Christmas Wishes for Relatives and In-Laws

A note before the list: we make Tribute, the group video maker, and one of the ten groups shows how to send your wishes on video, from the whole family.

How do you write Christmas wishes for relatives?

Relatives are family you didn't grow up in the same house with, so the message has to do a little more work. Name them, mention one thing you share (a reunion, a recipe, a group chat), and wish them something specific. "Hope the new job is treating you well" beats "Season's greetings."

December is when most families gather: Pew Research Center found 82% of U.S. adults planned to spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with family and friends. A card or text before the gathering sets a warm tone for the whole visit.

1. Short wishes for any relative

For the aunts, uncles and cousins-once-removed on your card list. One line plus a name is enough.

• Merry Christmas, Aunt Rosa. Your tamales are still the best part of the season.
• Thinking of you and the whole family this Christmas.
• Wishing you a warm Christmas and a new year full of good news.
• Merry Christmas from all of us. Let's not wait for the next wedding to see each other.
• Uncle Mike, here's to another year of your terrible puns. Merry Christmas.
• Sending love from our corner of the family to yours.
• Merry Christmas to the relatives who make reunions worth the drive.

Best for: Extended family on a long card list.

Why it works: A name and one detail turn a generic card into a note they'll read twice.

2. Christmas message for mother-in-law

She raised the person you married. A Christmas message for mother-in-law works best when it thanks her for that and for the place she's made for you.

• Thank you for raising the person I love and for welcoming me like one of your own. Merry Christmas.
• Merry Christmas to the woman who taught my husband to cook. I'm grateful every night.
• Your Christmas table is where I first felt part of this family. Thank you for that.
• Wishing my mother-in-law a Christmas as warm as the welcome you gave me.
• To the best grandma our kids could ask for: merry Christmas, and thank you for every sleepover.
• Merry Christmas! I promise to follow your stuffing recipe to the letter this year.

Best for: Your spouse's mom, by card or in person.

Why it works: Thanking her for her child is the compliment most mothers-in-law value most.

3. Say it on video: a Tribute from the whole family

When in-laws live in another state or another country, a card can feel thin. A Tribute lets both sides of the family send Christmas wishes in one video, so your in-laws hear from your kids, your parents and the cousins they met at the wedding. Tribute is a group video maker that turns messages from friends and family into one surprise video. It works by inviting everyone to record a short clip from their phone; Tribute compiles the clips, music and photos into a finished video you share or play together.

Say your in-laws are spending their first Christmas in Florida after retiring. Send the link to everyone two or three weeks before and set the deadline a few days ahead of the 25th. Unlike a video call, nobody has to be online at the same time, and they can replay it whenever the condo feels quiet. Over 8 million videos have been sent on Tribute, and it holds 4.9 stars from 7,000+ reviews.

• "Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad Chen. The kids want you to know the snowman is named after you."
• "Hi Linda, it's your favorite daughter-in-law. Don't let the others see this."
• "From both families, all 30 of us: merry Christmas, and come home soon."

Best for: Parents-in-law, grandparents and relatives who can't travel this year.

Why it works: It brings both sides of the family into one message, which a single card can't do.

👉 Start your holiday Tribute

4. Father-in-law

Many fathers-in-law prefer a joke to a speech. A Christmas message for father-in-law can be both, as long as it ends with a real thank-you.

• Merry Christmas to the man who still checks my tire pressure. Thank you for looking out for us.
• Thank you for trusting me with your daughter. I'm still trying to earn the grill tongs.
• Merry Christmas! The kids say you're the best at hide-and-seek. Don't tell them you fall asleep.
• Wishing you a Christmas with good football, better food and no assembly instructions.
• Thank you for every piece of advice, even the ones about my lawn.

Best for: Your spouse's dad, in a card or a toast.

Why it works: A bit of humor lowers the stakes, and the thank-you lands harder after a laugh.

5. Parents-in-law together

For one card to both of them, these Christmas wishes for parents-in-law speak to the couple and the home they built.

• Merry Christmas to the two people who raised my favorite person.
• Your house is where our Christmas traditions began. Thank you for sharing them with me.
• Wishing you both a cozy Christmas and a new year with more visits from us.
• Thank you for the open door, the extra chair and the second helpings. Merry Christmas.
• We're so lucky to call you family. Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad.
• From our house to yours: love, gratitude and a promise to bring dessert this year.

Best for: A Christmas message for parents-in-law signed by both of you.

Why it works: It honors them as a pair, which suits couples who do everything together.

What do you write to a daughter-in-law or son-in-law at Christmas?

You're welcoming someone into your family, so the message should say they belong. Their first few Christmases with you count the most.

6. Daughter and son-in-law

A Christmas wish for daughter and son-in-law should include both names and something you look forward to doing together.

