Short answer
A Christmas card greeting has three parts: a salutation, a message of one to three lines, and a sign-off. Match the wording to the recipient. Use "Merry Christmas" for people who mark the holiday. Use "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" when you do not know the recipient's beliefs. Add a handwritten line under the printed message.
Religious greetings
"Merry Christmas" is the standard greeting in the US, Canada and Australia. "Happy Christmas" is common in the UK and Ireland. "Blessed Christmas" and "Rejoicing in the birth of Christ" suit church communities and clergy. "Feliz Navidad," "Joyeux Noël" and "Frohe Weihnachten" work for recipients who speak those languages.
Secular greetings
"Happy Holidays" covers Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year. "Season's Greetings" is neutral and dates from the 19th century. "Warm wishes for the new year" fits cards sent between Dec. 26 and Jan. 6. For a recipient who marks no holiday, "Thinking of you this winter" is a plain option.
Inside the card
- Salutation: "Dear Ana," or "Hi Ana." Use first names for friends and family.
- Message: one or two sentences. Name a shared event from the year, such as a move, a birth or a new job.
- Sign-off: "Love," "With love," "Best wishes," "Warmly" for people you know. "Yours" or "Sincerely" for people you do not.
- Signature: sign by hand under the printed name. Add both names for a couple. Add children's names on family cards.
Forms of address
Use titles on a first card to someone you have not met: "Dear Dr. Okafor," "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lane," "Dear Rabbi Stern," "Dear Reverend Marsh." Drop the title after the recipient invites you to. For envelopes, write "The Okafor Family," "Dr. and Mrs. Lane," or one name per line. Do not use "Mr. and Mrs." for two people with different surnames.
Business cards
Business cards carry the company name, a short message and a signature from a named employee. Avoid religious language unless the organization is religious. Post domestic business cards in the first week of December. Include a return address and a job title.
Timing and mailing
The first commercial Christmas card was printed in London in 1843 for Sir Henry Cole. About 1,000 copies were made and each sold for one shilling. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History holds a copy.
Send domestic cards in the first week of December. USPS First-Class Mail treats a card as a letter if it measures at least 3.5 by 5 inches and 0.007 inch thick. Square cards and cards larger than 6.125 by 11.5 inches cost more to mail. Cards over 1 ounce need extra postage.
Royal Mail publishes recommended posting dates for UK and international Christmas cards each year. The dates change, so check the current list before you post.