Christmas Messages for Coworkers: 85 Ideas for the Holiday Card

What to write in a Christmas card for a coworker

The simplest formula: thank-you + moment from the year + wish for the break. For example: “Thank you for rescuing [the October launch]. I still don’t know how we made that deadline. Have a cozy Christmas, and see you in January.” Then adjust with these five habits.

• Thank them for one thing from this year. A project, a favor, a rescue before a deadline. One specific line is what turns a holiday card into their card.
• Keep it to two or three sentences. A Christmas card isn’t a performance review: a thank-you, a wish for the break and your name are enough.
• Match the relationship. Jokes for the coworker you share snacks with, warm and simple for someone you mostly see at all-hands meetings, formal for a client.
• Say “happy holidays” when you’re not sure. If you don’t know whether they celebrate Christmas, a season’s greeting is just as warm and works for everyone.
• Sign so they know it’s you. Your first name is enough in a small team; add your team or office in a big company or on a group card.

What to avoid in a work Christmas card

• jokes about age, salary, weight or anyone’s behavior at the holiday party: the card may be read out loud;
• religious messages for a coworker whose beliefs you don’t know;
• complaints about the year, the workload or management, even as a joke;
• a bare “Merry Xmas!”: add one sentence that only you could have written.

The messages below are starting points: keep the structure, change the details, and replace whatever is in [brackets].

For a close coworker (and friend)

The coworker you vent to, share snacks with and message when a meeting runs over. Name one moment from this year that only the two of you would recognize.

1. Message #1

   [Name], this year had more fire drills than I can count, and somehow we laughed through most of them. Merry Christmas, friend. You’ve earned a quiet week.

2. Message #2

   Our 4 p.m. trips to the vending machine kept me sane all year. Have the merriest Christmas, and save me a spot in line in January.

3. Message #3

   Thank you for every “you okay?” message you sent when you saw my face in a meeting. You notice things, and it matters. Merry Christmas.

4. Message #4

   I’m adding [inside joke from this year] to my list of the best moments of the year, right next to working with you. Merry Christmas!

5. Message #5

   Some people find a good coworker. I found a good coworker who also shares their fries. Lucky me. Merry Christmas, [Name]!

6. Message #6

   Thank you for proofreading my panicked emails, talking me down before big presentations and celebrating the small wins with me. Have a beautiful Christmas.

7. Message #7

   The year-end crunch was a lot less scary with you at the next desk. Merry Christmas, and enjoy every slow morning of the break.

8. Message #8

   I hope Santa brings you everything on your list, including the comfortable chair facilities keeps promising. Merry Christmas, friend!

9. Message #9

   Sitting across from you this year meant fewer bad days and a lot more good ideas. Have a merry Christmas with the people you love.

10. Message #10

    You knew when I needed a pep talk and when I needed a chocolate. You were right both times. Merry Christmas, [Name].

Christmas messages for the whole team

For the team card, the team chat on the last day before the break, or a toast at the holiday party. Written to everyone at once, so any teammate can post it.

1. Message #11

   To the best team I could ask to spend my weekdays with: Merry Christmas! Thank you for the help, the patience and the very questionable office playlist.

2. Message #12

   We closed the year with [project], a holiday party nobody will forget and a break room full of cookies. Not bad, team. Merry Christmas to all of you!

3. Message #13

   Last day before the break! Thank you all for a year of good ideas, quick fixes and shared deadlines. Have a merry Christmas and a proper rest.

4. Message #14

   Every one of you helped me at some point this year, usually without being asked. That’s rare. Merry Christmas, team.

5. Message #15

   Happy holidays to everyone who answered my “quick question” this year. All [number] of them. Thank you, and have a wonderful break.

6. Message #16

   From one very grateful teammate: thank you for every hand-off, every second pair of eyes and every saved Friday. Merry Christmas, everyone!

7. Message #17

   Whatever you celebrate and wherever you’re spending it, I hope your break is warm, slow and full of people you love. Thanks for a great year, team.

8. Message #18

   A big thank-you to [team] for the late nights in [month], the wins in [month] and the cookies all December. Merry Christmas, all of you!

Christmas wishes for your boss or manager

Thank them for one concrete thing from this year, keep it warm but professional, and skip the flattery. The last two suit a more formal workplace.

