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Happy Holidays Message to Clients: Examples That Feel Personal
A happy holidays message to clients should be a short, personal note with no sales pitch. Thank them for one specific thing you did together this year, and wish them a restful season. "Happy holidays" is the safe greeting for most clients. The specific detail is what sets your note apart from the dozens of generic greetings they get in December.
Every December, clients get a pile of identical holiday emails. Most come from companies trying to sell something. A note that mentions their project, their team or a moment from the year shows you were paying attention. That's what they'll remember when they plan next year's work.
A holiday message to clients lands when it's clearly written to one person. Use their name and one real detail. Keep the tone warm but professional, and ask for nothing. If you want to talk business, save it for January. Then it won't compete with the season.
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Free, no signup. The example is filled in: press the button, then replace it with your own situation. In Capstone, a message like it is written for each person you know when their check-in is due.
11 examples to copy
One message is easy. Hundreds of people, all year, is the hard part. Capstone Outreach puts everyone you know on a rhythm you pick, from weekly to every three months. When someone is due, a message like these is already written in your voice from your history with them. You approve it, and it goes from your own email or phone. See how it works.
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Everyone on a rhythm. Who is due, and when. Recorded in the app on a demo account.
1. Email: thank you for one specific project this year
Subject: Happy holidays, and thank you for this year
Why it works: Naming a project and praising their team shows real attention, and that makes a holiday note feel personal.
2. Email: new client, first holiday working together
Subject: Our first holiday season together
Why it works: It notes that the relationship is new and looks ahead, which tells a new client they chose well.
3. Email: long-time client, years of partnership
Subject: [Number] years, and still grateful
Why it works: Recalling where you started shows you value the history, which long-time clients rarely hear said out loud.
4. Text: client you text with regularly
Why it works: It sounds like the way you already talk, and the personal detail shows you listened beyond business.
5. Text: Christmas message to a client who celebrates
Why it works: Using the holiday they really celebrate, plus a personal touch, makes it feel warm, not corporate.
6. Email: client who had a hard year
Subject: Thinking of you this season
Why it works: Noting a hard year with kindness, and asking for nothing, builds a trust that a cheerful template can't.
7. Email: past client you have not worked with this year
Subject: Happy holidays from [Your Name]
Why it works: It reconnects through a shared memory with no pitch, which keeps the door open for work or referrals.
8. Email: donation made in clients' names instead of gifts
Subject: A holiday gift in your name
Why it works: It turns a greeting into something meaningful and tells clients just what the donation did.
9. Email: greeting combined with holiday hours
Subject: Happy holidays, plus our schedule for the break
Why it works: It shares the practical news warmly, so clients know how to reach you and don't feel left alone.
10. Email: past home buyer, first holiday in their new home
Subject: Your first holiday in [Street Name]
Why it works: Marking a personal milestone shows they were more than a sale, and that's how agents earn referrals.
11. Text: New Year message if you missed the holidays
Why it works: It owns the late timing lightly and uses the new year as a natural reason to reconnect.
Sending these to more than a few people? See how people keep track of who to follow up with, and when: what a personal CRM does and the best personal CRMs, compared.
When to send it
- Send holiday messages in the first three weeks of December. That's before clients leave and inboxes fill with auto-replies.
- Send emails on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday morning in the client's time zone. Avoid the last two days before a holiday.
- Save texts for clients you already text with. Send them during normal hours in the week before the holiday.
- If you miss the window, send a New Year message in the first week of January instead of a late holiday note.
- Use "Merry Christmas" or another holiday's name only when you know the client celebrates it. Otherwise, "happy holidays" or "warm wishes for the season" is the right default.
Subject lines
- Happy holidays, and thank you for this year
- Our first holiday season together
- [Number] years, and still grateful
- Thinking of you this season
- Happy holidays from [Your Name]
- A holiday gift in your name
- Happy holidays, plus our schedule for the break
- Your first holiday in [Street Name]
- Warm wishes for the season
- Thank you for a great year, [Name]
- Season's greetings from [Your Company]
- Wishing you a restful holiday
- A quick thank you before the break
- Happy New Year, [Name]
What to avoid
- Don't include a promotion, discount or "let's talk next year's budget" line in a holiday message.
- Don't send every client the same message with only the name swapped. Add one detail that fits only them.
- Don't assume a client celebrates Christmas unless you know they do.
- Don't send to a long CC list where clients can see each other's addresses.
- Don't write a long year-in-review about your own company. The note should be about the client.
- Don't send holiday texts late at night or on the holiday itself, unless you're already personal friends.
After you send it
If the client replies, answer warmly within a day or two and keep it light. If they don't reply, don't follow up. Silence in December is normal. Reach out again in the second or third week of January with a useful note or a plan for the year. After that, stay in touch every six to eight weeks with something that fits their business. Then your next holiday note comes from someone they heard from all year.
Building the habit: how to keep in touch with contacts and what a personal CRM does.
After the holidays, will they hear from you again? Pick a rhythm for each client, or for hundreds at once. In the new year, each check-in is written from your notes, and it waits if you already talked.
Start 14 days free, then $25/mo
A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best greeting message for customers?
The best greeting is short, uses the customer's name and thanks them for something specific. For example: "Happy holidays, Priya. Thank you for trusting us with your spring launch. I hope you get a real break this season." Leave out sales offers, so it reads as a real thank you.
How do you say happy holiday professionally?
Say it simply and warmly. A line like "Wishing you and your team a happy holiday season" works well. Add one line of thanks for the year's work together. "Warm wishes for the season" and "Season's greetings" also sound professional and fit any client.
What is a good Christmas text message?
A good Christmas text to a client is two or three sentences. Try: "Merry Christmas, Tom! Thanks for a great year working together. Hope you have a relaxing few days with the family." Send it only to clients you already text who celebrate Christmas. Send it during normal hours before the holiday.
What are some good holiday messages to send?
Good holiday messages thank a client for a project or honor a long relationship. Others mark a personal milestone or wish them rest after a hard year. Pick the angle that fits each client. Add one real detail and leave out any pitch. Short and specific always beats long and generic.
Should I say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to clients?
Say happy holidays unless you know the client celebrates Christmas or another specific holiday. Happy holidays is warm, inclusive and professional for any client. When you do know what they celebrate, using that holiday's name feels more personal.
Should I send a holiday message to past clients?
Yes. A holiday message is one of the most natural ways to stay in touch with past clients. Mention the work you did together or a memory from it. Wish them well and skip any request. Past clients who hear from you warmly remember you when they need help again, or know someone who does.