Christmas cards for someone overseas
Christmas is stranger when the person you miss is on the other side of the world. They might be eating dinner when you are asleep. They might be in snow while you are at the beach, or sweating through a summer night while you rug up in a jumper. The calls are hard to time and the gifts take weeks.
A card sent as a link does not care about the time zone. It can be set to arrive on Christmas morning wherever they are, and they open it like an envelope whenever they get a quiet moment. Write what you would say if they were standing in the kitchen. Tell them what the day is like here, and that the table still has a space.
A Seat in Our Stories
Across the Ocean
Christmas, Wherever You Are
Morning Here, Night There
The Call We Make
The Christmas Window
The Empty Suitcase
The Long Distance Hug
The Map Between Us
The Postcard Tree
Two Time Zones
Under the Same Stars
A Hug by Internet
Deployed This Christmas
Far From Home
First Christmas Far Away
Wrong Time Zone
Postcard Home
Same Sky
One Sky for Everyone
The Journey
Two Mornings
Text Me When You Get There
Last Light in the City
Santa Wears Shorts Here
Welcome to Christmas in the Heat
Porch Light
Mulled Wine Diplomacy
Tea Before Festivities
The Awkward Goodbye
The Brussels Sprout Trial
The Christmas Market Price
The Christmas Queue
The Cracker Joke Hearing
The Family Weather Report
The Last Mince Pie
The Long Hug
The Pudding Committee
The Roast Potato Treaty
The Train Is Delayed
Nine Euro Hot Wine
Peace on Earth, Terms Apply
Seven Courses
Backyard Christmas
Beach Morning
Cricket After Lunch
Pavlova Weather
Prawns at Sunset
10 things to write inside
Swap in their name. Change anything that doesn’t sound like you.
- sweet Merry Christmas, [first name]. It is hot and loud here and I wish you were in the middle of it. Thinking of you wherever you wake up today.
- sweet [first name], we saved you a seat at the table again. It is not the same without you. Call when you can, any hour. I'll pick up.
- sweet I hope it feels like Christmas where you are, [first name]. It always feels like Christmas when I think of you. Love you, and I'm counting the days.
- sweet Wherever you are today, [first name], you're on our minds. We've lit the candle and set an extra plate. Merry Christmas from all of us.
- funny Merry Christmas, [first name]. It is thirty-eight degrees here and we're eating hot roast anyway. Please enjoy your snow and send a photo so I can feel something.
- funny [first name], I did the maths and your Christmas morning is my Christmas night. So technically you are opening this before I have eaten the pudding. Do not tell anyone.
- funny Hello from the other side of the planet, [first name]. We're still in thongs. Hope you've found a coat that works and a pie that tastes like home.
- quiet [first name], I'm thinking of you today. Merry Christmas, wherever you are.
- quiet Miss you, [first name]. Happy Christmas.
- rude Merry Christmas, [first name]. You've been gone long enough. Get your arse on a plane next year or I'll come and find you. Love you, you bloody absent legend.
Questions people ask
What do you write in a Christmas card to someone overseas?
Say what you would say across the table. Tell them what you miss, what the day looks like where you are, and that you're thinking of them. A few concrete details, like the weather or the food, make it feel like you are there. Finish with when you might talk.
Will a Christmas card reach someone in a different time zone?
A card sent as a link arrives by email or text, so there is no post to wait for. You can schedule it for Christmas morning in their time zone, or send it the night before so it is waiting. Pick the time that suits where they are.
How do I make an overseas Christmas card feel less far away?
Write something only you two would know, such as a family joke, a food or a place you share. Mention the weather difference if you are in opposite seasons. A line about the next visit gives the card something to look forward to, not just a goodbye.