Christmas cards for your brother-in-law

Brothers-in-law tend to communicate in banter. You trade a few jokes about football, the barbecue and who parked badly, and somewhere underneath it you have become fond of each other. Saying so directly feels a bit much, which is what the card is for.

Write him something that sounds like the way you talk. A line about the cricket, the carving knife or the argument you will have again this year. Then, at the end, one sincere sentence, quick, before the joke comes back. Pick a card, add your words, and send the link by email or text, or schedule it so it opens on Christmas morning while the ham is still in the oven.

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10 things to write inside

Swap in their name. Change anything that doesn’t sound like you.

  1. sweet Glad to have you in the family, [first name]. Thanks for always making me feel like I belong at the table. Merry Christmas.
  2. funny [first name], I am looking forward to the annual argument about who carves. I will lose again, gracefully. Merry Christmas.
  3. quiet Merry Christmas, [first name]. Good to have you around.
  4. sweet You look after the people I care about, [first name], and I notice. Thank you. Happy Christmas to you and yours.
  5. funny Dear [first name], I am trying very hard to be the good one this year. I have already offered to help clean up. Please tell no one it is a plan.
  6. quiet Wishing you a good Christmas, [first name]. You deserve a proper break.
  7. sweet I always look forward to seeing you at Christmas, [first name]. It would not be the same without your bad jokes. Merry Christmas.
  8. funny [first name], this card is early so you know I am organised. Please do not check the present I got you. It is a bit of a mystery.
  9. quiet Thank you for being a good bloke, [first name]. Happy Christmas.
  10. sweet Whenever there is a crisis, you are somehow the calm one, [first name]. I am very grateful. Hope your Christmas is a quiet one.

Questions people ask

What do you write in a Christmas card for a brother-in-law?

Keep it casual and a bit playful. A joke about something you share, a line of thanks, and a wish for a good break is plenty. Brothers-in-law usually respond best to humour with one sincere sentence tucked at the end.

Is it weird to send a Christmas card to my brother-in-law?

Not at all. It is a nice surprise, because few people bother. A short, friendly card tells him you think of him as family and not just your partner's sibling. It does not need to be formal or long.

Can I tease my brother-in-law in a Christmas card?

Yes, if the teasing already happens in person. Pick something harmless, like his cooking or his sports team, and add warmth in the last line. Avoid anything that touches on his family, work worries or looks.

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