Why a few words matter more than you think
In three experiments at the University of Chicago, people wrote letters of thanks and guessed how the reader would feel. They underestimated how surprised and happy the readers would be, and overestimated how awkward it would feel. So the message you worry is too cheesy is probably landing better than you expect.
Short messages for a text
- Merry Christmas to my favourite person. 🎄
- You are the best gift I got this year.
- All I want for Christmas is another year with you.
- Home is wherever you are. Merry Christmas.
- Thank you for making this year softer.
- Cozy nights, bad films and you. That’s my perfect Christmas.
- Still my favourite notification. Merry Christmas.
- You make December feel warm. ❤️
- Lucky me, I get to spend Christmas with you.
- Merry Christmas, handsome. I love you.
Sweet and romantic messages for a card
- Of all the Christmases I’ve had, the ones with you are my favourite. Thank you for this year, and for all the small things you do that you think I don’t notice.
- I love the way you hum when you cook and the way you always check I got home safe. Merry Christmas to the man who makes ordinary days feel like holidays.
- This year had some hard days, and you made every one of them easier. I can’t wait to see what next year brings for us.
- If I could wrap one thing for you, it would be how proud I am of you this year.
- Our first Christmas together, and it’s already one of my best. Here’s to many more.
- You are my calm, my fun and my favourite plan. Merry Christmas, love.
- I still smile when your name lights up my phone. That’s my Christmas miracle.
- Thank you for loving me loudly and patiently. Merry Christmas.
Funny messages
- Merry Christmas to the man who eats all the cookies and blames Santa. 🍪
- I got you the best present: me. No returns.
- Santa asked if you were naughty or nice. I said I need more time to check.
- I love you more than you love the last slice of pizza. And that is a lot.
- Thank you for putting up with my Christmas songs since November.
- Roses are red, the tree is green, you’re the best boyfriend this Christmas has seen.
- My Christmas wish: you finally find where you put the tape.
- You’re the reason I’m on the naughty list. Worth it. 😇
Flirty messages
- Forget the mistletoe. I don’t need an excuse.
- You, me, a blanket and a Christmas film. Same time every night?
- Is it warm in here, or is it just you in that Christmas sweater?
- I’ve been very good this year. Just saying.
- Meet me under the mistletoe in five minutes.
- The only thing on my list is you.
Messages for a long-distance boyfriend
Distance makes words matter more. A 2013 study in the Journal of Communication found that couples in long-distance relationships reported feeling more intimate than couples who lived near each other, and their conversations were more meaningful. Your message is part of that.
- Different time zones, same Christmas. I’m with you in every way that counts.
- Counting the days until I can hug you instead of my phone.
- Open this on Christmas morning and know that someone far away is smiling at you.
- Every mile between us is a mile I would travel again. Merry Christmas.
- Next Christmas, same city. That’s the plan.
- Distance can’t touch the way I feel about you.
More ideas for being apart this season: Christmas in a long-distance relationship.
If you have just started dating
- Merry Christmas! I’m really glad I met you this year.
- Talking to you has been the best part of my December.
- I hope your Christmas is as lovely as you are.
- Save me a spot in your New Year plans?
- Can’t wait to see what next year brings for us.
How to write a longer message
Open with a memory
One moment from this year: “I still think about the night we got lost driving home and sang the whole way.”
Name what you love about him
Be specific. “The way you remember small things I said weeks ago” beats “you are amazing”.
Thank him for one thing
A time he showed up for you. Gratitude is the part people reread.
Look ahead
A plan or a wish for next year: a trip, a habit, a dream you share.
Sign off like you
“Love you, always” or “Yours, even when you steal the blanket.”
An example
“Sam, I still think about the night we got lost driving back from the lake and sang the whole way home. I love how you remember little things I said weeks ago and turn them into plans. Thank you for sitting with me at the hospital in March; I won’t forget it. Next year I want more road trips, more Sunday pancakes and more of us. Merry Christmas. Love you, always.”
It is the same four-part shape as our guide on how to write a Christmas message, with more room for feeling.
Card, text or tree?
| Where | Best for | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Short and playful lines | Send it first thing on Christmas morning |
| Card | Romantic and longer messages he can keep | Write it by hand, even if your handwriting is messy |
| Note on his tree | A surprise among messages from his friends and family | Notes stay sealed until Christmas Day, so yours lands with all the others |
| Gift tag | One line with a present | Tie the line to the gift: “For our next road trip” |
Giving a present too? Here are Christmas gift ideas for your boyfriend.
Questions
What do you write in a Christmas card to your boyfriend?
Open with a memory from this year, name one thing you love about him, thank him for something specific and end with a wish for next year. Three or four sentences are enough.
What is a short Christmas message for my boyfriend?
“You are the best gift I got this year” or “Home is wherever you are. Merry Christmas.” Short works best when it sounds like you.
What do you say to a long-distance boyfriend at Christmas?
Remind him he is close in every way that counts, mention the next time you will meet, and send it so it arrives on Christmas morning in his time zone.
Sources
Facts checked against these pages on .
- Undervaluing Gratitude: Expressers Misunderstand the Consequences of Showing Appreciation, Psychological Science, via PubMed
- Long-distance relationships may be stronger, more intimate, CBS News
- Share more merry: Our very best Christmas card tips, Hallmark