December is the one month when almost everyone changes their email signature. Clients expect a "Merry Christmas" or a "Happy holidays" at the bottom of your emails, and a plain "Best regards" can feel a little cold next to everyone else's. The change takes a minute and stays useful until early January.
Below are 50 Christmas and holiday email sign-offs you can copy, grouped from office-safe to playful, then inclusive options for mixed audiences, New Year sign-offs, signature lines, ready-made signature examples, out-of-office messages for the Christmas break, tips for adding a holiday banner, and setup steps for Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and Yahoo Mail. Christmas 2026 is Friday, December 25.
Quick picks
- Safe for any client: Happy holidays and best regards,
- Classic Christmas: Merry Christmas and warm wishes,
- For a mixed or international audience: Season's greetings,
- For colleagues: Enjoy the break,
- For friends: Merry everything,
- For emails that run into January: Best wishes for 2027,
Professional Christmas email sign-offs
These work with clients, managers and people you have never met.
- Merry Christmas and best regards,
- Wishing you a merry Christmas,
- Warm Christmas wishes,
- Best wishes for a merry Christmas,
- Merry Christmas and a happy New Year,
- Wishing you and your team a merry Christmas,
- Kind regards and merry Christmas,
- With best wishes for the holidays,
- Thank you for a great year, and merry Christmas,
- Enjoy the Christmas break,
Warm and personal Christmas sign-offs
For people you know well and want to say a little more to.
- Warmest Christmas wishes,
- Merry Christmas to you and yours,
- Wishing you a peaceful Christmas,
- With love and Christmas cheer,
- Wishing you a cozy Christmas,
- Sending warm wishes from our home to yours,
- Wishing you joy this Christmas,
- May your Christmas be merry and bright,
- Peace, love and joy,
- With love at Christmas,
Fun Christmas email sign-offs
For coworkers and clients you already joke with.
- Have a holly jolly Christmas,
- Yule be hearing from me,
- Sleigh the holidays,
- Merry and bright,
- Cookies and cheer,
- Ho ho ho,
- Signing off before the eggnog,
- Elf regards,
- Have a cool Yule,
- On the nice list (I hope),
Happy holidays and season's greetings sign-offs
Not everyone on your list celebrates Christmas. For customers, a big mailing list, or anyone whose holidays you do not know, a general holiday sign-off is the safer choice and still feels seasonal. "Happy holidays" also covers Hanukkah (December 4 to 12 in 2026), Kwanzaa (December 26 to January 1) and New Year's Day in one line.
- Happy holidays,
- Happy holidays and best regards,
- Season's greetings,
- Warm wishes for the holiday season,
- Wishing you a wonderful holiday season,
- Best wishes for the holidays and the new year,
- Wishing you peace and joy this season,
- Happy holidays from all of us at Example Co.,
- Enjoy the holidays,
- Warmest wishes this season,
New Year email sign-offs
Your holiday signature usually stays on until the first week of January, so it helps to have something for the emails you send after December 25.
- Happy New Year,
- Best wishes for 2027,
- Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year,
- Here's to a great 2027,
- Looking forward to working with you in 2027,
- Cheers to the new year,
- All the best for the year ahead,
- Wishing you a successful New Year,
- Happy New Year and best regards,
- See you in 2027,
Christmas email signature lines
A sign-off replaces "Best regards". A signature line sits inside your signature, usually under your name or contact details. One short sentence is enough:
- Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
- Happy holidays from all of us at Example Co.
- Thank you for a great year. Enjoy the holidays.
- Our office is closed December 24 to January 1. We are back on Monday, January 4, 2027.
- Season's greetings and best wishes for 2027.
Christmas email signature examples
A sign-off is one line. A signature is the block under it. Four styles you can copy and change:
Subtle and professional
Keep your normal signature and add one line:
Merry Christmas and best regards,
Jane Smith
Account Manager, Example Co.
+1 555 0100 | example.com
Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Inclusive, for customers and large lists
Happy holidays,
Jane Smith
Account Manager, Example Co.
+1 555 0100 | example.com
Season's greetings and best wishes for 2027.
Warm
Warmest Christmas wishes,
Jane Smith
Account Manager, Example Co.
Thank you for a great year together. Enjoy the holidays.
Fun
Have a holly jolly Christmas,
Jane Smith
Account Manager (and Chief Elf this month)
Example Co.
Out-of-office messages for the Christmas and New Year break
Many offices close from Thursday, December 24 through Friday, January 1, and reopen on Monday, January 4, 2027. Say when you are back, and give one contact for anything urgent.
