What to Write in a Business Holiday Card

Write two or three sentences: thank the person for something real from this year, wish them a good season, and close with a warm sign-off. Keep the message about them, not your company, and leave out offers and sales talk. If you don't know that everyone on your list celebrates Christmas, use "happy holidays" or "season's greetings" instead of "Merry Christmas."

Below are a simple formula, messages you can use as written for each kind of recipient, and what to leave out.

A simple formula

1. Greeting. Happy holidays, season's greetings, or Merry Christmas if it fits your list.
2. Thanks. One line about the relationship, as specific as you can make it.
3. Wish. Something for the season or the year ahead.
4. Sign-off. Warmly, With gratitude, or All the best, then your firm's name.

Put together: Happy holidays! Thank you for trusting us with your business this year. We wish you and your family a restful season and a great start to 2027. Warmly, everyone at [Firm Name].

Messages for clients

• Thank you for your trust this year. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy, happy new year.
• Working with you is one of the best parts of our year. Happy holidays from all of us at [Firm Name].
• We're grateful for clients like you. Wishing you peace, rest and good things in 2027.
• Thank you for being with us this year. We hope your holidays are full of the people and things you love.
• Season's greetings, and thank you for choosing [Firm Name]. We look forward to another year together.
• From our team to yours, happy holidays and thank you for a great year.

Messages for long-time clients

• Another year, and we're still grateful for every one of them with you. Happy holidays.
• Thank you for so many years of trust. It means more than a card can say. Wishing you a joyful season.
• Clients like you are the reason we love this work. Warm wishes for the holidays and the year ahead.

Messages for new clients

• This was our first year working together, and we're glad it was. Happy holidays, and thank you for choosing us.
• Welcome to [Firm Name]. We're grateful you're here and look forward to many more seasons together.

Messages for referral partners and vendors

• Thank you for every introduction this year. We take good care of the people you send our way. Happy holidays.
• Good partners make the work better. Thank you for yours, and best wishes for a great 2027.
• We couldn't do what we do without partners like you. Wishing your whole team a wonderful holiday season.

Non-religious holiday messages

For a client list that spans different faiths, these keep the warmth without assuming a holiday:

• Season's greetings and best wishes for the new year.
• Wishing you a peaceful holiday season and a bright year ahead.
• Warm wishes for a restful season with the people who matter most.
• Here's to a happy, healthy and successful new year. Thank you for being part of ours.

Christmas messages

If you know your recipients celebrate Christmas, or your firm always sends Christmas cards:

• Merry Christmas and thank you for a wonderful year. We hope your holidays are filled with joy.
• Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy new year from everyone at [Firm Name].
• May your Christmas be merry and your new year bright. Thank you for your trust.

New Year messages

A New Year card arrives after the December rush, which is a good way to stand out:

• Happy New Year! Thank you for a great 2026. We're looking forward to what 2027 brings.
• Here's to a fresh start and a strong year ahead. Thank you for being our client.

A line about your charity

Each year, we donate at least 10% of net proceeds from greeting card sales to charity. When you customize your card, you pick any IRS-recognized 501(c)(3). Some firms name it in the message:

• This year, our holiday cards support [Charity Name].
• In the spirit of the season, our cards this year support [Charity Name], a cause close to our team.

Read how our charity program works.

What to leave out

• Sales offers, discounts and referral requests. They turn a thank-you into an ad.
• A year-in-review about your company.
• Politics, and religious language beyond the greeting you've chosen.
• Inside jokes only some recipients will get.
• Long paragraphs. Past three or four sentences, people skim.

Printed message or a handwritten note?

For a long list, print the message so every card is consistent and ready to mail. For your closest clients, add a one-line handwritten note above it. That line is what people remember.

Writing for a specific industry

Insurance agencies have their own guide, with messages for personal and commercial clients, clients who had a claim this year, and referral partners: holiday card messages for insurance agencies.

Save time on the mailing

If you're sending to 100 or more people, we can print, address and mail your holiday cards for you. Every envelope is addressed with a real ballpoint pen. It costs $2.25 to $4.75 per recipient before postage, with larger mailings at the low end. Postage is USPS First-Class at cost.

When to send

Aim for your cards to arrive in the first two weeks of December. Our guide on when to send business holiday cards has the mail-by dates.