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Holiday postcard messages for family, friends and neighbors

A holiday card does not need a folded card, an envelope and a newsletter. A postcard with one good photo and three honest lines gets read at the mailbox and kept on the fridge. Here are messages you can borrow, sorted by who the card is for.

A raccoon in sunglasses lounging on a beach chair with a cocktail
A card front made from one line: a raccoon in sunglasses on a beach chair, cocktail in hand

A shape that works

  1. One moment from your year. Not the whole year. One thing.
  2. A wish for theirs. Make it specific to them if you can.
  3. A plan. A visit, a call or a promise to do better at keeping in touch.

For close family

  • "This was the year Sam learned to swim and I learned to parallel park. Wishing you a slow, warm December. See you on the 26th."
  • "The tree is up and already leaning. Thinking of you both this week. Save us some pie."

For family far away

  • "It is not the same without you at the table. We are setting a place anyway. Video call on Christmas morning?"
  • "Sending some of our snow to your palm trees. We miss you. Summer is ours."

For friends

  • "Another year, and I still have your casserole dish. Happy holidays. I will return it in person in January."
  • "Hope your holidays are full of naps and free of airports. Dinner in the new year, my treat."

For neighbors

  • "Thank you for the borrowed ladder, the tomatoes and the wave every morning. Happy holidays from next door."
  • "Warm wishes from the house with too many lights. Come by for cocoa."

For clients or coworkers

  • "Thank you for a good year of working together. Wishing you a restful break."
  • "Grateful for your patience and your good humor this year. Happy holidays to you and your family."

What to put on the front

  • The outtake. The photo where the dog left the frame and the toddler is crying is the one people love.
  • One real moment. The first snow, the burnt cookies, the lights going up.
  • No photo? Describe a scene in one line, such as "our cat tangled in the tree lights", and pick a style.

Send it early

December mail is slow. postcards.lol sends by USPS First-Class Mail, and most cards arrive 3–5 business days after printing, so making your cards in the first half of December leaves room for delays. A card that arrives between Christmas and New Year is still welcome: call it a New Year card.

Ready? Make a holiday postcard, or go straight to the card builder.