Standard, for clients:
Thank you for your email. I am out of the office for the holidays from Thursday, December 24 and back on Monday, January 4, 2027. I will reply as soon as I am back. For anything urgent, please contact [email protected].
Happy holidays,
Jane
For a support or sales team:
Thank you for contacting Example Co. Our office is closed for the holidays from December 24 to January 1. We will reply to every message from Monday, January 4, 2027. For urgent account issues, please email [email protected].
Season's greetings from the whole team.
Short and friendly, for colleagues:
I am off for the Christmas break and back on Monday, January 4. I will not be checking email. If it cannot wait, please ask Sam at [email protected].
Merry Christmas and see you in 2027,
Jane
Add the closing dates to your signature a week or two before the break too, so people know before they write to you.
Adding a Christmas image or banner to your signature
A small holly sprig next to your name, or a short "Happy holidays" banner under your signature, is the most common way to make it look like Christmas. A few rules keep it from breaking your email:
- Keep your details as real text. Many email apps block images until the reader allows them. Your name, title and phone number must never live inside the image. A banner that says "Merry Christmas" is fine, because nothing is lost if it does not load.
- Keep it small. A banner should be no wider than the rest of your signature and short enough that your contact details stay on screen. Resize and compress the image before you upload it so the file stays light.
- Add alt text. Something like "Happy holidays from Example Co." shows up when the image is blocked and is read aloud by screen readers.
- Make the first frame of a GIF work on its own. Some versions of Outlook for Windows show only the first frame of an animated GIF, so frame one should already say what you mean.
- Check dark mode. Dark red or green text on a transparent image can disappear on a dark background. Send yourself a test on your phone with dark mode on.
- Use an image you are allowed to use. Your own photo, your company's artwork, or a free stock image that allows commercial use.
How to add a Christmas signature in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and Yahoo Mail
Gmail
- Click the gear icon, then See all settings.
- On the General tab, scroll to Signature and click Create new. Name it Christmas.
- Type your sign-off and signature. Use the image icon to insert a banner from Google Drive or a web address.
- Choose it as the default for new emails and replies, then click Save Changes at the bottom.
Outlook (new Outlook and Outlook on the web)
- Open Settings, then Accounts, then Signatures.
- Create a new signature, name it Christmas, and add your text and image.
- Set it as the default for new messages and replies, then save.
Apple Mail
- Open Mail, then Settings (or Preferences), then Signatures.
- Select your account, click the plus button and type your signature. Drag an image into the signature box to add it.
- Choose the signature from the Signature menu for that account.
Yahoo Mail
- Click Settings, then More Settings, then Writing email.
- Under Signature, switch it on for your account and type your signature in the box.
- Your changes save automatically.
Keep your normal signature saved next to the holiday one, so switching back in January is one click.
When to switch your Christmas signature on and off
Switch it on in early December, after your Thanksgiving signature comes off. If you used one, the Thanksgiving email signature ideas post covers late November. A holiday signature that appears in the first week of December feels timely, and one that appears in mid-November feels early.
Switch a Christmas-specific sign-off to a New Year one after December 25, and turn the holiday signature off when you are back at work, around Monday, January 4, 2027. A "Merry Christmas" line in an email on January 15 looks like you forgot about it. The 2026 marketing calendar lists every December date if you want to plan around Hanukkah or Boxing Day too.
FAQ
How do I end an email at Christmas?
Replace your usual closing with a seasonal one, such as "Merry Christmas and best regards," or "Happy holidays," followed by your name. Keep the rest of your signature the same.
Is it OK to say Merry Christmas in a work email?
Yes, with people you know celebrate it. For customers, large lists or people whose holidays you do not know, "Happy holidays" or "Season's greetings" is the safer choice.
What is a good holiday email sign-off for clients?
"Happy holidays and best regards," "Warm wishes for the holiday season," and "Best wishes for the holidays and the new year" all work for any client.
When should I change my email signature for Christmas?
Early December, and back to normal in the first week of January. Switch any Christmas-only line to a New Year line after December 25.
What should a Christmas out-of-office message say?
The dates you are away, the day you are back, one contact for urgent requests, and a short holiday greeting. See the examples above.
Sending holiday emails to a whole list?
A signature is for your own emails. If you are planning a December campaign, start with Christmas marketing campaigns that engage and convert, then Happy New Year emails to clients for the first week of January. If you send to large lists or for many clients, book a demo and I will walk you through Octeth on a call.
