The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration, and nothing centers the spirit of this time quite like the traditional exchange of heartfelt greetings.

“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” has long been the go-to phrase to articulate festive cheer, but as beloved as this greeting is, there’s something better about stepping outside the norm to express the holiday spirit in unique ways. 

Whether you’re looking to shake things up in your holiday cards, add a personal touch to a social media post, or simply stand out at a festive gathering, exploring alternative ways to spread seasonal joy can breathe new life into this cherished tradition.

In this article, I’ll walk you through 30 heartwarming alternatives to the classic “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” 

30 Other Ways to Say “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year”

• Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a bright New Year.
• May your holidays be filled with cheer and your New Year with hope.
• Sending warm wishes for a magical Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
• Have a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year ahead.
• Cheers to a joyful Christmas and a successful New Year.
• Hope your Christmas sparkles and your New Year shines.
• May your season be merry and your year ahead be bright.
• Wishing you love, laughter, and peace this Christmas and all year long.
• May your holidays be cozy, and your New Year be amazing.
• Sending love and light for a joyous Christmas and a happy New Year.
• Warmest wishes for a beautiful Christmas and a fresh start in the New Year.
• Here’s to a season filled with warmth and a year filled with dreams come true.
• Hope this Christmas brings you joy and the New Year brings you success.
• Merry Christmas and may your New Year be full of happiness and health.
• May your Christmas be peaceful and your New Year be filled with hope.
• Wishing you a delightful Christmas and a year full of good fortune.
• May you have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
• Here’s to holiday cheer and a fabulous New Year.
• Happy holidays. May the New Year bring you happiness.
• Wishing you a season filled with magic and a New Year full of dreams realized.
• Hope your Christmas is filled with wonder and your New Year with joy.
• May this season bring you love and the New Year bring you happiness.
• Have a holy, jolly Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
• Wishing you peace, joy, and all the best this holiday season.
• May your Christmas be merry and your New Year be truly amazing.
• Happy holidays and best wishes for a fantastic year ahead.
• Wishing you laughter, love, and a memorable holiday season.
• Merry Christmas. May you have a fresh start in the New Year.
• May your Christmas be filled with joy and your New Year with success.
• Sending you holiday cheer and all good things for the New Year.

Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a bright New Year.

What’s Christmas without joy in it? That’s why this phrase keeps that idea in mind that the combination of “joy” for Christmas and “bright” for the New Year, produces happiness and positivity in both seasons.

Illustrations: 

• Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a bright New Year filled with love and laughter.
• As the season approaches, I’m wishing you a joyful Christmas and a bright New Year ahead.

May your holidays be filled with cheer and your New Year with hope.

When it comes to this particular phrase, what it does is that it focuses on two key themes: festive cheer for Christmas and hope for the future, aligning with the season’s uplifting spirit.

Be of good cheer amongst your friends during the holidays by choosing to let out your thoughts this way. 

Illustrations: 

• May your holidays be filled with cheer and your New Year with hope for exciting opportunities.
• Sending warm thoughts this season—may your holidays be filled with cheer and your New Year with hope.

Sending warm wishes for a magical Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

The addition of the word “magical” to the phrase helps to highlight the wonder of Christmas and “prosperous” to wish for success and abundance in the New Year.

The day that marks the birth of Christ should be depicted as a miracle just as it is referenced in this phrase. 

Illustrations: 

• Sending warm wishes for a magical Christmas filled with memories and a prosperous New Year.
• May this holiday season bring you joy—sending warm wishes for a magical Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year ahead.

The terms “wonderful” and “fantastic” elevate the greeting, giving it an energetic and uplifting tone. 

There are diverse ways that you can own this phrase but examples of ways you can include it in a sentence has been illustrated below. 

Illustrations: 

• I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year surrounded by loved ones.
• Take time to enjoy the season—have a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year ahead.

Cheers to a joyful Christmas and a successful New Year.

The beginning of a new year to most people means a fresh start to either change or progress in life which makes this phrase reasonable and suitable. 

The word “cheers” brings a celebratory vibe, while “successful” introduces a goal-oriented wish for the New Year.

Illustrations: 

• Cheers to a joyful Christmas spent with family and a successful New Year full of opportunities.
• Raising a glass to you—cheers to a joyful Christmas and a successful New Year.

Hope your Christmas sparkles and your New Year shines.

In this phrase there’s an evocation of the imagery of light and sparkle, symbolizing joy, excitement, and optimism for both occasions.

Below is an illustration of how to make use of this phrase like a pro. 

Illustrations: 

• Hope your Christmas sparkles with happiness and your New Year shines with achievements.
• Wishing you a season filled with magic—hope your Christmas sparkles and your New Year shines.

May your season be merry and your year ahead be bright.

Rather than sticking to the same routined words, you can decide to change things up with this phrase. 

In this phrase, it uses classic festive language, “merry” and “bright,” to encapsulate the essence of Christmas and the New Year.

