example, in the US, lots of people who aren't Christian still celebrate it. However, some people dislike being wished a “Merry Christmas” because of the day’s Christian origins.
So if you don’t know how the recipient feels about Christmas, simply use “Happy Holidays.” Since December is full of holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years, “Happy Holidays” conveniently includes them all!
In more formal messages, you’ll also see people write “Seasons Greetings!”
“Happy New Year!”
On December 31st and the first few days of January, people will wish each other a “Happy New Year!”
However, people sometimes combine the two big holidays into one greeting (especially in greeting cards): “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”
How to Customize Basic Greetings
Now that you know about basic greetings, let’s look at how to customize them.
An easy way to do this is by using different adjectives. For example, you can say, “Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!”
Some adjectives you can use are:
- Beautiful
- Delightful
- Exciting
- Fabulous
- Fantastic
- Festive
- Joyful
- Lovely
- Magnificent
- Peaceful
- Wonderful
- Successful
Classic Greetings
In addition to the basic greetings above, there are lots of other classic holiday card expressions you can use (and customize to fit your specific greeting).
“Wishing you …”
In writing, the basic greetings often start with an expression like “Wishing you ….” For example:
Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Wishing you a lovely holiday season!
Wishing you a magical holiday season and a fantastic new year!
“Best wishes”
"Best wishes" is also a good phrase to use in combination with holiday greetings. For example:
Best wishes for the new year!
Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!
Instead of “Best wishes,” you can also say the following:
- Warm wishes
- Warmest wishes
“Enjoy”
Finally, don’t forget that you can simply tell people to enjoy the holidays.
Enjoy your holiday!
Enjoy your winter break! (if you're writing to students)
Hope you enjoy the holidays with your loved ones!
Hope you enjoy this special time of year.
Mention the Family
Remember that year-end holidays are often spent with others. That means you might want to include family and friends in your greetings.
“To You and Your Family”
Most of the time, we write greetings to not just one person, but also their family.
Although you can list everyone by name, it’s more common to simply say “you and your family.” For example:
Best wishes to you and your family this holiday season and in the coming year!
“To You and Your Loved Ones”
Instead of “you and your family,” it’s also common to say “to you and your loved ones.” “Loved ones” includes anyone who is important to the recipient. For example:
Wishing you and your loved ones health and happiness this holiday season!
“To You and Yours”
You can also just say “to you and yours,” which has the same meaning as the previous two options. For example:
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Other Useful Phrases
“End the year on a good note”
This phrase is an example of the many music idioms English speakers use every day.
In this case, we're comparing the final days of the year to the final notes of a song. So "ending on a good note" is finishing in a positive or hopeful way.
This expression is also used with different adjectives:
Hope you end the year on a positive note!
Hope 2025 ends on a cheerful note!
May you end this year on a bright note!
“Filled with“ or “Full of”
When you send someone a holiday greeting, you're hoping that their holidays are “filled with” or “full of” things they like. For example:
Wishing you a holiday season filled with happiness and special moments!
Hope your holidays are filled with laughter and champagne!
Have a merry Christmas and a new year full of delightful surprises!
This phrase is perfect for adding some personal flair. For example, you can wish someone “a new year filled with bubble gum and bungee jumping” if those are the things they like. That means each message will be unique!
In more formal messages, this phrase is often used with the structure “May … be ….”:
May your holidays be filled with happiness and special moments.
May your holidays be full of joy and laughter!
“Here’s to a … “
This expression is often used when making a toast. However, you can also use it in your greetings to make them brighter and more cheerful. For example:
Here’s to a wonderful holiday season!
Here’s to a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
Here’s to ending the year on a merry note!
Here’s to a great year ahead!
Sample Greetings
Now it’s time to combine all of the tips above.
Greetings for Friends and Family
You might see something like the following in a card:
Dear Joe,
Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!
xoxo,
Your sister
You might see something like this in a text message:
Hey Matt, Just wanted to wish you a joyful Christmas and a fantastic new year! Can’t wait to see you in the coming year!
In addition to holiday greetings, it’s common to remind the recipient to relax. For example:
Dear Rachel,
It’s been a busy year for you! I hope you can end the year on a more relaxing note.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Best wishes,
Brian
You can also use your greeting card to thank the recipient for something they’ve done for you this year.
Dear John,
Thanks again for always helping me in science class. I hope your holidays are filled with fun and the year ahead is full of exciting science projects for the both of us!
All the best,
Luke
Professional Greetings
Here’s a message you can write to a business partner:
Dear Ben,
It’s been a pleasure working with you this year. Here’s to another year of successful collaboration!
Happy holidays to you and yours,
Jake
Here’s something you can write to a coworker:
Dear Grace,
Thanks to your passion and dedication, our team has reached new heights this past year. Enjoy the holidays and see you next year!
Warmly,
Jun
Here’s a message you can write to a client:
Dear Bill and the team at ABC Instruments,
We were able to reach our milestones for this year thanks to your support. We look forward to continuing this partnership, and we extend our sincerest holiday wishes to your team.
Here’s to an even better year to come!
Pat and everyone from XYZ Industries
Wrap-up
We hope this has given you an idea of some of the many ways to send greetings this holiday season! If you need help writing your own, remember that Engoo tutors are available around the clock to help you.
In the meantime, happy holidays and may the next year be full of joy and stronger English!
