Inspiring Easter Message Ideas: What to Write in an Easter Card

Easter is the Christian holiday celebrating the Resurrection, or bringing back to life, of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion. In Christian tradition, the Resurrection represents Christ’s victory over death and the promise of eternal life for those who follow him. Some Christians refer to Easter as Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday.

Easter always falls on a Sunday. Many churches will offer worship services on Good Friday (the Friday just before Easter) along with one or more services on Easter Sunday itself. Easter Sunday marks the end of the 46-day preparatory season of Lent, which is significant in cultures around the world.

The exact date of Easter varies from year to year, but it typically falls during the month of April or sometimes late March. This seasonal timing gives the holiday its strong associations with springtime and rebirth in the natural world. Easter icons such as eggs, baby chicks, bunnies and tulips symbolize new life and renewed hope. Those are powerful ideas to embrace whether you celebrate Easter for religious reasons or simply because you enjoy the vibrant traditions that go along with the holiday.

African-American
The Resurrection Sunday church service is at the heart of African-American Easter traditions. Everyone dresses up in their best—new suits, shined shoes, bright dresses, hats, gloves. The worship services feature prayer, singing, Easter pageants, parades and speeches or recitations. Afterwards, the day focuses on family and togetherness, including a big dinner and often an egg hunt for the kids. Hiding a special empty golden egg that represents Jesus’ empty tomb is a time-honoured Easter tradition for many African-American families.

Orthodox/Eastern European
“Pascha” is the term for Easter used in the Eastern Orthodox Church (also known as the Greek Orthodox Church). The date of Orthodox Easter is reckoned according to a different calendar, so it usually falls a few weeks later than Easter in Western Christian traditions. The word “Pascha” is familiar both within and beyond the Orthodox Church because of the traditional “Paschal Greeting” (also called the Easter Acclamation). In this celebratory exchange, one believer proclaims “He is risen!” and a fellow believer responds with either “Truly He is risen!” or “He is risen indeed!”

Latinx/Hispanic
Easter is a very important religious holiday for Latinx people. The celebration is an entire week of events that begins with Palm Sunday (“Día de Ramos” in Spanish) and ends with the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection. During the Holy Week (“Semana Santa” in Spanish), masses and prayer services are held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and it’s common to see processions through towns and cities and people carrying crucifixes or statues of Jesus. Most of those events involve the entire family because they explore the biblical ideas of sacrifice, giving and forgiveness.

A simple “Happy Easter” wish can be a great option, especially when the card itself has already said a lot or when keeping it short simply feels right for your relationship with your recipient.

Examples

• “Happy Easter and God bless.”
• “Happy, hoppy Easter to you!”
• “Hoping your Easter is extra bright and happy this year.”
• “Wishing you sunshine, good times and a very happy Easter!”
• “Happy Easter to the whole family! I hope it’s a fun one for all of you.”
• “Just wanted to say a warm springtime hello and wish you a happy Easter!”
• “Thinking of you at Easter and sending sunny wishes your way…”
• “Wishing you a happy, heartwarming Easter time.”
• Un ejemplo en español: “Deseándote una Pascua llena de bendiciones.”

Helpful tip: The timing for sending an Easter card is flexible. If you want to wish someone a happy Easter season or focus your message on Holy Week, you could send it a few weeks early. Otherwise, mail your card early during that week leading up to Easter so it will arrive a day or two before. If it’s an option, hand-deliver your card on Easter—or send it by Easter Bunny.

If you belong to a Christian faith tradition, then sharing the hope and joy of Christ’s Resurrection may be the key message you want to send in an Easter card. And there are lots of great ways to do that…

Examples

• “Celebrating the miracle of Easter, the beauty of God’s creation and the blessing of having you in my life.”
• “In this season of rebirth, may you feel your faith renewed and your heart made new with the hope Easter brings.”
• “Happy Resurrection Day to a wonderful family!”
• “Praying your Easter will be bright with the hope and joy of our risen Saviour.”
• “He is risen! Hoping your Easter is happy and blessed.”
• “Whatever lifts your spirits, brings you hope and fills you with the miracle of Easter—that’s what I’m wishing for you.”
• “‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ…’ —1: Peter 1: 3 (NIV)
  Just wanted to share these words of joy and wish you blessings at Easter!”
• Un ejemplo en español: “Que en esta Pascua el Señor te dé momentos de paz, reflexión y, sobre todo, de amor en tu corazón.”

Helpful tip: Be mindful of your recipient when sharing a faith-based message. Mentioning prayers and blessings should work for just about anyone, but very long or in-depth religious messages should probably be saved for recipients who share your beliefs.

Thanksgiving isn’t the only holiday for expressing gratitude. The spiritual foundations of Easter make it a natural time to reach out and remind someone you’re glad to have them in your life.

Examples

• “Feeling so grateful for Easter and springtime and you.”
• “Thank you for being a blessing in my life at Easter and all year through.”
• “This time of year always gets me thinking of you and how lucky I am to call you my friend. I appreciate you.”
• “Easter just felt like a good time to remind you how thankful I am for each of you!”
• “Sending bright Easter wishes, with love and gratitude.”
• “Thanks for being a ray of spring sunshine at Easter and always!”
• Un ejemplo en español: “En Pascua y siempre, doy gracias por tenerte en mi vida.”

