Dear XmasHow to write a short Christmas letter
A Dear Xmas letter can be up to 200 characters. Short is harder than it sounds. These five steps are enough to say something real.
1. Start with their name
"Hey Sam" is closer than "Hey." One name tells them this letter was written for them and nobody else.
Sam, what a year.
2. Bring up one moment from this year
"Thanks for everything" could go to anyone. A place you went, something you ate, a joke you shared brings the whole scene back. Just one, not a list.
Running to the store in the rain this summer is still the funniest thing that happened all year.
3. Say exactly what you're thankful for
Go one step further than "thanks for helping." "Thanks for staying until the last box on moving day" is the line they'll remember.
Thanks for staying until the last box on moving day. Best pizza I ever had.
4. Make one plan for next year
A Christmas letter closes one year and opens the next. A small plan gives the letter somewhere to go.
Road trip in the spring. I'll plan it this time, promise.
5. Keep the sign-off short
The last line doesn't need to be long. "Merry Christmas," "love you," or "see you soon," like you'd say it out loud.
Put together, it looks like this
Sam, what a year. Running to the store in the rain this summer still makes me laugh. Thanks for staying until the last box on moving day. Road trip in the spring? Merry Christmas!
All five steps in one letter
Things to skip
- Lines that could go to anyone. If it's only "happy holidays," it reads like a group text.
- A first apology or a big confession. Letters open on Christmas, so they'd be reading something heavy alone on the day. Say the big things in person.
- Other people's stories. Only the tree's owner reads it, but leave other people's secrets out.
You can't edit a letter once it's hung. Draft it in your notes app, read it out loud once, then hang it.
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