Illustrations: 

• May your season be merry with celebration and your year ahead be bright with success.
• Sending holiday greetings—may your season be merry and your year ahead be bright.

Wishing you love, laughter, and peace this Christmas and all year long.

“Wishing you love, laughter, and peace this Christmas and all year long” is a phrase that extends the holiday spirit beyond Christmas, wishing for ongoing love, laughter, and peace throughout the entire year.

Illustrations: 

• Wishing you love, laughter, and peace this Christmas and throughout the New Year.
• May the season bring you joy—wishing you love, laughter, and peace this Christmas.

May your holidays be cozy, and your New Year be amazing.

Christmas is a holiday that when imagined, you think of warmth, joy and miracles which are all the messages that this phrase centers on. 

What it does also is that it highlights the warmth and comfort of the holidays (“cozy”) and sets an aspirational tone for the New Year.

Illustrations: 

• Wrap yourself in joy—may your holidays be cozy, and your New Year be amazing.
• Here’s to a wonderful season—may your holidays be cozy, and your New Year be amazing.

Sending love and light for a joyous Christmas and a happy New Year.

Your situation might be that you want to text someone that you love or probably a broadcast message for your customers or clients. 

This is a good fit for such a situation as this phrase “centers on love and light” which represents warmth, positivity, and togetherness, which are core elements of the holiday season.

Illustrations: 

• Sending love and light for a joyous Christmas with family and a happy New Year ahead.
• Let the warmth of the season fill your heart—sending love and light for a joyous Christmas.

Warmest wishes for a beautiful Christmas and a fresh start in the New Year.

Another phrase that can be an alternative way to say “Merry Christmas and happy new year” is this phrase.  

The phrase introduces “fresh start” to emphasize renewal and opportunities that the New Year brings.

Illustrations: 

• Warmest wishes for a beautiful Christmas surrounded by loved ones and a fresh start in the New Year.
• May this season bring you happiness—warmest wishes for a beautiful Christmas and a fresh start.

Here’s to a season filled with warmth and a year filled with dreams come true.

The next one on the list is the phrase “ Here’s to a season filled with warmth and a year filled with dreams come true” which combines the coziness of the holidays with hopeful aspirations for the New Year, blending sentimentality with ambition.

Illustrations: 

• Here’s to a season filled with warmth and cherished moments, and a year filled with dreams come true.
• Wishing you joy—here’s to a season filled with warmth and a year filled with dreams come true.

Hope this Christmas brings you joy and the New Year brings you success.

Coming up with alternative phrases Has to be done with a creative method and by a creative mind which crafted this phrase. 

The phrase separates the seasons with distinct blessings: joy for Christmas and success for the New Year.

Illustrations: 

• Hope this Christmas brings you joy, love, and happiness, and the New Year brings you success.
• Sending festive wishes—hope this Christmas brings you joy and the New Year brings you success.

Merry Christmas and may your New Year be full of happiness and health.

“Happiness and health” are universal desires, making this a heartfelt and inclusive greeting.

It’s one thing to sound like a broken record and it’s another to be afraid of stepping outside the box. Begin your walk to achieving uniqueness with your sets of words for the holidays. 

Illustrations: 

• Merry Christmas and may your New Year be full of happiness, health, and new beginnings.
• Sending love—Merry Christmas and may your New Year be full of happiness and health.

May your Christmas be peaceful and your New Year be filled with hope.

If you ask me why this phrase is a good substitute for the phrase, “Merry Christmas and a happy new year,” I would inform you of how this phrase projects tranquility and hope, emphasizing the reflective and forward-looking aspects of the season.

Illustrations: 

• May your Christmas be peaceful with loved ones, and your New Year be filled with hope and promise.
• Let the season fill your heart—may your Christmas be peaceful and your New Year be filled with hope.

Wishing you a delightful Christmas and a year full of good fortune.

Delightful” makes the greeting cheerful, while “good fortune” reflects a wish for prosperity in the New Year.

There are various ways that this phrase can be incorporated into a full sentence as illustrated below. 

Illustrations: 

• Wishing you a delightful Christmas filled with laughter and a year full of good fortune.
• Celebrate the season—wishing you a delightful Christmas and a year full of good fortune.

May you have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Adds a spiritual touch with “blessed” and a practical note with “prosperous,” covering both heartfelt and material wishes.

Don’t just be basic during the holidays, try to be a little more interactive and social by making use of this phrase. 

Illustrations: 

• May you have a blessed Christmas filled with joy and a prosperous New Year ahead.
• Let the blessings of the season fill your home—may you have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Here’s to holiday cheer and a fabulous New Year.

Another phrase that is a good substitute for the phrase, “Merry Christmas and happy new year” is this.  

Holiday cheer” captures the festive vibe, and “fabulous” adds flair and excitement for the New Year.

Illustrations: 

• Raise a toast—here’s to holiday cheer and a fabulous New Year with endless opportunities.
• Here’s to holiday cheer shared with loved ones and a fabulous New Year to come.

