How to Write a Holiday Card in English

With so many different holidays coming up, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to send your best wishes to your closest friends and family. If you're not a native speaker, it may be difficult to figure out exactly what to say and how to say it. When you’re first learning English, it helps to know some words and phrases that might help you complete a task such as this. So we’ve broken down exactly how to write someone a holiday card in English. Take a look!

Step 1: Buy a card

It may seem like an obvious step, but it’s always nice to pick out a festive and exciting holiday-themed card. You could just hand-write a letter on a plain white piece of paper, but why not get a card covered in snowflakes and tinsel? It’s definitely more exciting and it shows that you put some thought into picking out the right card. You could even make a card with a holiday picture of you and your family.

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Step 2: Write an introduction

It’s a good idea to include the date in the top corner of the card, just in case it takes a bit of time to make it to its destination. You don’t want anyone to think you wrote it at the last second!

Always include the recipient’s name. You can use one of the following introductions:

• Dear Patrick,
• Hi Patrick!
• To Patrick,
• My darling Patrick,

Step 3: Fill in the body of your card – make it personal!

This is the heart of your message, so it’s always nice to make it thoughtful and personalize it. A simple, “happy holidays” is always nice, but it may seem like you are sending the exact same card to everyone. Writing a meaningful message shows that you wrote this card especially for them.

Some examples of a personal message would be:

• Wishing you and your family happy holidays.
• Thinking of you! Hope you have a wonderful holiday!
• I’m so happy to have a friend like you. Wishing you a happy holiday.
• One of the best parts of the holidays is getting to see you! Looking forward to seeing you soon.
• I’m excited to have lots of fun with you over the holidays.

Step 4: Sign your love and well wishes

Be sure to sign the card with your warmest and most sincere wishes. A simple, “From (blank)” will do, but why not go that extra step and really show them that you care during holiday season?

Some examples of a heart-felt closing would be:

• Warmest wishes for the holidays
• With love
• Hugs and kisses
• All my love
• Wishing you the best

Step 5: Send it on its way!

The final step? Send your card. Be sure to send it early, as mail sometimes takes longer to reach its destination during the holiday season. Check that you have the right number of stamps and mail it through the post.