New Year wishes for anyone on your list

Short message

Happy New Year! Here's to a fresh start and good news.

Short message

Wishing you a year with more easy days than hard ones.

Short message

May the new year bring you exactly what you're hoping for.

Short message

Cheers to new chapters and old friends.

Hopeful message

I hope this new year brings you good surprises, steady footing and plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Personal message

This year was better with you in it, especially DETAIL. I can't wait to see what the next one brings for you.

Light message

I've made my resolutions for the year. Ask me in February how they're going, and be kind. Happy New Year!

Hopeful message

Here's to a new year full of small wins, good company and the kind of days you'll want to remember.

Warm message

As one year closes and another begins, I'm grateful for you and hopeful for everything ahead of us both.

Heartfelt message

This past year taught me a lot, and you were part of the best of it. Thank you for DETAIL. I hope the new year gives back the kindness you hand out so freely, with interest.

Hopeful message

Whatever you're hoping for in the new year, whether it's change, calm or a little of both, I hope it finds you. Happy New Year, and may the year ahead be generous to you.

Personal message

My favorite memory of this year is DETAIL, and I'm counting on many more like it. Happy New Year! Let's make plans for the next one soon.

Make the words yours

New Year cards suit almost anyone, including people who don't celebrate a December holiday. They're also a kind way to answer cards you received in December.

Look back once and forward once: a thank-you for something from the past year in DETAIL, then a wish for the year ahead.

Keep resolution jokes about yourself. Teasing someone about their goals, weight or habits can land badly.

Ways to sign the card

Happy New Year, NAME

Here's to the year ahead, NAME

Cheers, NAME

With hope for the new year, NAME

See you in the new year, NAME

Onward and upward, NAME

When New Year's Day falls

New Year's Day, January 1, is a US federal holiday. In 2027 it falls on a Friday.

A New Year card can go out in the last days of December or the first weeks of January.

Use the message in your own card

Copy the wording into a card or a message you send yourself. Replace NAME with your name and DETAIL with the moment or kindness from this year you want to name; remove any brackets that remain.

Choose only words you are comfortable sending. This page supplies message ideas, so keep personal names and memories in the card or document you are preparing.

A few useful answers

What do you write in a New Year card? A thank-you for the past year and a hopeful wish for the next one. Two or three sentences is plenty.

Is it too late to send a New Year card in January? No. The first weeks of January suit New Year wishes, and they're a good way to answer holiday cards you received.

Can I send a New Year card instead of a Christmas card? Yes. It's a good choice when you're not sure which December holidays someone celebrates.