1. Message #19

   Thank you for the clear direction this year, and for telling us the “why” behind the big decisions. It made the work easier to believe in. Merry Christmas!

2. Message #20

   You gave me room to run [project] my way and stepped in only when I asked. That trust meant a lot. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas.

3. Message #21

   Thank you for answering my questions at 9 a.m. and my panics at 5 p.m. with the same patience. Happy holidays!

4. Message #22

   Thank you for celebrating our wins in public and handling the problems in private. Merry Christmas, and I hope your break is a real one.

5. Message #23

   Thank you for pushing for the extra headcount, the better laptops and that Friday afternoon off. We noticed. Merry Christmas!

6. Message #24

   Thank you for staying calm in [month] when everything was on fire. It kept the rest of us calm too. Happy holidays.

7. Message #25

   Thank you for remembering the small things: birthdays, kids’ names, how the move went. It makes a big difference. Merry Christmas!

8. Message #26

   Wishing you a restful holiday season and a successful new year. Thank you for your guidance and support throughout the year.

9. Message #27

   Season’s greetings, and thank you for your leadership this year. It has been a privilege to be part of your team.

From a manager to the team: thank you for the year

Name what the team achieved, thank them for how they did it, and let them switch off. If you write individual cards, add one detail per person, as in the message that starts with [Name].

1. Message #28

   We launched [project], welcomed [number] new people and still found time for the holiday party. Thank you, team. Now go enjoy Christmas.

2. Message #29

   I get the credit in the meetings, but you do the work that earns it. Thank you for everything this year. Merry Christmas to every one of you.

3. Message #30

   Thank you for the way you supported each other this year, especially in [month]. That’s the part I’m proudest of. Happy holidays, everyone.

4. Message #31

   Your work this year made my job easy and our clients happy. Enjoy the break with the people who matter most. Merry Christmas!

5. Message #32

   A personal note for each of you didn’t fit in one card, so here’s the short version: thank you, I noticed, and it mattered. Happy holidays.

6. Message #33

   [Name], your work on [project] set the standard for the whole team this year. Thank you, and have a very merry Christmas.

7. Message #34

   Thank you for every extra hour you gave during the year-end crunch. I don’t take it for granted. Have a restful, joyful holiday season.

8. Message #35

   Next year has big plans, but they can wait. For now: thank you, well done, and Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Funny Christmas messages for coworkers

Tease the job, the meetings and the office traditions, never the person. Keep it kind enough to be read out loud, and add a sincere line if you can.

1. Message #36

   Merry Christmas! I’d tell you what I got you for Secret Santa, but that information is still classified.

2. Message #37

   This year we survived [number] reply-all chains, two printer meltdowns and one fire drill in the rain. Merry Christmas, fellow survivor.

3. Message #38

   May your Christmas be as full as the break room fridge the day after the holiday party.

4. Message #39

   I’ve decided you’re my favorite coworker. Please don’t tell the others, they also gave me cookies.

5. Message #40

   Wishing you a Christmas break almost as long as our last all-hands meeting.

6. Message #41

   I hope Santa brings you a printer that works on the first try. Dream big. Merry Christmas!

7. Message #42

   Thank you for laughing at my jokes in meetings, even the ones that weren’t jokes. Merry Christmas!

8. Message #43

   Merry Christmas! I hope your presents are better wrapped than our last project hand-off.

9. Message #44

   To my partner in emptying the cookie tin in the break room before 10 a.m.: Merry Christmas. No regrets.

10. Message #45

    Ho ho ho, and a reminder that the ugly sweater contest results are final. Merry Christmas, [Name]!

Short Christmas messages and one-liners

When you’re one signature among thirty, or you mostly know them from the elevator. One sincere line beats a forced paragraph.

1. Message #46

   Merry Christmas! It’s been great working with you.

2. Message #47

   Thanks for all your help on [project]. Merry Christmas!

3. Message #48

   Have a cozy Christmas and a real break.

4. Message #49

   Wishing you and your family a joyful Christmas.

5. Message #50

   Happy holidays, and thank you for being so easy to work with.

6. Message #51

   Merry Christmas! See you in the new year.

7. Message #52

   Cheers to a great year together. Merry Christmas!

8. Message #53

   Wishing you a bright and happy holiday season.

9. Message #54

   Merry Christmas to a fantastic teammate.

10. Message #55

    Have a wonderful holiday, [Name]. You deserve it.

