76 Merry Christmas Wishes and Messages for Friends

Wish your dear friends a Merry Christmas through creative sayings and messages! Find Christmas one liners as unique as your friends.


For many, the holidays are just as much about spending time with friends as they are spending time with family. After all, friends are family we choose — and that makes those relationships all the more special!

So when you’re getting ready to send out your annual holiday cards, why not create a card that is personalized for the friends who make every day merry and bright? Whether you want to express gratitude for the support your friends give you or want to make them laugh, these 76 Christmas wishes will make for the perfect holiday card.


Christmas Short Wishes & One Liners

If you’re planning to send a photo Christmas card, a short Christmas wish is the perfect way to compliment a festive picture of you and your family. Pro tip? Think about what saying you want your card to include before you take your holiday photos, that way you can be sure to get a snap that captures the spirit of your saying!

  • Merry Christmas from a friend who loves you dearly.
  • May your Christmas shine brightly with joy and goodwill!
  • May Santa bring you all the best presents. Merry Christmas!
  • Merry Christmas my friend! Wishing you a day full of love, peace, and happiness!
  • You are a blessing to my life. Happy Holidays!
  • Wishing you so much joy this holiday season!
  • May all your days be merry and bright.
  • Eat, drink, and be merry!

Sentimental Christmas Wishes for Friends

There are a few times of the year where it is acceptable to get sappy with your friends — and the holidays are one of them! Use your Christmas or holiday card to express just how much your friends mean to you. (We love the idea of pairing these heartfelt sayings with one of our vintage-inspired Holiday cards.)

  • Best wishes to the best of friends! Merry Christmas!
  • They say that friends are the family you choose. I'm so glad to get to spend some time with my chosen family this holiday season.
  • It wouldn't be Christmas without you. So glad to have you with me, year after year.
  • May this Christmas bring you as much joy and happiness as your friendship brings me every day!
  • Merry Christmas To A True Friend. Our friendship feels as magical as the entire holiday season. I am so grateful to have you in my life, thank you for always being there for me.
  • The best gift I’ve ever received is the gift of friendship.
  • The holiday season wouldn’t be merry and bright without your friendship.
  • Thank you for always making my spirits bright.

Classic Christmas Sayings

You can’t go wrong with a classic Christmas wish when sending holiday cards to your friends. Here are a few of our favorite classic Christmas sayings that pair perfectly with elegantly designed holiday cards.

  • Merry Christmas to a friend who makes my life merry and bright!
  • Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year.
  • Tis the season to be jolly! Merry Christmas, my friend.
  • The best present one can hope for this year is to spend time together.
  • Happy Holidays! I hope all of your Christmas wishes come true.
  • Wishing you peace and joy all season long. Happy Holidays!
  • Joy to the world! Wishing you a Christmas filled with love and laughter.
  • It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Happy Holidays!
  • Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Funny Christmas Messages

Do your friends constantly leave you in stitches with their jokes and hijinks? Celebrate the joy and laughter your friends bring into your life with a hilarious Christmas card. These funny Christmas sayings for friends are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face, especially if you pair them with a silly photo or two.

  • I always feel like a kid again when Christmas comes around. You know what that means...Let's get up to some holiday mischief!
  • Sending you all the merry vibes!
  • You’re the reason I’m on the naughty list every year!
  • I hope you like the present you told me to buy for you.
  • The holidays are for good cheer, good friends, and good beer!
  • It’s the most winederful time of the year.
  • It’s fine. We’re fine. Everything is fine. Happy Holidays!
  • Sleigh all day.
  • Merry Christmas! All I got you is this card.
  • There’s no one I’d rather elf around with than you!
  • Santa has his little helpers, and I have you. Merry Christmas to my partner in crime!

Religious Christmas Wishes

If your friend group is centered around faith, show them how much they mean to you with a religious Christmas card. The saying your choose can be sentimental or short and sweet — and all of the ideas below carry the true spirit of Christmas with them.

  • Wishing you a season that’s merry and bright with the light of God’s love.
  • May you have the gift of faith, the blessing of hope, and the peace of His love at Christmas and always.
  • May God fill your life with love, joy, and peace this Christmas and throughout the New Year.
  • Sharing with you the Glory, the Wonder, and the Miracle of this Holy Season. Have a Blessed Christmas and New Year.
  • I hope you get endless reasons to smile and rejoice in the upcoming year! Have a blessed Christmas.
  • May God's blessings be yours this Christmas!
  • I pray that the true spirit of Christmas shines in your heart and illuminates your path.
  • May God bless you with peace, joy, and love this season.
  • Love and joy unto you.
  • Merry Christmas! I pray that Jesus helps you find happiness and saves you from every difficulty.
  • May the joys of Christmas bring happiness and goodness that stay with you all year long.
  • I am thankful for God blessing me with your friendship. May we always be together to celebrate Christmas!

