Christmas greetings 2020

Tips for your 2021 Christmas greetings – between the pandemic and a sense of normality

[updated in November 2021]

In the shops, all kinds of lovely Christmas articles are stacked to the rafters, same as every year. Christmas stollens, gingerbread men, advent calendars – it’s all so familiar, and yet it feels different this year as thoughts of a stressful pandemic year, fraught with uncertainties, continue to accompany us.
Last year, the holiday season was still dominated by the pandemic, of course, but much has changed since then. Some sectors of the economy can breathe a sigh of relief, albeit cautiously, but unfortunately we still have a long way to go to return to normality. Cosy strolls through the charming Christmas markets, get-togethers and parties with families, friends and co-workers, skiing getaways up in the mountains – these are all back on the table this year, even though they’re subject to various 2G (vaccinated or recovered from Covid) or 3G (same as 2G, but also including being recently tested) rules.

Is the Covid-19 crisis really over though? Can we finally cheer and rejoice to our hearts’ content?

Unfortunately we can’t. Once again, we can only dream of the traditional kind of Christmas that we’re all used to. The recent rise in Covid infection numbers is very distressing … and the economy is still far from being back to business as usual. We monitor these developments with no small measure of concern, and for now we are stuck between today and tomorrow as we continue to watch how the situation develops with a sense of trepidation.

2021 Christmas greetings

That’s why Christmas greetings in the form of written messages are all the more important this year. More than ever before, we all have reasons to revive the wonderful Christmas tradition of heartfelt written words. A Christmas card with a personal greeting that shows that you’re thinking of another person, a little note of encouragement for business partners who may still be suffering the consequences of the lockdowns or recent supply bottlenecks, a careful enquiry, a reminder, a friendly sign of solidarity. Personal greetings matter, no less than they did last year. In 2021, during our second pandemic Christmas, mass e-mails with dancing reindeer and glittering stars would be deemed utterly inappropriate for your business partners who most likely have had to juggle difficult challenges in recent months. The same, of course, goes for sending GIFs wishing a meaningless and trite “continued success”. Trivial “Merry Christmas” cards were never all that great, and they’re even less so this year.

Mindful, careful and personal – the choice of words is important

So what should I write? When writing your Christmas cards, always ask yourself this simple question:

Would I be happy to receive this card?

Some recipients might smile when they receive uplifting greetings like “Better times will come after this crisis”, “Socially distanced Christmas wishes” or “Yours optimistically, stay safe”, while others might be irritated or even react negatively when they read clichéd lines like this. As in our translation work, the target group is a decisive factor: who are we addressing, and what is their current situation? What are the nuances and subtleties that I need to consider? Christmas 2021 is no time for standard, recycled texts. Words that are carefully chosen to convey cohesion and confidence also serve as an excellent representation of your company.

Are you sending Christmas messages abroad?

This calls for even greater sensitivity. Despite the figures we are constantly bombarded with from other parts of the world via the media and social networks, we don’t necessarily know what these difficult times mean for individual business partners, colleagues or employees abroad, what exactly they’re experiencing and what their day-to-day lives are like, the extent to which they’ve been directly affected by personal losses or business problems and what the mood is really like among the general population – this can vary greatly from one sector to another.

To assess this accurately, you need the support of an experienced translation agency with knowledgeable translators all over the world who have a realistic, up-to-date understanding of the local situation and who know how to communicate your message in an appropriate and sensitive way in the respective country with respect to this unprecedented situation. For example, in countries where “family” is a much broader concept than in German-speaking countries and naturally includes distant relatives, a different emotional response is evoked and wording must be adapted accordingly. Professional and knowledgeable native speakers are needed to ensure that relationships are cultivated properly, on both a professional and a private level.

Christmas mailings can be an important part of your corporate communication. Quite often, a few well-chosen words are enough to create a unique Christmas message and make the recipient feel appreciated. For example, you might want to let your business partners know how you fared in this extraordinarily complicated year. Display your personal interest by expressing that you look forward to seeing an upswing in business relations or reminding them how important solidarity and a sense of shared humanity are by sending a notification that you’ve chosen to support a charity. There is no shortage of possibilities – and you should consider the many special traditions of Christmas and the holiday season in different countries and cultures in your international communications.

We will be pleased to help you formulate your 2021 Christmas greetings, and we will send you our suggestions for a text that is sure to be well received with respect to both content and tone. Starting immediately, you can now commission texts for Christmas letters or Christmas cards from the eurolanguage team this year again, simply click here.

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