For remote coworkers, another office or someone already on vacation

December scatters the team: people working from home, colleagues in another city, the coworker who left for the break a week early. Make the distance part of the message.

1. Message #56

   We’ve shared [number] video calls and zero break room cookies this year. Next year, I’m mailing you some. Merry Christmas, [Name]!

2. Message #57

   Thank you for being the steadiest voice on every Teams call this year, all the way from [city]. Happy holidays!

3. Message #58

   You missed the holiday party, so here’s the summary: great food, terrible karaoke, and we raised a glass to you. Merry Christmas!

4. Message #59

   The [city] office may be [number] miles away, but you never felt far. Merry Christmas from all of us here.

5. Message #60

   You left for the break before we could pass the card around, so it came to find you. Merry Christmas, and enjoy every day off!

6. Message #61

   Thank you for every screen share that started with “can everyone see this?” and ended with a great idea. Happy holidays!

7. Message #62

   Time zones made us creative this year: early calls for me, late ones for you. You never once complained. Merry Christmas!

8. Message #63

   From my home office to yours: Merry Christmas! Thank you for making a team spread over [number] cities feel like one room.

Christmas and New Year wishes for colleagues

For a card that arrives right before the break, or the last message of the year in the team chat. Look back once, look ahead once.

1. Message #64

   Merry Christmas, and here’s to a new year with fewer fires and more wins. Thank you for this one.

2. Message #65

   Thank you for everything you brought to this year. I hope the next one brings you good health, good projects and good people. Merry Christmas!

3. Message #66

   Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a new year that starts with a short to-do list.

4. Message #67

   Let’s close this year on a high and open the next one rested. Merry Christmas and all the best for [year]!

5. Message #68

   Happy holidays! May the new year bring you that promotion, that trip or that quiet desk by the window, whichever you want most.

6. Message #69

   This year taught us a lot, mostly about deadlines. Here’s to learning the rest together next year. Merry Christmas!

7. Message #70

   Season’s greetings and best wishes for the year ahead. I’m glad we were on the same team this year.

Happy holidays messages for coworkers who don’t celebrate Christmas

Not everyone at work celebrates Christmas: some celebrate something else in December, some nothing at all. These messages celebrate the break, the year and the person, and work for anyone.

1. Message #71

   Happy holidays! Thank you for a great year of working together. I hope the break gives you everything you need.

2. Message #72

   Whatever this season means to you, I hope it’s restful and full of good company. Thanks for all your help this year.

3. Message #73

   Wishing you a wonderful end of the year and a relaxing break. You made this year’s projects a lot smoother.

4. Message #74

   Season’s greetings! Here’s to slow mornings, long walks and time with the people you love.

5. Message #75

   Thank you for being such a thoughtful teammate this year. Enjoy the time off, however you spend it.

6. Message #76

   Happy holidays to you and your family. May the new year be kind to you.

7. Message #77

   Warm wishes for the end of the year. Thank you for the energy and the kindness you bring to the team.

8. Message #78

   Whether you’re celebrating, traveling or simply staying put, I hope the break is exactly what you need. Happy holidays!

Formal season’s greetings for clients and partners

For a client, a supplier or a partner company: short, warm and professional. Sign with your name and company, and add one line about your work together if you can.

1. Message #79

   Season’s greetings from all of us at [company]. Thank you for your trust and your collaboration this year. We look forward to working together in [year].

2. Message #80

   Thank you for a productive year working with you on [project]. Wishing you and your team a happy holiday season and a successful new year.

3. Message #81

   With our warmest wishes for the holidays, and our sincere thanks for your partnership this year.

4. Message #82

   Working with your team this year has been a genuine pleasure. We wish you a joyful holiday season and a bright start to the year ahead.

5. Message #83

   Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year from the whole [team] team. Thank you for choosing to work with us.

6. Message #84

   Thank you for your support and your confidence in [company] this year. Our office will be closed from [date] to [date], and we’ll be glad to hear from you after the break. Happy holidays!

7. Message #85

   As the year comes to a close, we want to thank you for the projects we built together and the trust behind them. Warm wishes for the holiday season.

Get the whole team’s Christmas messages in one card

In December, a paper card passed from desk to desk misses half the team: remote coworkers never see it, the people already on vacation can’t sign it, and everyone reads the messages above theirs. An online group card fixes all three.

Frequently asked questions