60 Ideas for Thoughtful Holiday Messages to Employees

As the holiday season approaches and we begin to get into the celebratory spirit, the time has come to think about how you'll celebrate in your workplace. While there are different cheerful things you can do to boost holiday morale in your office, one of the simplest - and most impactful - is sending a meaningful employee holiday gift alongside a thoughtful holiday message to employees.

Why holiday messages for employees matter

The holidays are a perfect occasion for appreciating the people around us, including the talent in your organization. Sending employee holiday wishes is a way to show your employees that you recognize and value them, an important contributor to everything from employee happiness and engagement to retention and even productivity.

Even if you have already found the perfect holiday gift for employees, it can be challenging to find the right words to say alongside the gift that strike the perfect balance of being relevant to your entire workforce while also feeling personal and genuine.

And if you are sending holiday messages for employees without a holiday gift, it's even more important to make the message as engaging and meaningful as possible.

To help you out, this article offers 64 ideas for unique holiday messages and quotes sure to help you connect with your employees in a more meaningful way.

Employee holiday greetings for every occasion

As an employer of a large workforce, finding holiday messaging that feels personal while still being widely relevant can take time and effort.

To help you out, here are a variety of employee holiday messages you can look to for inspiration arranged by occasion. In this article we've included examples of holidays from a variety of cultures, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. All holidays are equally exciting and important, and we encourage you to reach out if you'd like us to add any additional holidays to this list.

It's up to you whether you use the following messages verbatim, change around a few words, or simply take them as a jumping-off point for your own thinking.

Christmas

While sending Merry Christmas wishes to employees seems simple enough, it's 2022, and inclusivity has become a huge consideration in most workplaces. With many winter holidays occurring in December, we recommend choosing a holiday message that will make all of your employees feel like they belong. For this reason, try and avoid direct Christmas messages to employees; instead send more general seasonal ones.

Below, we offer a number of seasonal holiday greetings that you can comfortably send to your entire workforce instead of the Christmas employee message you initially thought of sending.

Winter holiday messages to employees

We are so grateful for all of the hard work you put in every day toward our goals. We love working with you. May you have a happy holiday season!
A warm thank you for helping us reach new heights this year. Wishing you a joyful and warm holiday season!
Thank you for making this year one of the merriest ones yet. Have a warm, happy holiday!
Sending you warm wishes for the holiday season ahead. Eat, drink, and be merry!
During this special time of year, we want you to know how much we value you. May your holiday season be filled with warmth and joy.
Thank you for being a part of our team. We hope your holiday season is full of health and happiness!
From our family to yours – wishing you a happy, safe, and healthy holiday season.

New Year

Unlike religious holidays, the new year is a universal occasion during which we can all look forward to the calendar year ahead, celebrating and making resolutions.

Happy New Year messages for employees

Thank you so much for a great year. We hope you have a joyous holiday season. See you in 2023!
Your hard work has been a shining light this year. Here's to 2023!
You have been such an important part of our team this year. Here's to a wonderful next year, too!
Happy holidays! May you reach all of your goals and dreams in 2023.
This past year has been so exciting and special as you've helped make this company what it is. Looking forward to an even better year in 2023. Happy holidays!

Chinese New Year

Celebrated on the 22nd of January in 2023, the Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. Also called Lunar New Year, it is a 15-day festival celebrated in China and by Chinese communities around the world.

Chinese New Year is a rich holiday full of exciting legends, traditions, and customs. Celebrations include firecrackers, gifts of money in red envelopes, and spring cleaning. The holiday is associated with the color red and the image of the dragon, a symbol of good fortune. If any of your employees celebrate Chinese New Year, sending them a greeting is a great way to show them your recognition and care.

Holiday message to employees for Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year to you and your family. We are so grateful to have you on our team and wish you happiness and prosperity.
Happy Lunar New Year! We hope that the year of the rabbit is hopping with success and happiness. Our company wouldn't be the same without you.
We wish you a happy Chinese New Year. May you be happy and prosperous. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication.
Gong hei fat choy! We couldn't be happier to have you on our team. May your year be filled with smiles and laughter.
Happy Chinese New Year! During this special time of year, we wanted to express our gratitude for your continued dedication to our company. May the five blessings come to you.

