Warm Christmas message ideas
Christmas Day falls on December 25. For Christians it celebrates the birth of Jesus, and for many other people around the world it has become a time of family dinners, decorated trees, fairy lights and gifts, whatever their beliefs. The figure of Santa Claus is often traced back to Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop of Myra, a town on the southern coast of today's Turkey. Through December, many cities string up lights and set up Christmas markets, so for a lot of people it feels less like a single day and more like a whole season.
Whether the person you're writing to celebrates Christmas for its faith, for its traditions or simply for the lights, a few sincere lines can mean a lot, especially if you're spending the holidays apart. Below you'll find five tips for making your message personal, examples in three tones (short, heartfelt and playful), and answers to a few common questions. If you'd like your words to arrive with something to do, Wishwiff's Deck the tree lets the other person hang the ornaments, put the star on top and switch on the lights before your note appears. Nobody needs an account or an app.
How do you write a Christmas message that feels personal?
- Think about how they celebrate. For someone whose Christmas is about faith, a wish for a peaceful and joyful Christmas feels right; for a friend who simply loves the season, lean into the tree, the lights and the snow.
- If they grew up with another language, add a greeting in it. 'Frohe Weihnachten', 'Joyeux Noël' or 'Feliz Navidad' takes seconds and shows you made the effort.
- Match their traditions and their clock: in Germany, Poland and much of Europe the big evening is December 24, while in the UK and the US it's Christmas morning. Mind the time difference if they live abroad.
- If you're apart this year, say so plainly, then bring in one shared memory, like a Christmas market you wandered through together or a dinner that ran late.
- When you're writing to someone who may not celebrate Christmas, like a new business contact, 'Happy holidays' or a warm New Year wish suits everyone.
Example messages
Copy the one you like and send it as it is, or change it into your own words.
Short and warm
Merry Christmas! Hope your table is loud with laughter tonight.
Wishing you a winter as bright as your tree lights. Merry Christmas! 🎄
Far away, but thinking of you this Christmas. With love.
Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a healthy new year.
Heartfelt
Every time I see a Christmas tree, I think of that lopsided one we decorated together. My heart is with you again this year.
There are a lot of miles between us tonight, but you'll be the first person I think of when the lights go on. Merry Christmas.
Thank you for sharing your family's Christmas traditions with me. This year I get to celebrate them with you.
On a night full of lights, what I wish for most is your happiness. I'm so glad you're in my life. ✨
Playful
Santa tells me you've been good this year. I have my doubts, but Merry Christmas anyway! 🎅
I thought about knitting you a Christmas sweater, then decided to spare us both. Merry Christmas!
I passed your wish list on to Santa. Be patient; apparently he runs a bit late at houses without a chimney.
Here's hoping Christmas dinner leaves you too full to get off the sofa. Save room for dessert!
On Wishwiff
Wishwiff's Christmas template is Deck the tree. In a cosy room on a snowy night, the recipient opens the ornament box and drops five ornaments anywhere on a bare pine tree; each one hangs from the nearest branch, and the porcelain one carries their name and the year. Then they carry the star to the top: the lights come on, a music box plays Jingle Bells and three gifts drop under the tree. You pick the ornament colours and warm white or multicoloured lights; your message comes last.
Common questions
When is Christmas celebrated?
Christmas Day is December 25, and in many countries the celebration starts the evening before, on Christmas Eve. Some Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar celebrate it on January 7.
Where does the Christmas tree tradition come from?
Bringing a decorated evergreen indoors at Christmas is usually traced to Germany, and the custom spread widely in the 19th century. Glass ornaments and, later, electric lights gave us the tree most people picture today.
Can I send the tree to someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas?
Yes. Deck the tree is also one of Wishwiff's New Year templates. The experience is the same, but the words on screen say Happy New Year instead of Merry Christmas, so pick whichever suits the person you're sending it to.
How will I know they decorated the tree?
Your private tracking page shows whether the celebration was opened, whether they hung the ornaments and put the star on top, and any thank-you emoji they sent back. Nothing personal is collected from them, and the celebration is permanently deleted after 7 days.