Helpful tip: The grateful message examples above are all pretty general, and that’s fine. However, if you can get more specific and thank someone for, say, being a great running buddy over the long winter or for sharing so many yummy home-baked treats with you it can add a nice personal touch.

When you and your recipient will miss being together in person on Easter, you can use your card to let them know they’ll still be in your heart, your thoughts and your happy memories of this time of year.

Examples

• “Missing you at Easter but holding you close in my thoughts.”
• “I wish we could be together for Easter, but please know I’ll be thinking of you…and eating enough chocolate for both of us!”
• “Remembering so many happy Easters we’ve shared and looking forward to catching up when we see each other next month”
• “I’ll miss seeing you at Easter, but it makes me happy knowing you’re where you need to be right now.”
• “Happy Easter from across the miles! I hope our bunny trails connect soon.”
• “Thinking of you at Easter and sending lots of love from afar!”
• Un ejemplo en español: “Deseando que esta Pascua, aunque estemos lejos, disfrutes de todas las pequeñas y grandes alegrías que esta ocasión trae consigo.”

Helpful tip: If it feels too sad to mention not being together or if it’s simply not what you want to say in your card, then skip it. Instead, focus on sending love, smiles or good thoughts their way.

You might choose to use your Easter message to share the hopeful feeling of new beginnings that comes with the longer days and warmer weather of spring.

Examples

• “After the winter we’ve had, I hope you’re feeling as glad as I am to say hello to Easter and springtime.”
• “Thinking of you at Easter and hoping these warmer days are putting an extra spring in your step!”
• “Happy Easter! I hope it’s every bit as beautiful where you are as it is in my neighbourhood.”
• “Here’s to new life unfolding all around us and new joy in our hearts. Happy Easter.”
• “In the flowers popping up, in the trees budding out…I hope you see something to smile about everywhere you look this Easter.”
• “May hope and happiness fill your home at Easter.”
• Un ejemplo en español: “Que todo lo que comienza en este día de renovación sea motivo de grandes alegrías durante todo el año. Feliz Pascua.”

Helpful tip: Here are some other words that might help you express that bright springtime outlook: hopeful, inspired, renewed, refreshed, optimistic, blooming, blossoming, reawakening, sprouting, growing, unfolding, energizing, Resurrection, celebration, gathering, togetherness.

For many of us, Easter is all about the traditions we share with family. That makes it a perfect time to reach out to family members and remind them how much those shared ties and memories mean.

Examples

• “At Easter and always, so grateful for all we share as family.”
• “Mom, you’re there at the heart of all my best Easter memories. Thank you for always making it such a fun and colourful time in our family.”
• “Remembering all those years of matching Easter dresses, egg hunts and candy swaps…and thinking of how good it still is having you for my sister.”
• “Celebrating the joy of Easter, the promise of spring and the lifelong blessing of having parents like you.”
• “Warmer, brighter, happier, LOUDER—that’s how Easter (and every day) has been with a son like you!”
• “Grandma, I just can’t think of Easter without thinking of your dinners, your prayers, your hugs…every wonderful way you’ve shared your love. I love you, too.”
• Un ejemplo en español: “Mamá, que Jesús, nuestro Salvador, siempre te concede paz, esperanza y amor. Feliz Pascua.”

Helpful tip: Need help brainstorming an Easter memory to share in a card to a relative? Maybe one of these will jog your memory: dyeing Easter eggs, getting dressed up, new or uncomfortable clothes, hats and gloves, going to church, sunrise service, Easter pageants, parades, speeches, egg hunts, the empty golden egg, Easter baskets, jelly beans, plastic eggs, Easter grass, Easter dinner, Easter brunch, ham, homemade mac & cheese, eating the bunny ears first, going outside, posing for family photos, sunshine, daffodils, tulips.

When sending an Easter card to a child, you have extra permission to make it fun and silly. Even if they end up rolling their eyes at an “egg-stra” bad joke you made, they’ll still love getting mail and knowing you’re thinking of them.

Examples

• “Have an ‘egg-stra’ Happy Easter! Hope it brings you smiles by the dozen!”
• “Sending a big Easter hug to one of the coolest chicks I know!”
• “Happy Easter! Jesus loves you. (And we love you, too!)”
• “Hope your Easter is sweeter than jelly beans!”
• “Happy Easter to some-bunny who’s loved bunches!”
• “Wishing you a big ol’ basket full of happy on Easter!”
• “You may outgrow egg hunts and chocolate bunnies, but you’ll never outgrow all the love we have for you! (On second thought, you probably won’t outgrow the chocolate bunnies either!)”
• Un ejemplo en español: “¡Que en este día de Pascua haya mucha diversión, que las risas y sorpresas te hagan brincar de la emoción!”

Helpful tip: Easter is a fun time to add a little treat to a card for a kid. Options will vary depending on whether you’re mailing or hand-delivering your card. Inside-the-card ideas: sticker sheets, gift card, printed tickets for an upcoming event or outing. Outside the card: book, stuffed animal, candy, card game, journal or drawing pad.