Happy Holidays Messages | Examples & Tips
The holiday season is an ideal time to spread good wishes and cheer. Happy Holidays has become the most common holiday greeting because it refers to all of the cultural and religious holidays from late December to early January.
Everybody experiences the holiday season a little differently, but most people appreciate thoughtful “Happy Holidays” messages.
Whether you’re writing holiday cards, work emails, or social media posts, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help your “Happy Holidays” messages sparkle.
“Happy Holidays” is common in both written and face-to-face communications in December. “Season’s Greetings” usually only occurs in written messages (e.g., holiday cards).
“Season” has an apostrophe + “-s” in “Season’s Greetings” because it’s a possessive noun. Both words are also usually capitalized.
How to write happy holidays messages
The following tips will help you write thoughtful holiday greetings for your friends, family, and professional contacts.
- Use inclusive word choices like “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays” if your audience includes many faiths and cultures. If you know which holiday(s) your audience celebrates, mention them specifically (e.g., “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah”).
- Include positive wishes for warmth, peace, happiness, cheer, or health that everyone can appreciate—especially if their December traditions don’t involve gifts.
- Proofread before you send. Pay close attention to spelling and capitalization rules for people’s names, businesses, and holidays. QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you put the final polish on your holiday messages.
- Capitalize all of the words in expressions like “Happy New Year” or “Season’s Greetings” when they stand alone or begin a sentence (e.g., “Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us”).
- Always capitalize proper nouns, such as “Christmas,” “New Year’s Eve,” and “Hanukkah,” no matter where they are in a sentence.
- Don’t capitalize common nouns or adjectives when they’re in the middle of a complete sentence (e.g., “We wish you a merry Christmas” or “I hope your new year is peaceful and prosperous”).
Happy holidays wishes for family
Holiday greetings for family members usually mention the holiday(s) they observe and include detailed and personalized wishes.
Merry Christmas, Mom! I can’t wait to celebrate with you and Dad this evening. Thank you for all you’ve done so far to make this holiday season so fun and special.
Happy holidays wishes for friends
If you’re writing a social media post or card to all of your friends, opt for inclusive greetings like “Happy Holidays,” but if you’re writing to a specific friend, personalize the message based on their specific traditions.
Merry Christmas, Chad! I hope Santa was good to you and that you’re enjoying the family time.
Happy Hanukkah, Ben! I’m grateful for your friendship and wish you many blessings during the Festival of Lights.
Happy holidays messages to colleagues
A holiday email can be a great send-off before a winter break or personal time off. Holiday messages for coworkers should usually be nonsecular unless you’re writing to a colleague who’s also a close friend.
Happy Holidays, Kris! I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season filled with love and happiness.
Happy holidays messages to clients
“Happy Holidays” messages can strengthen your relationships with clients, especially when they’re thoughtful and inclusive.
Happy Holidays, Saaji! I’m so grateful for amazing clients like you and hope this holiday season brings you all the joy and relaxation you deserve!
Happy holidays quotes
Quotes from movies or famous writers like the ones below can also brighten holiday messages as long as they’re relevant to the recipient’s customs.
- “Everytime a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” (Zuzu, It’s a Wonderful Life)
- “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” (Buddy, Elf).
- “The true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.” (Santa, The Polar Express)
- A toy is never truly happy until it is loved by a child (King Moonracer, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)
- “Every hour of the light and dark is a miracle.” (Walt Whitman)
- “Even in darkness, it is possible to create light and encourage compassion.” (Elie Wiesel)
Frequently asked questions about happy holidays messages
- Is it happy holiday or happy holidays?
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In the greeting Happy Holidays, “holidays” is always a plural noun. “Happy Holidays” refers to all of the cultural and religious days in November and December, including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve.
“Happy Holidays” is an inclusive message for when you don’t know which holiday(s) your audience observes or when the people you’re addressing observe different holidays (e.g., “Happy Holidays to all my amazing coworkers. I look forward to seeing you all after winter break”).
When you’re writing “Happy Holidays” messages, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you choose the best words.
- Is it Happy Christmas Eve or Merry Christmas Eve?
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People don’t typically say Happy Christmas Eve or Merry Christmas Eve.
In the UK, people say “Happy Christmas” or “Merry Christmas” on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and sometimes during the earlier part of December.
In the US, Australia, and Canada, people usually say “Merry Christmas” on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or other days in December.
Only say “Happy Christmas” or “Merry Christmas” when you know that your audience observes Christmas. Happy Holidays is an inclusive greeting that refers to all of the religious and cultural days in December.
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you find synonyms for “Happy Christmas,” “Merry Christmas,” and other holiday greetings.
- What’s the difference between Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays?
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“Merry Christmas” refers to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but Happy Holidays refers to all of the religious and cultural days in November and December.
Only say “Merry Christmas” when you’re certain that your audience observes Christmas.
When you don’t know which religious days your audience observes or when your audience observes multiple winter holidays, say “Happy Holidays.”
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you with word choices when you’re writing Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays messages.
- Is it happy holidays or happy holiday’s?
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The correct greeting is Happy Holidays, without an apostrophe. In this expression, “holidays” is a plural noun. You make regular nouns plural by adding an “s” to the end. No apostrophe is needed.
QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you make sure all your holiday messages are error-free.
