Happy Holidays Messages: 55 Warm Wishes for Anyone

“Happy holidays” covers the whole stretch of the year’s end, from the first lights in late November to the first days of January, and it lets you wish someone well without guessing which of those days matter most to them. It is the natural choice for a neighbor whose traditions you don’t know, a client list, a friend who doesn’t celebrate Christmas, a family that celebrates more than one holiday, or a card that is really about the new year. It isn’t a lesser wish. Written with care, a non-religious message can be every bit as warm as a Christmas one.

A note for Britain and Ireland: there, “holidays” usually means a vacation, so “Happy holidays” can sound American. “Season’s greetings” is the familiar form, and the older “Compliments of the season” is still seen on cards.

Happy holidays messages for cards

Wishes that work for almost anyone on your list.

Happy holidays! Wishing you warm rooms, good company and a few quiet evenings to yourself.
However you mark the season, may it be bright, restful and full of the voices you like best.
Happy holidays from the yellow house on the corner, with every good wish for the months ahead.
Wishing you a season of long walks in cold air, and hot drinks after.
Happy holidays. May the weeks ahead bring you rest, light and something good to read.
Here’s to the shortest days of the year and the warmest evenings. Happy holidays.
May your holidays be gentle, your table generous and your calendar mostly empty.
Happy holidays to all of you, from the four of us and one very spoiled dog.
Thinking of you as the year winds down. Happy holidays, and may the new one treat you kindly.
Wishing you a holiday season with more laughter than to-do lists.

Season’s greetings messages

A slightly more traditional form, at home on cards in all three countries.

Season’s greetings, with warm wishes for peace and good health in the new year.
Season’s greetings from all of us. May the coming year bring you good news and good company.
With the compliments of the season, and our best wishes for the year to come.
Season’s greetings, and thank you for your friendship this year. It has meant a great deal.
Warmest season’s greetings from a snowy corner of Vermont.
Season’s greetings! May the winter be kind to you and the spring come early.
Sending season’s greetings, and the hope that you find a little stillness in the busiest month of the year.
Season’s greetings to a family we’re very glad to know.

Happy holidays messages for friends

For friends close and far, old and new.

Happy holidays, Jess. Same plan as every year: you bring the board games, I’ll lose them all.
Wishing my favorite people a happy holiday season. Let’s have the January dinner we always talk about, for real this time.
Happy holidays to the friend who remembers my coffee order and my bad days.
However you’re spending the break, I hope there’s a good blanket, a long film and no alarm set.
Happy holidays! Thank you for the walks, the late-night texts and the advice I actually took this year.
Sending you the warmest wishes for the holidays and a new year full of good surprises.
Happy holidays from across town. Let’s make the most of the long evenings with a pot of soup and far too much talking.
To friends old and new: happy holidays, and thank you for making this year lighter.

For neighbors and the people on your street

Happy holidays to our neighbors at number 9. Thank you for the shoveled path and the friendly waves.
Wishing the whole street a peaceful season. It’s a lovely place to come home to.
Happy holidays, and thank you for keeping an eye on the house while we were away in October.
From the people with the overenthusiastic porch lights: happy holidays, and sorry about the glare.
Happy holidays to the neighbors who lent us a ladder, a cup of sugar and a great deal of patience this year.
A warm holiday wish for everyone on Maple Lane.

For clients, customers and business contacts

For a small business, a studio or a freelancer writing to the people who kept them going. For colleagues inside the office, see our notes for the people you work with.

Happy holidays, and thank you for your trust this year. We look forward to working with you in the new year.
With warm wishes for the holiday season, and sincere thanks for your business.
Season’s greetings from all of us at the studio. Your projects were some of our favorites this year.
Thank you for being such a loyal customer of our shop. Wishing you a restful holiday season.
Happy holidays from the whole team. We hope the new year brings you success and some well-earned quiet.
With thanks for good work together, and every good wish for the holidays.

Winter wishes with no holiday named

For a card that simply celebrates the season itself: frost, long nights, the year turning.

Wishing you frost on the windows, warmth inside and a sky full of stars on the longest night.
May the dark evenings be cozy and the first light of the new year come soon.
Here’s to mittens drying on the radiator and a pot of something simmering on the stove.
Happy winter! May it be slow, bright and kind to you.
As the days begin to lengthen, we send you our warmest wishes.

For families who celebrate more than one holiday

For households that light more than one kind of candle in December.

Happy Hanukkah and merry Christmas to the whole family. Eight nights and one tree: what a house!
Wishing you every holiday you celebrate, and all the good food that comes with them.
Happy holidays to a family that lights candles, hangs stockings and makes room at the table for everyone.
Whatever is on your calendar this December, I hope each day of it is a happy one.

Wishes that look toward the new year

For a card that leans on the year ahead. For many more, see our wishes for the turn of the year.

Happy holidays, and here’s to a fresh, kind new year.
Wishing you a peaceful end to this year and a hopeful start to the next.
Happy holidays. May the year ahead bring good health, good news and fewer emails.

Short happy holidays lines

When there’s only room for one line and a name.

Warm wishes for a happy holiday season.
Happy holidays, and a happy new year to come.
Peace and light this season.
Rest well, and happy holidays.
With every good wish for the season.

When to write “happy holidays”, and when not to

When you don’t know. If you’re not sure whether someone celebrates Christmas, a seasonal wish is the kind choice, and very few people mind being wished happy holidays.

When you do know. If a friend loves Christmas, wish them a merry one. Seasonal wishes are for including people, not for avoiding a word that would make them happy. Our main collection of card messages has Christmas wishes in every tone.

When the card is for many people. Business cards, team cards and cards to a whole street usually work best with a seasonal greeting.

When it’s late. A card that leaves after Christmas can carry “Happy holidays” or a New Year wish without needing an apology.

On Paper Lantern’s Christmas cards, you can choose “Season’s Greetings” as the greeting at the top of the card instead of “Merry Christmas”. The scenes in our New England collection, like a red covered bridge over a winter stream, are wintry rather than religious.

Questions

Is “happy holidays” rude?

No. It’s a warm, widely used wish that includes everyone who celebrates something at the end of the year. If you know someone prefers “Merry Christmas”, use that instead.

Is “Season’s greetings” old-fashioned?

A little, in the best way. It’s common on printed and business cards, and in Britain and Ireland it is the usual non-religious greeting.

Can I write “happy holidays” in a Christmas card?

Yes. Plenty of people choose a Christmas card for its picture and write a seasonal message inside. A wintry scene with no religious imagery suits a seasonal wish best.

What’s the difference between “happy holidays” and “season’s greetings”?

Very little in meaning. “Happy holidays” sounds more American and more casual; “Season’s greetings” is a touch more formal and travels better to the UK and Ireland.