Christmas cards for your grandpa

Grandpa is hard to buy for, and that is part of why a card works. He does not want another jumper. He wants to hear that the stories got through, and that someone remembers the fishing trip or the workshop in the shed.

A card to a grandfather tends to be short because he is not a man of long sentences. That suits you. Pick something dry, tell him one true thing, and let him find it. If he is a long way off, or hard to get on the telephone, he can open this one when he is ready, in his chair, with his glasses on. Schedule it for Christmas morning and it will be waiting before the carving starts.

See all funny cards (22)See all sweet cards (149)

10 things to write inside

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

  1. sweet Grandpa [first name], thank you for teaching me how to fix things, and for never making me feel stupid when I broke them. Happy Christmas. Love always.
  2. sweet Dear Grandpa [first name], I tell people your stories and nobody believes them. I tell them anyway. Happy Christmas.
  3. sweet Grandpa [first name], you are the man I picture when I think about being steady. I wanted you to know. Happy Christmas. I love you.
  4. sweet Grandpa, whatever else changes, I hope the Christmas lunch always has you at the head of the table carving too slowly. Love you, Grandpa [first name].
  5. funny Grandpa [first name], I measured twice and cut once because of you. Then I cut it wrong anyway. Happy Christmas.
  6. funny Dear Grandpa [first name], you told the same joke three times last year and I laughed all three. I am ready for another round.
  7. funny Grandpa [first name], I have not forgotten that you said you would leave me the shed. I have already measured it. Love always.
  8. quiet Grandpa [first name], I am glad you are my grandfather. Happy Christmas.
  9. quiet Thinking of you, Grandpa [first name]. Thank you for the long drives and the quiet.
  10. rude Grandpa [first name], you are stubborn, deaf when it suits you, and the best man I know. Happy bloody Christmas.

Questions people ask

What can I write in a card for my grandfather who has everything?

Skip the present talk and write a memory. A day you spent with him, something he taught you, a thing he says. Grandfathers who have everything are often short of being told that it mattered.

My grandpa is not good with technology. Can he still open an e-card?

If he can open a text message, yes. Send it to him directly, or to someone nearby who can open the link on his phone and hold it up. It opens like an envelope, with no password or app to download.

Is it okay to be funny in a card to my grandpa?

Usually, and he will probably like it more than a mushy one. Keep the joke warm, aim it at yourself or at something you both know, and finish with one sincere line so he can see you meant the rest.

Cards for other people