Holiday Messages for Coworkers and Employees: 50 Short Wishes
A good holiday message for a coworker is one or two warm sentences that thank them for something specific and wish them a restful break. Keep it inclusive, skip anything too personal, and send it on their last workday before the holiday.
It's the last afternoon before the long weekend. Half the team has already set an out-of-office, your manager just posted "Happy holidays, everyone!" in the team chat, and you want to thank the coworker who saved your project in October without sounding like a greeting card or an HR memo.
This page has 50 holiday messages for coworkers, employees and clients, sorted by holiday and by who is sending: Thanksgiving notes to staff, Christmas wishes for colleagues, messages from a manager to the whole team, client card lines, and New Year wishes for the first day back. You'll also find a quick guide to tone and timing, and a free way to send a coworker a small, silly gift that actually makes them smile.
How to wish someone a happy holiday professionally
Wishing someone a happy holiday professionally comes down to three choices: what you thank them for, how personal you get, and when you send it. A message that names one real thing they did will always beat a longer one full of general praise.
- Thank them for something specific. "Thanks for covering the Monday calls in August" lands harder than "Thanks for all your hard work."
- Wish them rest, not productivity. The holidays are a break. Wish them a quiet inbox, time with family, or a real nap.
- Keep it inclusive when you're not sure. "Happy holidays" and "Enjoy the break" work for everyone on a mixed team. Save faith language for people you know share it.
- Send it on their last workday. A message that arrives during the holiday itself can feel like work following them home.
Length matters, too. In a team chat or a card signed by everyone, one sentence is plenty. In a one-to-one message to someone who helped you, two or three sentences show you took the time.
| Who you're writing to | Tone | Length | Best channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| A coworker you work with daily | Warm, a little playful | 1 to 2 sentences | Direct message or card |
| Your team, as a manager | Grateful, specific about the year | 3 to 4 sentences | Team email or chat |
| A colleague in another department | Friendly, simple | 1 sentence | Shared card or chat |
| A client | Polite, appreciative | 2 sentences | Printed card or email |
| Your boss | Respectful, brief | 1 to 2 sentences | Card or short email |
Thanksgiving messages to employees and staff
Thanksgiving messages to employees and staff work best when they come from a manager and name what the team achieved this year. Send them on the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so they arrive before people leave.
- This Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for a team that showed up, figured it out, and made the hard months feel lighter. Enjoy every minute of the long weekend.
- Thank you for the work you put in this year. Please log off, eat well, and don't check email until Monday.
- I'm thankful for each of you. This year asked a lot, and you delivered. Happy Thanksgiving.
- To our staff: thank you for the care you bring to every customer. Wishing you and your families a warm Thanksgiving.
- Grateful for the ideas, the patience, and the late saves. Have a restful Thanksgiving, team.
- Happy Thanksgiving to the people who make this place work. Thank you for everything you do.
- This week I'm counting the wins we had together, and you're behind every one of them. Enjoy the break.
Happy Thanksgiving to coworkers
Happy Thanksgiving messages to coworkers can be warmer and a little lighter than a note from a manager, since you're writing as a peer.
- Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for being the coworker who always answers "quick question" with patience.
- Grateful to sit next to you, even on the days the printer jams. Enjoy the long weekend.
- Thanks for making Mondays survivable this year. Happy Thanksgiving.
- Wishing you a Thanksgiving with good food and zero calendar invites.
- Thankful for your help on the big launch. Hope your table is full and your phone is quiet.
- Happy Thanksgiving to my favorite meeting buddy. See you on the other side of the pie.
Christmas messages for coworkers
Christmas messages for coworkers fit in a card signed by the team, a gift tag, or a direct message on the last day before the break. Keep them friendly and short.
- Merry Christmas! Thanks for making this year at work a lot more fun.
- Wishing you a cozy Christmas and a break long enough to forget your password.
- Thank you for every save, every laugh, and every snack you shared this year. Merry Christmas.
- Hope your Christmas is full of rest, good food, and no notifications.
- Merry Christmas to the coworker who makes even the busiest week feel manageable.
- Thanks for being such a great part of the team. Enjoy every minute of your time off.
- Have a wonderful Christmas. I'm lucky to work with you.
Christmas wishes for colleagues
Christmas wishes for colleagues in other teams or offices should be simple and warm, since you may only know them from meetings and email threads.
- Merry Christmas and happy holidays. It's been a pleasure working with you this year.
- Wishing you and your family a peaceful Christmas and a bright new year.
- Thank you for your help across teams this year. Merry Christmas.
- Warm wishes for the holidays. I look forward to working together again in January.
- Have a joyful Christmas and a well-earned rest.
- Season's greetings, and thank you for always being easy to work with.
Holiday messages to employees from a manager
Holiday messages to employees from a manager should thank the team as a group, mention one or two real moments from the year, and make it clear that time off is truly time off.
- As we head into the holidays, thank you for the effort and heart you brought to this year. Please take your break fully. We'll pick everything up together in January.
- This year we shipped more than ever, and we did it as a team. Happy holidays, and thank you.
- I know this year had its tough stretches. Thank you for sticking together through them. Enjoy a restful season.
- Thank you for everything you've given this year. I hope the holidays bring you time with the people you love.
- Happy holidays to the best team I could ask for. Rest well, you've earned it.
- Before you log off: thank you. Every one of you made a difference this year.
Client holiday card messages
Client holiday card messages should thank the client for their trust and look ahead to the next year together. Two sentences are enough, signed by the people they actually work with.
- Thank you for your trust and partnership this year. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a successful new year.
