Need warm Christmas and New Year wishes for family, friends, or colleagues? Find examples for the perfect card here.
The holiday season is enchanting, offering a chance to be with those you cherish, celebrate, and enjoy festive activities. There are numerous essential Christmas tasks, including capturing a family portrait, baking gingerbread men, adorning a Christmas tree, and shopping for presents.
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The story behind sending Christmas cards
Christmas holds great religious significance for Christians and is officially observed in most English-speaking countries on December 25th.
While it is a religious celebration commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas has evolved into a cultural festivity for many, incorporating secular traditions like gift exchanges, sending festive cards, anticipating Santa Claus, singing carols with family, and preparing Christmas pudding. These customs not only vary from country to country but also from one family to another.
The tradition of sending Christmas cards dates back to 1843 in the UK, initiated by Sir Henry Cole, a senior civil servant. Seeking to promote the use of the Public Record Office (now the Post Office), he collaborated with his friend, artist John Horsley, to create the first cards, sold for a shilling. Advances in printing methods later reduced the cost to half a penny, making Christmas cards widely popular and spreading the tradition across Europe by 1990. Today, sending holiday cards remains a prevalent tradition, with some families including a family photo or a letter detailing their experiences from the past year.
What to write in a Christmas card
Designing holiday cards provides an excellent opportunity to express gratitude, offer encouragement, and convey warm wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. However, articulating thoughts and feelings can be challenging. Therefore, we’ve compiled useful tips and examples to assist you in initiating your writing and creating your upcoming Christmas card.
Start with Christmas greetings
Start your card with a brief and heartfelt greeting, serving as a festive way to address the recipient. Traditional opening lines may consist of simple Christmas salutations, such as:
- Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
- Have a holly, jolly Christmas!
- Merry Christmas with a lot of love!
- Merry Christmas!
- Unwrap yourself a joyful Christmas!
- Ho ho ho, hope you’ve been good this year!
- Happy Holiday!
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Compose personalized Christmas messages
For a close friend or family member, share a heartfelt Christmas and Happy New Year message, making it more personal by mentioning specific details about their life or upcoming events. Here are some examples:
- On this most blessed day, I extend my wishes for love to surround you for all your kindness. May the New Year bring you countless days of happiness.
- The most cherished gift I could wish for this year is the opportunity to share time together. I eagerly anticipate celebrating the holidays with you.
- I want to express the profound importance of our friendship. Thank you for standing by me during one of the most challenging periods of my life. Wishing you happy holidays!
- This season transcends mere parties and presents. May your Christmas be filled with genuine miracles and a true understanding of the magic within this time.
- Sending warm Christmas wishes to the most genuine person I’ve ever known. Stay blessed!
- May the coming year bring you abundant joy. Although I’ll miss you, I hope we continue to enjoy many more years as friends, celebrating numerous Christmas Eves together.
Business New Year wishes
When composing Christmas cards for colleagues, employees, or business partners, maintain a professional tone in your message, especially if you are writing on behalf of your company. Express gratitude for their support and contributions.
- While we are diligent at work, it’s time to celebrate Christmas, so let’s revel even more. Merry Christmas to all our hardworking employees!
- With the Holiday Season here, we reflect on the past year and those who have significantly contributed to our business. We highly value our relationship with you and look forward to continued collaboration in the coming year. Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with peace, joy, and prosperity.
- Season’s Greetings from everyone at [Company’s Name]! May your holidays be filled with joy and blessings.
- We extend our gratitude for your business and wish you the very best in the upcoming year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We are delighted to have you as a client and anticipate serving you in the coming year.
- Our company takes pride in having all of you onboard. Wishing you a joyful Christmas season.
- As the year concludes, there is no greater joy than expressing our heartfelt season’s greetings and good wishes to you. May your holidays and the New Year be filled with joy.
Explore concise Christmas quotes.
Utilize special quotes to spread the enchantment of the holiday season. Share cheerful quotations with friends or family to inspire and reflect your festive spirit.
- From one home to another, from heart to heart, the warmth and joy of Christmas bring us closer. — Emily Matthews
- Those who lack Christmas in their hearts will never find it beneath a tree. — Roy L. Smith
- Whether old-fashioned or modern, my notion of Christmas is simple: loving others. — Bob Hope
- The essential elements for a truly joyous Christmas are gifts of time and love. — Peg Bracken
- The value of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than its price. — Charles Dudley Warner
- Our livelihood comes from what we receive, but our life is shaped by what we give. — Winston Churchill
- Christmas entails doing a little extra for someone else. — Charles Schulz
Remember to add your signature to your Christmas card. Employ an informal closing for your New Year wishes to family and friends, and opt for a more professional one for business cards.
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I am Nilay, an experienced English Language Assessment Director at the International English Test, where I have been working full-time since February 2020. I specialize in helping people worldwide validate their English proficiency through comprehensive assessments and certifications.
Before joining the International English Test, I worked as a self-employed English Language Assessment Consultant from January 2015 to December 2019. During this time, I assisted companies and individuals in improving their language skills, helping them achieve their academic and professional goals.
I hold a degree in Engineering and have also studied at Shafston International College in Australia. My educational background has equipped me with the tools to make a meaningful impact in the field of English language learning. Additionally, I enjoy sharing my expertise through articles that explore effective teaching methods and language assessment strategies, contributing to the International English Test and the broader assessment community.