Christmas Quotes About Friendship

The greatest minds of our time have thought long and hard about the magic and beauty of friendship. So why not feature a heartfelt quote about the power and meaning of friendships on your holiday card?

  • “Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more.” — Ralph Blane, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
  • “The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” — Hubert H. Humphrey
  • “I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” — Helen Keller
  • “True friends are like diamonds — bright, beautiful, valuable, and always in style”. — Nicole Richie
  • “How beautiful it is to find someone who asks for nothing but your company.” — Brigitte Nicole
  • “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • “A friend is what the heart needs all the time.” — Henry van Dyke
  • “May this season find you among those you love, sharing in the twin glories of generosity and gratitude.” — Oprah Winfrey
  • “Christmas works like glue, it keeps us all sticking together” — Rosie Thomas
  • “At Christmas, everybody invites their friends and thinks little of even the worst weather.” — Jane Austen, Emma
  • “Life is only as good as the people you get to share it with.” — Darren Chris

Gratitude

Our friends are some of the greatest gifts life gives us, so use the holidays to express just how grateful you are! These sayings are all a little bit sweet and have a whole lot of heart.

  • The best gift is having you for a friend. Happy Holidays!
  • Thank you for always being there for me…and always making sure I stay off Santa’s naughty list! Merry Christmas!
  • Even Santa couldn’t bring me a better friend than you. Thankful for you this Holiday season!
  • Immeasurably thankful to have the gift of your friendship every day!
  • So grateful to have you in my life, I couldn’t wish for a better friend!
  • Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. Thank you for being a part of my chosen family!
  • Thank you for everything you’ve done for me this year. Here’s to more friendship next year!

New Year Wishes for Friends

If Christmas wishes aren’t your style, or if you’re hoping to include a Christmas and New Years message on your card, these sayings are a great place to start.

  • Each year I spend with you is the best one yet! Here’s to making more memories.
  • Here’s to another year full of joy, laughter, and unforgettable memories with an unforgettable friend!
  • New year, new adventures with my best friend. I can’t wait!
  • Friends are the family we choose for ourselves. Cheers to another year of sister/brotherhood.
  • Let’s pop bottles, bestie.
  • Thank you for making this past year a happy one, my friend. Hope we repeat it next year.
  • Cheers to you!
  • Let’s make this year as good as the last. Happy New Year!
  • Looking forward to many more adventures with you in the New Year, my friend!
  • A friend like you brings me happiness all year long. Have a happy New Year!

Thoughtful Christmas Gifts for Your Dearest Friends

Now that you’ve got your Christmas cards taken care of, it’s time to think about some thoughtful gifts to give your friends this holiday season! Our top tip? The best gifts are a combination of something personal and practical. So think about what your friends love (or what they might be missing) and pick out a gift that you can put a personalized spin on.

  • Tree Skirts. Need a gift for a friend that is recently married or just moved into their first home? A tree skirt is the perfect option. They are an often overlooked part of holiday decor, and are something that certainly put a smile on your friend’s face for holiday seasons to come.
  • Tea Towels. You can’t go wrong with giving a tea towel as a gift — just be sure to consider your friend’s interior style when you’re picking one out. For a friend that opts for a subtle approach to holiday decor, go with a sophisticated plaid tea towel or an abstract animal print in a red and white color scheme. For a friend who loves to deck the halls, go for something with a more overt holiday theme, like a sweet wintertime forest design.
  • Aprons. Have a baker or aspiring chef on your list? A personalized apron is the ideal gift for the friend that always shows up with cookies in hand. This geometric green and white style nods to the colors of the season, but is still something they can wear year-round, while an apron featuring a quilt-inspired print is perfect for a friend with a love of all things rustic.
  • Stockings. A set of personalized stockings is another great option for a newlywed or a friend with a growing family. To make things extra special, you can fill each stocking with thoughtful stocking stuffers like ornaments, customized notebooks, and playing cards.
  • Photo Art. Framed photos are a classic gift option, but this year, take it up a notch by giving your friend a personalized piece of photo art. In addition to a selection of beautiful photo art designs for newlyweds, new families, and deep friendships, Minted also offers holiday photo art designs for the perfect gift.