The personal touch
A Christmas card can be two lines, and most should be. The ones people keep on the mantelpiece have one real thing in them: a moment from this year, a plan for the next, a line only you would write.
For family
Happy Christmas, Mum and Dad. Thank you for a year of Sunday lunches and sensible advice. See you on the 24th.
To my favourite sister. This year was better with you nearby. Here's to more walks and fewer group chats.
For friends
Merry Christmas to you all. That weekend in Whitstable was the best bit of my year. Let's book the next one.
Wishing you a cosy Christmas and a new year full of good news. Can't wait to see you in January.
For a colleague or neighbour
Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a very happy new year. Thank you for everything this year.
Happy Christmas from number 12. Thank you for taking in all those parcels.
For someone far away
Missing you this Christmas. Raising a glass to you on the day, and counting down to your visit.
Short ones for a long list
- Wishing you a happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.
- Thinking of you all this Christmas, with love.
- Merry Christmas, and here's to a wonderful year ahead.
- Warmest wishes for Christmas and the new year.
For someone having a hard Christmas
The first Christmas after a loss, an illness or a break-up can be the hardest day of the year. Leave out "merry". A gentle line is enough.
Thinking of you this Christmas, and remembering Pat with you.
Signing it
Sign it the way you always do. From a couple or a family, put everyone's names, or "love from all four of us". Nobody minds a dog's name either.
What to leave out
- A whole year's news squeezed into the margins. Save it for a phone call.
- Anything about how busy you've been.