Ramadan

Celebrated from March 22nd to April 20th, 2023, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, celebrated by Muslims around the world as an occasion for community, reflection, prayer, and fasting. According to Islamic tradition, it was during Ramadan that God revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.

Today, Ramadan is a period for introspection, self-restraint, and reading the Quran. Observant Muslims fast on Ramadan until sunset, when they gather to break fast with a meal called iftar. Shared with friends and family, iftar traditionally includes dates, apricots, and sweetened milk. Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, the "Feast of Fast-Breaking," one of the two major religious holidays of the Muslim calendar.

Below, we include Ramadan messages and quotes that you can share with your employees to show them appreciation and recognition during this holy month.

Ramadan holiday messages to employees

Happy Ramadan! At this special time of year, we want to thank you for your hard work and dedication to our company. May this year's celebration be peaceful for you.
May this divine month bring you many blessings. We sincerely appreciate your loyalty. Ramadan Mubarak.
Ramadan Kareem! We're honored to have you be a part of our company. May this Ramadan be peaceful for you and your family.
Our special wishes for a happy Ramadan. May this holy month bring an abundance of blessings and may your fast be easy.

Nowruz

Celebrated on March 20th, 2033, Nowruz (meaning "New Day") is the Persian New Year. Marking the arrival of the spring and the vernal equinox, Nowruz has been celebrated in Iran and the Persian diaspora for over 3,000 years. Customs for celebrating Nowruz include performing ritual dances, scaring away bad luck, and celebrating with seeds and eggs to represent new life.

Here are some messages that you can use to show your employees appreciation for Nowruz this year.

Holiday messages to employees for Nowruz

On behalf of our company, we'd like to wish you a happy Nowruz. May the spirit of the holiday bring you joy and prosperity.
Nowruz pirouz! We are so grateful to have you on our team. May you be blessed with warmth and success in the new year.
Sending you and your family warm greetings on the occasion of Nowruz. We are proud to have you as an employee and can't wait to continue working together in the year ahead.
Thank you so much for your contributions and dedication this year. Let the new year bring you positivity. Nowruz pirouz!

Easter

Sending Happy Easter messages to employees who you know for certain celebrate Easter is a great way to show them that you recognize their faith and share in their joy. Below, we share some heartfelt Easter messages you can choose from.

Happy Easter message to employees

Happy Easter! May this day bring you joy and plenty of sunshine. Our company is brighter because of you.
Wishing you a fun, sunny Easter and a beautiful season ahead. We couldn't do it without you!
Easter is all about hope, love, and joy. Having an employee as great as you sure adds a little extra joy to our season. Happy Easter!
Warmest thoughts to you and your family on this special day. Happy Easter to an important part of our company.
This Easter, we wish you smiles, sunshine, and lots of sweet treats. Have a joyous celebration! We're so proud to have you on our team.
One of the sweetest things in life is having an employee like you on our team. Happy Easter!

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, celebrated on the first day of the Hebrew calendar. A central part of celebrating Rosh Hashanah is blowing the shofar, a ram's horn, and eating sweet foods to symbolize specific wishes for the new year. This includes things like apples dipped in honey to symbolize wishes for a sweet new year, a round challah bread to symbolize continuity, pomegranates to celebrate abundance, and more.

Holiday messages to employees for Rosh Hashanah

Shana tova! Wishing you and your family a sweet new year ahead. It's an honor to have you on our team.
Shana tova umetuka! It is so sweet to have you working for our company. May you have a blessed new year.
Wishing you a sweet, prosperous, and healthy Rosh Hashanah! Thank you so much for all of your dedication to our organization.
As we think about all of our blessings this Rosh Hashanah, we wanted to express our undying gratitude for your hard work and loyalty to our company. Shana tova!

Yom Kippur

In Jewish tradition, Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year, a Day of Atonement from one's sins. Occurring on the 10th day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur is observed through fasting, abstinence, and praying for forgiveness in synagogue. Jews do not traditionally work on Yom Kippur, instead spending the day focused on atonement.

