Card messages

What to Write in a Holidays Card

A general holiday card is the one you send when you'd rather not assume which holiday someone celebrates — or when you simply want to greet the whole season warmly. "Happy holidays" is welcoming by design: it reaches friends, clients, and far-flung family without leaving anyone out. This guide gives you inclusive, genuine wording for every corner of your list. If you're marking a specific holiday, see the Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or New Year guides for tailored wishes.

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How to write it

Lead with warmth, not a specific holiday. The whole strength of a season's greeting is that it includes everyone. "Wishing you a warm and restful season" lands gladly with anyone, while a religion-specific line might miss. When you don't know how someone celebrates, inclusive is the kind choice.

Add a personal thread where you can. Generic warmth is fine, but a single specific line lifts it — gratitude for a year of friendship, a nod to a shared memory, a wish for something you know they're hoping for. For clients and coworkers, a sincere thank-you for the working relationship does that job well.

Let the season's real feeling carry it. Beneath the wrapping, this time of year is about rest, connection, and looking back and ahead. A wish for peace, good company, and a gentle close to the year rings truer than another round of generic cheer. Keep it short and human.

Warm general greetings

Inclusive wishes that suit nearly everyone.

Wishing you a season full of warmth, good company, and a little well-earned rest. Happy holidays.
Here's to the lights, the quiet mornings, and the people who make this time of year feel like home. Happy holidays.
May your season be merry, your days be peaceful, and your heart be full. Warmest wishes to you and yours.
Sending you joy for the season and bright hopes for the year ahead. Happy holidays.
Wishing you all the comfort and good cheer the season can hold. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones.
However you celebrate, may these days bring you peace, laughter, and the people you love most close by.

For clients and business

Warm but professional notes for working relationships.

Thank you for a wonderful year of working together. Wishing you and your team a happy, restful holiday season.
We're grateful for your trust and partnership this year. Warmest wishes to you for a bright holiday season.
Happy holidays from all of us. It's been a genuine pleasure working with you, and we look forward to the year ahead.
Wishing you a season of well-deserved rest and a new year full of success. Thank you for your continued partnership.
As the year winds down, thank you for being such a valued part of it. Happy holidays to you and yours.
Sending warm holiday wishes and sincere thanks for everything we've built together this year.

For friends far away

Closing the distance when you can't be together.

The miles are longer this time of year, but you're close in my thoughts. Happy holidays, my friend.
Wishing I could celebrate the season beside you. Until then, sending all my warmth across the distance.
However far apart we are, you're on my list of favorite people every single holiday. Thinking of you fondly.
Sending holiday love over all those miles. I hope your season is bright and your new year even brighter.
Distance can't touch how much I think of you this time of year. Happy holidays from afar.
Here's to the friends who stay close no matter the map. Wishing you a wonderful season.

Short and sweet

Quick, warm lines for cards and quick notes.

Happy holidays and a bright new year!
Warmest wishes for a peaceful season.
Season's greetings to you and yours.
Wishing you joy, rest, and good company.
Happy holidays from our home to yours.
May your season be merry and bright.

Funny holiday wishes

Lighthearted lines for friends and family who'll laugh.

Happy holidays! May your coffee be strong and your family gatherings mercifully short.
Wishing you a season of joy, peace, and the willpower to survive the buffet table. Happy holidays!
Season's greetings! May your gifts fit, your batteries be included, and your in-laws be on their best behavior.
Happy holidays! Here's hoping the only thing re-gifted this year is good cheer.
May your holidays be calorie-free and your bank account survive the gift list. Best of luck. Cheers!
Wishing you a season so cozy you forget to check your email. Happy holidays!

End-of-year reflection

A thoughtful close to the year for the people who matter.

As this year ends, I'm grateful you were part of it. Wishing you a season of rest and a new year full of good things.
Looking back, the best parts of this year had you in them. Thank you, and happy holidays.
Another year, more memories, and a friendship I don't take for granted. Wishing you peace as it closes.
However this year treated you, I hope its final days are gentle and its next chapter is kind. Happy holidays.
Here's to closing the year with gratitude and opening the next with hope. So glad to share both with you.
Wishing you a quiet, full-hearted end to the year and every good thing the next one can bring.

Quick tips

When unsure, stay inclusive. "Happy holidays" and "season's greetings" welcome everyone. If you don't know how someone celebrates, the inclusive choice is the warm one.
Add one personal line. A single specific note — gratitude, a shared memory, a wish you know they're hoping for — lifts a general greeting out of the generic pile.
Thank, don't sell, in business cards. A client holiday card is for genuine gratitude, not a pitch. A sincere thank-you for the partnership leaves a far better impression than a promotion.
Use a specific guide when you know. If you're certain someone celebrates a particular holiday, a tailored Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or New Year message will feel more personal than a general one.

Frequently asked questions

When should I write happy holidays instead of a specific greeting?

Use "happy holidays" when you're unsure how someone celebrates, when you're writing to a broad group, or when you simply want to greet the whole season warmly without leaving anyone out.

What's a good holiday message for clients?

Lead with gratitude: "Thank you for a wonderful year of working together. Wishing you and your team a happy, restful holiday season." It's warm, professional, and never feels like a sales pitch.

What's a short, inclusive holiday greeting?

"Warmest wishes for a peaceful season and a bright new year." It fits any card, suits anyone on your list, and works whether or not you know how they celebrate.

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