Happy holidays. May the New Year bring you happiness.

What matters most in life is the wonders and the joy in being with people that you truly care about and vice versa. 

A simple, universal way to extend good wishes for both the holiday season and the New Year.

Illustrations: 

• Happy holidays to you and yours—may the New Year bring you happiness and joy.
• Wishing you the best of the season—happy holidays and may the New Year bring you happiness.

Wishing you a season filled with magic and a New Year full of dreams realized.

The uniqueness of this phrase is that it emphasizes the enchantment of Christmas and the fulfillment of goals in the coming year.

The example below shows you just how this phrase can be included in your messages via text or Christmas cards. 

Illustrations: 

• Wishing you a season filled with magic, and a New Year where all your dreams come true.
• Celebrate the holidays—wishing you a season filled with magic and a New Year of fulfillment.

Hope your Christmas is filled with wonder and your New Year with joy.

Furthermore, this phrase shows the awe and wonder of Christmas with the happiness and excitement of the New Year.

With the knowledge provided through these illustrations, you’ll be able to know how to use this phrase in a full sentence. 

Illustrations: 

• Hope your Christmas is filled with wonder and delight, and your New Year with joy and success.
• Sending heartfelt wishes—hope your Christmas is filled with wonder and your New Year with joy.

May this season bring you love and the New Year bring you happiness.

A classic yet effective way to convey goodwill and emotional warmth for both seasons.

Now, you don’t have to struggle to let your loved one know that you wish them well during the holiday season. 

Illustrations: 

• May this season bring you love and warmth, and the New Year bring you happiness and success.
• Celebrate with joy—may this season bring you love and the New Year bring you happiness.

Have a holy, jolly Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

In this phrase, there’s an incorporation of festive language (“holly, jolly”) while wishing for a positive start to the New Year.

Watch and see how this phrase can be used in a sentence. 

Illustrations: 

• Have a holy, jolly Christmas filled with laughter and a wonderful New Year to follow.
• May your days be merry—have a holly, jolly Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Wishing you peace, joy, and all the best this holiday season.

Also like the rest, this phrase covers the core sentiments of the holidays—peace, joy, and good fortune—in a broad and inclusive way. 

Illustrations: 

• Wishing you peace, joy, and all the best this holiday season and throughout the year ahead.
• Sending warm thoughts—wishing you peace, joy, and all the best this holiday season.

May your Christmas be merry and your New Year be truly amazing.

Using alternative words like ‘amazing,’ ‘lovely,’ ‘joyful’ can be a good form of adjective instead of using the word “merry” which has been used by society a lot. 

It balances a traditional Christmas greeting with an enthusiastic wish for the New Year.

Illustrations: 

• May your Christmas be merry and bright, and your New Year be truly amazing in every way.
• Sending love—may your Christmas be merry and your New Year be truly amazing.

Happy holidays and best wishes for a fantastic year ahead.

Happy holidays” broadens the mindset to include all celebrations, while “fantastic” sets a positive tone for the New Year.

If you’re texting, you can accompany this Christmas greeting with a couple of emojis that implies joy and items that are related to Christmas. 

Illustrations: 

• Happy holidays to you—sending best wishes for a fantastic year filled with opportunities.
• Celebrate the season—happy holidays and best wishes for a fantastic year ahead.

Wishing you laughter, love, and a memorable holiday season.

The main subject of this phrase is on the emotional and social connections, making the greeting feel warm and personal.

Messages that you would like to include this phrase to could be used for all types of settings as long as you include a joyful vibe to it. 

Illustrations: 

• Wishing you laughter, love, and a memorable holiday season filled with joy and warmth.
• Sending festive cheer—wishing you laughter, love, and a memorable holiday season.

Merry Christmas. May you have a fresh start in the New Year.

Just like the previous phrase listed and explained, this phrase is a straightforward greeting with a focus on renewal and opportunities in the coming year.

The advantage of this kind of message is that it could serve as a reminder to anyone that they can start a new life rather than wallow in the shame or mistake of the past. 

Illustrations: 

• Merry Christmas to you and your family—may you have a fresh start in the New Year.
• Wishing you joy—Merry Christmas and may you have a fresh start in the New Year.

May your Christmas be filled with joy and your New Year with success.

The collaboration of the festive joy of Christmas and the  practical aspirations for success in the New Year, makes this phrase a good fit for a Christmas greeting that can replace “Merry Christmas and happy new year.” 

Illustrations: 

• May your Christmas be filled with joy and laughter, and your New Year with success and opportunities.
• Sending love—may your Christmas be filled with joy and your New Year with success.

Sending you holiday cheer and all good things for the New Year.

Finally, this phrase uses”holiday cheer” to set a festive mood and offers broad blessings (“all good things”) for the New Year.

Illustrations: 

• Sending you holiday cheer and all good things for the New Year, with love and warmth.
• May this season bring happiness—sending you holiday cheer and all good things for the New Year.