- It's been a pleasure working with you. Happy holidays from all of us.
- Warm wishes for the holidays, and thank you for being such a great partner.
- We're grateful for clients like you. Wishing you peace and rest this season.
- Thank you for a wonderful year of working together. Here's to an even better one ahead.
- Season's greetings and best wishes for the new year from our whole team.
Signed cards still matter here. Christmas cards have been sent in business since the first commercial ones were printed in 1843, and a handwritten line under the printed greeting is what clients notice.
Happy holidays messages for a mixed team
Happy holidays messages are the safest choice for a team with different beliefs and traditions. The phrase "Happy Holidays" covers the whole season, from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.
- Happy holidays! Wishing you rest, warmth, and time with the people you love.
- However you celebrate, I hope this season gives you a real break.
- Happy holidays, team. Thank you for a great year.
- Wishing you a peaceful holiday season and a fresh start in the new year.
- Enjoy the holidays, and thank you for everything you brought to this year.
- Sending warm wishes for the season to you and yours.
New Year wishes for coworkers
New Year wishes for coworkers work best on the last workday of December or the first morning back, when everyone is thinking about the year ahead.
- Happy New Year! Looking forward to another year of working together.
- New year, new roadmap, same great team. Glad you're on it.
- Hope the break recharged you. Happy New Year, and welcome back.
- Happy New Year, team. Let's make this one our best yet.
- Wishing you a year of clear priorities and meetings that end early.
- Welcome back, and happy New Year. I hope the break was everything you needed.
For friends and family, see our full lists of happy Thanksgiving messages, merry Christmas wishes and happy New Year wishes.
How to send a coworker a little luck before the break
Sending a coworker a gift through Lucky Tissues takes about a minute and costs nothing, which makes it an easy add-on to a holiday message. Lucky Tissues is a free tapping game in your browser. Each tissue you pull is a tiny wish, and a run you pull for someone becomes a gift link they can open.
- Open the game and tap Pull for a friend under the tissue box (it says Pulling for if you've sent a gift before), then type your coworker's name.
- For a tired coworker, tap the moon to switch to Good Night and pick Burnout. Every pull wipes some away. For a happier note, stay in Good Day and pick Joy.
- Pull at least 10 tissues in a row. Every run of 10 or more becomes its own gift.
- Tap Share to send the gift link, and add one of the messages above to your text.
- Your coworker watches a replay of your run, then opens a card with your wish and your name.
Each choice gives the card a short line that matches it. Here is how they fit the messages on this page:
| Your message is for... | Mode and wish | A line the card can show |
|---|---|---|
| A coworker who worked too hard this year | Good Night, Burnout | "Close the laptop. You're done for today." |
| Someone heading into a long weekend | Good Night, Burnout | "Recharge. You earned it." |
| A teammate who needs a smile | Good Day, Joy | "Here's a little extra sunshine for your day." |
| A colleague starting something new in January | Good Day, Luck | "Hope everything breaks your way today." |
| Someone hoping for a raise | Good Day, Money | "Hope your next payday is a big one." |
Nobody needs an account or an app to open it, and it works on any phone or work laptop browser.
Wipe away a coworker's burnout
Holiday message mistakes at work
Holiday message mistakes at work are easy to make in a rush, and each one has a simple fix.
Copying the same line to everyone
A message pasted into 30 chats reads like a broadcast. Use a general line for the team channel, and add one specific detail for the few people who really helped you.
Getting too personal
Comments about someone's family, health, or plans can feel intrusive from a coworker. Keep the focus on work you shared and on wishing them rest.
Assuming everyone celebrates Christmas
Not everyone on your team celebrates the same holidays. When you're not sure, "Happy holidays" or "Enjoy the break" keeps everyone included.
Sending it during the holiday
A message that lands on Christmas Day can feel like work reaching into someone's time off. Send it before the break, or save it for the first day back.
Holiday messages for coworkers: common questions
What do you write in a holiday card for a coworker?
Thank them for one specific thing from the year, then wish them a restful break. For example: "Thanks for keeping the team laughing this year. Wishing you a peaceful holiday and a real break." Keep it to one or two sentences and avoid anything too personal.
How do you wish someone a happy holiday professionally?
Use inclusive wording like "Happy holidays" or "Wishing you a restful season," thank them for their work or partnership, and keep it brief. Send it on their last workday before the break, and save religious phrases for people you know share your faith.
What should a manager say to employees before the holidays?
Thank the team as a group, mention one or two real accomplishments from the year, and tell them clearly to enjoy their time off without checking email. A short, specific message from a manager means more to employees than a long, general one.
Is it okay to say Merry Christmas at work?
It's usually fine with coworkers you know celebrate Christmas. For a mixed team, a group email, or clients you don't know well, "Happy holidays" or "Season's greetings" is the safer choice because it includes everyone.
What do you write in a client holiday card?
Thank the client for their trust and partnership, wish them a good holiday season, and look ahead to working together next year. Two sentences are enough, and a handwritten line from the person they work with makes the biggest impression.
Can I send a coworker a free holiday gift online?
Yes. With Lucky Tissues, a free browser game, you can pull tissues for a coworker or wipe away their burnout, then share the run as a gift link. They watch the replay and get a card with your wish and your name. No account or download is needed.
Send your holiday messages before the break
The best holiday messages for coworkers are short, specific, and sent before everyone logs off. Pick a line from this page, add one detail about the person or the year, and send it on the last workday. For the coworker who carried the hardest stretch, send a free good luck card: wipe away their burnout and add your thank-you to the text.
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