Holiday messages to employees for Yom Kippur

We wish you a blessed Yom Kippur and a smooth, easy fast. May all of your prayers be answered.
To a wonderful employee - our wishes for a peaceful day and an easy fast. G'mar chatima tovah.
G'mar chatima tovah from our team to you and your family. May you be showered in blessings.
Wishing you an easy fast and a meaningful time of reflection on this Yom Kippur. We're deeply grateful to have you on our team.

Diwali

Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in Indian culture. It's observed by more than a billion people from different faiths including Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs in India and globally. Lasting five days, Diwali is the festival of light, celebrating the Hindu new year and the triumph of good over evil.

Diwali is celebrated with a number of different customs including house cleaning, decorating, feasts, fireworks, and gift exchanges. One of the most eye-catchingly beautiful parts of Diwali is the lights, with oil lamps called diyas lighting up entire neighborhoods and cities.

To show your Indian employees some recognition this Diwali, here are some thoughtful messages to send.

Holiday messages to employees for Diwali

During this happy time, we wanted to express our gratitude for your dedication to our organization. May your Diwali be filled with joy and light.
Happy Diwali! We hope the light of the festival brightens your day. We appreciate all of your hard work.
You are a light in this company! We hope this Diwali brings joy and happiness to you and your family.
Warmest greetings on this joyous occasion of Diwali. Thank you for all of the hard work you do.

Halloween

Celebrated each year on October 31st, Halloween is short for "All Hallow's Eve." The holiday originates from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain in which people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. The holiday has since transformed into what we know today, a day of eating candy, carving jack-o-lanterns, getting spooked, and dressing up in scary costumes.

Being so light-hearted and fun, Halloween gives a special opportunity to send silly holiday greetings. Check out some of our favorites below.

Holiday messages to employees for Halloween

You've been a real treat to have as an employee since you started working with us. Happy Halloween!
Working with you is so fun it's scary. Happy Halloween!
We wish you a sweet Halloween full of plenty of treats and no tricks.
It's scary to think about what it would be like without you on our team. Happy Halloween!
This Halloween, we're dressing up as a company proud to have you as an employee. Wait, that's what we wear every day. Happy Halloween!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States celebrating the harvest and encouraging gratitude. The tradition is modeled after a feast shared in 1621 between the Pilgirms and the Wampanoag people. Often one of the busiest holidays of the year, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November with family gatherings and a robust traditional meal including turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie, and more.

Holiday messages to employees for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! This year, we're saying thanks for all of your hard work and commitment to our organization.
Wishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving full of moments as sweet as pumpkin pie. We are ever grateful - on this day and every other - to have you on our team.
Happy Thanksgiving! As we reflect on the year and all of the things we are thankful for, we're reminded of how much gratitude we have for your contributions to our company.
Happy Thanksgiving! May your holiday be full of love and joy – and plenty of yummy food. We're so thankful to be working with you.

Hanukkah

Celebrated this year from December 18th to December 26th, Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights that happens every year in the winter. Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting candles for eight consecutive nights. Other Hanukkah customs include eating oily foods, playing dreidel, and giving gelt (or money, often chocolate coins).

If you want to share in your Jewish employees' joy this Hanukkah, here are some messages that will help.

Holiday messages to employees for Hannukah

Chag sameach! We are so grateful for your contributions to our company. May you have a happy Hanukkah full of light and joy.
We hope that the festival of light brings warmth and happiness to your and your family. Thank you for serving our business so well. Hanukkah sameach!
Thank you so much for being such an important part of our company. We wish you a happy Hanukkah full of light and health.
Chag sameach! Working with you is a real joy. May your heart be warmed by the light of the Hanukkah candles.

Kwanzaa

Celebrated from December 26th to January 1st, Kwanzaa is a primarily African American holiday that has also come to be celebrated internationally among the Afriacn diaspora. Conceived as a nonpolitical and noreligious holiday, Kwanzaa affirms African family and social values, with each day dedicated to one of the seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. There are also seven symbols of Kwanzaa: fruits, vegetables, nuts, a straw mat, a candelholder, ears of corn, gifts, a communal cup, and seven candles in the colors of red, green, and black. Kwanzaa is celebrated by gathering with family to light candles and share a community feast called the karamu.