• Merry Christmas to our daughter and son-in-law. Watching you build a home together is our favorite gift.
• To our son-in-law: thank you for making our daughter laugh as much as we do. Merry Christmas.
• Merry Christmas to the newest member of our family. Your stocking is up, and it's not going anywhere.
• To our son and his wonderful wife: we can't wait to have you home for Christmas Eve.
• We got a son-in-law and a new favorite board game opponent. Merry Christmas, James.
• Christmas greetings to our son-in-law, the only person who can fix Grandpa's TV.

Best for: Your married children and their spouses.

Why it works: A named stocking or a shared plan shows the welcome is real, not polite.

7. Sister-in-law and brother-in-law

• Merry Christmas to the sister I got to choose, sort of.
• To my sister-in-law: thanks for being on my side in every family debate.
• Merry Christmas to my brother-in-law, the only one who laughs at my dad's jokes.
• Wishing you a Christmas full of naps, since our kids won't let you have one at our place.
• To my brother and sister-in-law: thank you for hosting. We'll do the dishes. Some of them.
• Merry Christmas to the best addition to our family since the dog.

Best for: Christmas wishes to sister-in-law, brother-in-law and their families.

Why it works: Siblings-in-law are peers, so a friendly, teasing tone fits.

What are fun Christmas wishes for cousins, nieces and nephews?

Younger relatives want something they can read fast and maybe screenshot. Keep these light.

8. Cousins

• Merry Christmas, cousins! Same kids' table, bigger chairs.
• To my cousin and partner in crime: let's not set anything on fire this year.
• Merry Christmas to the cousins who made every family party worth it.
• Remember the year we ate the whole cookie tray before dinner? Never forget. Merry Christmas.
• Cousins: the friends your family picked for you. Merry Christmas to mine.
• Group chat reminder: Christmas Eve, Grandma's house, bring the card game.

Best for: The cousin group chat and cards to cousins your age.

Why it works: Shared childhood memories are the glue between cousins, and a joke brings them back.

9. Nieces and nephews

A Christmas greeting for nephew or niece should sound like their fun aunt or uncle, not a greeting card.

• Merry Christmas to my favorite nephew. Yes, you're my only nephew. Still counts.
• To my niece: you're taller than me now. I'm choosing to be proud instead of upset.
• Merry Christmas! Your gift is in the mail, and so is my request for a new drawing.
• To my nephew the soccer star: I saw the goal video 40 times. Merry Christmas.
• Wishing my niece a Christmas full of snow days and zero homework.

Best for: Kids and teens in the extended family.

Why it works: Kids love proof that adults noticed something they did.

How do you send Christmas wishes to relatives when things are tense?

Not every relationship is easy. In the American Psychological Association's 2023 holiday stress survey, 22% of U.S. adults named family conflict, or the worry that it's coming, as a source of stress during the holidays. A short, kind card can keep the door open without reopening an argument.

• Thinking of you this Christmas and wishing you peace in the new year.
• Wishing you and your family a warm and restful holiday season.
• Merry Christmas. We'd love to catch up in the new year.

Keep it brief, skip any history, and don't expect a reply. Compared to silence, a simple line says "you're still family" and lets them decide what happens next. Some relatives celebrate Hanukkah or no December holiday at all; "Warm wishes this season" works for everyone.

What if your relatives live all over the country?

Picture this: your in-laws are in Phoenix, your cousins are in Boston and your aunt just moved to Lisbon. One way to reach them all is a family Christmas letter with a short personal note on each copy. Another is a group video where every branch of the family records a message.

For more lines to borrow, see our Christmas quotes for family. Shopping for the in-laws too? Our guide to Christmas gifts for in-laws covers it, and our holiday season guide maps the rest of December.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you write in a Christmas card to your mother-in-law?

Thank her for raising your spouse and for welcoming you into the family. Add one specific memory, such as a holiday meal she hosted, and sign from your whole household.

What is a good Christmas wish for a daughter and son-in-law?

"Merry Christmas to our daughter and son-in-law. Watching you build a home together is our favorite gift." Use both names and mention a plan you share for the holidays.

How do you wish cousins a merry Christmas?

Keep it playful and bring up a childhood memory, such as the kids' table or a game you always played. A message in the cousin group chat works as well as a card.

What should you write to relatives you don't know well?

Use their name, mention the last time you saw them, and wish them a good new year. "Merry Christmas, Aunt Rosa. Let's not wait for the next wedding to see each other" is plenty.

What do you write to in-laws when the relationship is difficult?

Keep it short and kind, such as "Thinking of you this Christmas and wishing you peace in the new year." Skip any history and don't expect a reply.

How can both sides of the family send Christmas wishes together?

Start a group video and send the link to both families. Each person records a short message from their phone, and the clips play as one video on Christmas Day.

👉 Start your holiday Tribute and send Christmas wishes from both sides of the family.