What to Write: Christmas Gift Thank You Messages

The Christmas celebrations and festivities are over, you’ve had your fill of eggnog and carols, and it’s time to tackle your to-do list for the new year. At the top of that list? Writing thank you notes for (the) Christmas gifts you received.

If you’re feeling tempted to make an informal resolution to procrastinate indefinitely on this task, you’re not alone. But it’s really easier to accomplish than you think. We’ve got lots of ideas for you to pick and choose from, and you can use them as jump-starters for your own personal messages, or find a line or two that work perfectly for your particular situation. With the suggestions offered below, we’ll get you through this in no time!

There are a few things you need to consider before writing a Christmas gift thank you message. How close are you to the person who gave you the gift? Is your relationship with them a personal or business one? And did you like the gift…or is it the most hideous-slash-useless-slash-ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen?

Since there’s such a wide range of situations you might find yourself in, we’ve broken things down into several likely possibilities with a few options for each. What you’ll need to remember is that each Christmas gift situation is very specific and calls for a certain tone and type of message. So if you have a list of five Christmas gift thank you messages to write, you may end up needing to pick a direction from each of the five separate categories below.

That said, you always have the option to make things easy for yourself and go the generic route. This is a totally legitimate choice (although I usually prefer something more specifically suited to the person and situation). But if you’re super-pressed for time, it might be the way to go.

Examples of a Generic Thank You Message for a Wide Range of Situations:

Thank you so much for your thoughtful Christmas gift. I really appreciated it! Hope you have a great new year!
Thank you for thinking of me. That was so kind of you.
Thank you for the Christmas gift. You helped make my holidays special.
Thank you so much for the Christmas gift. That was so nice of you!

Examples of a Warmer Thank You Note for Someone You're Close To:

Thank you so much! I’m really grateful for your gift…and for you.
Thank you for the gift. I’m really grateful for you and for your thoughtfulness.
Just sending you a heartfelt thank you for your wonderful Christmas gift. It was really thoughtful of you…and I appreciate it, and you, so much.
One of the brightest parts of the holidays is people like you. And your gift made it all the more special. Thank you so much!
Thanks so much for the great Christmas gift. You didn’t have to do it, but I’m so glad and grateful you did!

Examples of a Thank You for an Obligatory Gift or Business Relationship

Your holiday gift was deeply appreciated. Thank you!
Just wanted to thank you for your thoughtful Christmas gift and wish you a happy new year!
Thank you for thinking of me at the holidays. I’m wishing you a happy and prosperous new year!
Thank you for your thoughtfulness at the holidays. I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much for your holiday gift. It’s always a pleasure doing business with you. Here’s to a great year ahead!
With thanks and appreciation for your thoughtfulness at the holidays, along with a sincere wish for a wonderful year ahead.

Examples of a Thank You Message for a Christmas Gift That Clearly Has a Lot of Thought Behind It And / Or Has a Personal Touch To It:

Thank you so much for all the thought and energy you put into the gift you gave me. It’s wonderful…and so are you!
You really know my taste! Thank you!
You couldn’t have given me a more perfect Christmas gift, or one with more meaning. Thank you!
Can’t thank you enough for such a wonderful gift. I hope you know how much I appreciate it.
What a great Christmas gift. You know me so well…thank you!

Examples of a Thank You Message for a Christmas Gift You Totally Love:

Wow…you really went all out on my Christmas gift. Thank you SOOOOO much!
Thank you so much for the Christmas gift. It’s absolutely perfect!
What a great gift. I love it! Thank you so much!
I absolutely love what you gave me. It’s amazing…and so are you!
What a perfect gift! You’re so thoughtful!
You outdid yourself on my Christmas gift. Thank you!

A few words before we finish off with our last category — writing thank you cards for Christmas gifts you didn’t like. At all. It’s hard to come up with something nice to say when what you really want to write may be more along the lines of, "What were you thinking? Do you even KNOW me?"

But here’s the thing. Even if you’ve been given something you wouldn’t consider wearing or using in a zillion years, the fact is that someone was nice enough to think of you. Even if they totally bombed in the gift-giving department, they still went to the trouble to give you something. And that’s not nothing. Which is why, though honesty is almost always the best policy in life, a little white Christmas lie might be in order. Think of it as an opportunity to put into practice some of that generous, loving Christmas spirit you just spent weeks celebrating.

Examples of a Thank You Note for Possible One of the Worst Gifts Ever:

Thank you so much for your Christmas gift. That was so nice of you to think of me.
Thank you for making my holidays even more special with your thoughtful gift.
Just wanted to thank you for the gift you gave me at Christmas…and wish you a really great new year!

One final note that can be applied to any of the above categories and examples. You can make your thank you note more personal and sincere by mentioning the exact gift you were given. So instead of ‘Thank you for your amazing Christmas gift’ you might want to write ‘Thank you for the beautiful purse you gave me for Christmas.’ Most people will appreciate that warm and personal touch.

Now you’re well on your way to zipping through those holiday thank you notes. Remember — the best Christmas gift thank you is one that comes from the heart and is written in the spirit of appreciation for both the gift and the person who gave it to you. So make yourself a warm winter mug of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, grab your pen and thank you cards…and get your gratitude on!