Holiday messages to employees for Kwanzaa

We wish you and your loved ones a happy Kwanzaa and New Year. We're so grateful to have you on our team and are looking forward to a great year ahead.
Happy Kwanzaa to a valuable member of our organization! We wish you a peaceful, blessed holiday full of joy and togetherness.
On this Kwanzaa, we wanted to take the time to thank you for all of your hard work and wish you and your family a wonderful holiday filled with happiness and harmony.
Thank you so much for all of your contributions this past year. We wish you a happy Kwanzaa full of light and joy.

Other occasions

We've tried to be thorough in this article, including some of the most common holidays your employees likely celebrate. However, there are so many holidays from cultures around the world that we weren't able to touch on here.

As an employer, it's important to make an effort to get to know the diverse cultural backgrounds your employees come from so you can celebrate with them. Whatever the occasion may be, a personalized gift from Snappy along with a touching quote or message is the perfect gesture to show your recognition and gratitude.

Tips for an effective employee holiday message

The words we use are powerful, having a significant effect on the people around us. With just a short phrase or sentence, we can make somebody's day and create positive feelings of joy, connection, and self-esteem. Here are some tips for writing holiday messages that truly touch the heart and express how you feel.

Make it personal

A gift with no message can come off as generic or thoughtless. Adding a personalized, thoughtful message makes an already great gift even better. While the messages above aren't personal to your company or employees, there are easy ways to modify them to make them so. For example, here are some different ways you can make your holiday messages more personal:

Start your greeting with your employee's name. With Snappy, you can automatically populate your gift's message with each gift recipient's name without having to input it yourself.
Use your company name. Many of the greetings we suggest using reference your company. To make it more personal, insert your company's name in place of phrases like "our company" or "the organization."
Mention goals. Some of the above greetings, especially those related to the New Year, mention the topic of goals. This is a great opportunity to get more personal by specifying exactly which goals your employees have helped you work towards.
Mention company values. When talking about how grateful you are for your employees, consider calling out why by mentioning the company values that they exemplify.
Use inside jokes. Not every holiday calls for humor, but mentioning a company-wide inside joke is an instant way to make your holiday greeting feel more personal when appropriate.

Go beyond words

Sending a holiday greeting is an amazing gesture, but it's even more impactful when it comes along with a gift. After all, thoughtful messages work hand-in-hand perfectly with real, personal gifts.

While it may be an easy choice, a gift card can seem too impersonal, failing to deliver the impact of an actual gift. We also recommend avoiding the common pitfall of sending the same generic gift to every single employee, as it can come off as less thoughtful.

Instead, Snappy lets you give the gift of choice, with employees able to select from curated gift collections full of popular items. This way, you can ensure that everybody is happy with what they receive.

Snappy gift + thoughtful message = happy employees

Sending holiday gifts to dozens or even hundreds of employees doesn't have to be hard. Snappy makes holiday gifting seamless by offering a bulk gifting service as effective as it is easy to use. Using Snappy's easy-to-use interface, you can quickly set up an account that allows you to send surprising and memorable gifts for any occasion.

Best of all, Snappy maintains a personal touch by allowing you to include a personalized message along with your gift. These two elements - an awesome gift from a curated collection and a thoughtful note - work together to create an amazing employee experience and contribute to positive company culture.

When using Snappy, we highly encourage you not to skip adding a personalized message. It's so easy to include and has a big impact:

Showing individual employees that you appreciate them
Creating a positive company culture
Boosting employee happiness for an improved employee experience
Improving retention by boosting employee recognition

Gift happy with Snappy

Keeping holiday greetings and gifts personal can be a challenge when you're a large organization with hundreds or thousands of employees. Snappy solves that problem by offering a simple, streamlined process for bulk holiday gifting that offers each individual employee a unique, personal experience. No matter your budget, you'll be able to give heartwarming employee gifts along with thoughtful messages and celebrate your employees in the moments that really matter.