New Year
New Year messages, written for 5 different relationships
New Year messages are almost entirely forward-facing, which makes them weightless. Wishes for a prosperous year cost nothing and mean correspondingly little.
The occasion works better as a moment to look back and say what the last year contained.
Pick the occasion
step 01 · nine templates
What actually makes a New Year message land
Name something from the year that is ending: something they did, something they got through, something you were glad about.
That backward glance gives the forward wish something to stand on.
For someone who has had a genuinely difficult year, acknowledging it plainly is more welcome than insisting the next one will be better.
New Year messages by relationship
Who you are writing to changes the message more than the occasion does. Each page below is written for one relationship.
Timing and etiquette
- New Year is a natural moment to restart a lapsed contact, and a good message can say that directly without awkwardness.
- Resolutions are a weak subject for a message to someone else - they imply the recipient needs improving.
- Sent slightly late is entirely normal for this occasion and needs no apology.
Common questions
- What should you write in a New Year message?
- Name something from the year that is ending: something they did, something they got through, something you were glad about. That backward glance gives the forward wish something to stand on.
- How long should a New Year message be?
- Two or three sentences: one about the year that has gone, one about the person, and one looking forward.
- When should you send a New Year message?
- New Year is a natural moment to restart a lapsed contact, and a good message can say that directly without awkwardness.
Say it as something they open
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