Home
Holidays
Christmas

Christmas out of office message

Christmas

Away fromBack on

These replies need a return date

Who coversTheir email

Your name

SubjectOffice closed, reopening Monday, December 28

Closed for Christmas from Friday, December 25, our office reopens on Monday, December 28. Email at if your matter is urgent.

Professional · short · 1 of 1

Also for your time off

Where does it go?

A Christmas out of office message gives the closure, the exact day you are back and one person on duty, as in "Closed for Christmas from Friday, December 25, our office reopens on Monday, December 28. Email Priya Nair at priya.nair@yourcompany.com if your matter is urgent."

Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday, so a one-day closure reopens on Monday, December 28, while a break that runs into January should name that date instead of saying after the holidays, and a broader greeting suits a list that does not all celebrate.

Christmas Day dates

2026

Friday, December 25

Back on Monday, December 28

2027

Saturday, December 25

Observed Friday, December 24 (falls on a weekend)

Back on Monday, December 27

Federal offices close on December 25 or its observed weekday; some employers close from Christmas Eve or until after New Year's Day, so use your own dates. The writer above is already set to the next closure; change the dates if your office does it differently.

Printable “Closed for Christmas Day” sign

For the door, the front desk or a photo on your booking page. The dates are filled in; add your name and opening hours if you like, then print.

Business name (optional)Hours when you reopen (optional)

Closed

for Christmas Day

Friday, December 25

We reopen Monday, December 28.

Thank you, and enjoy the day.

All 6 replies on this page

Type your details in the writer and every reply below fills itself in.

Professional 2

Closed for Christmas from [Away from], our office reopens on [Back on]. Email [Who covers] at [Their email] if your matter is urgent.
Short
Season's greetings. Our office is closed for the Christmas holiday from [Away from] and reopens on [Back on], and your email will be answered in the order received once we are back. If a matter cannot wait until then, get in touch with [Who covers] at [Their email], the person covering urgent requests during the closure. We wish you a restful end to the year.
Longer

Warm 2

I am away for Christmas and back on [Back on]. If something cannot wait, [Who covers] is covering at [Their email]. Enjoy the holidays.
Short
I have switched off for Christmas and will be back at my desk on [Back on], rested and ready for the new year. Your note is safe here and gets an answer that day. Until I am back, [Who covers] is looking after anything urgent and can be reached at [Their email]. Wishing you a peaceful break, however you spend it.
Longer

Funny 2

Currently somewhere between the cookies and the couch for Christmas. Back on [Back on]; [Who covers] at [Their email] is minding the shop.
Short
Skip if: Skip for an inbox of clients who may not celebrate Christmas.
My inbox has been very good this year, so it is getting a break for Christmas. The office is closed from [Away from] and reopens on [Back on], when I will reply with a full stomach and an empty to-do list. If your request cannot wait for the wrapping paper to be cleared away, [Who covers] is on call at [Their email].
Longer
Skip if: Skip for an inbox of clients who may not celebrate Christmas.

Coming up after Christmas

Filling it in

Set the start to your last working day before Christmas and the end to the first day back, even if that is after New Year's Day. Name the colleague on duty during the break, and choose a greeting that suits everyone on your list.

Questions people ask

How do I write a Christmas out of office if I am off until the new year?

Give the exact reopening date, such as Monday, January 4, rather than after the holidays, and set the start date to your last working day in December. A closure that runs across Christmas and New Year's Day is one message with one end date, and the cover contact should be someone who is actually working that week.

Is Merry Christmas okay in a work auto reply?

It is fine if your senders celebrate it. For a wide or international list, a broader greeting such as wishing you a restful end to the year includes everyone. Whatever the greeting, keep the date and the contact in the first two sentences, where people look first.