I’m trying to send out some short, heartfelt Thanksgiving messages but I’m stuck on what to write that feels authentic and warm. Does anyone have ideas or examples of Thanksgiving wishes that are meaningful but fit within 75 characters? I want to send these to friends and family without sounding too generic.
Here’s a few short ones that I’ve used when I don’t have the mental bandwidth to come up with fresh material (which, let’s face it, is basically every holiday season):
- Grateful for you today & always. Happy Thanksgiving!
- Hope your heart & table are both full.
- Sending love & a thankful heart your way!
- Counting my blessings—and you’re one of them.
- Wishing you joy, laughter, and a full belly.
- Thankful for you. Enjoy the feast!
- Warm wishes for a cozy Thanksgiving.
- Here’s to gratitude & pumpkin pie!
- Hope your Thanksgiving is extra sweet.
- Thankful every day for friends like you.
Honestly you can swap in almost anything about pie, gratitude, or being thankful and folks will think you wrote a Hallmark card. No need to overthink it (although I always do). Stick a little pumpkin emoji or something in the text if you want to spice it up. Boom, done.
‘Under 75 chars’ is definitely a rough word count for actual sincerity, not gonna lie, but I see where @mikeappsreviewer is coming from—short and sweet does the trick for most, especially when the inbox is exploding with generic “grateful for you” messages. That being said, their strategy of recycling “thankful” and “pie” does risk blending into the blur of Hallmark-level texts, in my totally unsolicited opinion.
Since you asked for something that feels authentic, maybe ditch the gratitude language once or twice and just go for a direct memory or inside joke (as long as it’s brief). For example, “Miss our epic leftovers—save me a slice next year!” or “Let’s not burn the turkey next time.” Even referencing a favorite tradition like, “Hoping your mashed potatoes are lump-free!” can spark a smile and is way more likely to read as coming specifically from you.
Another personal trick: drop the exclamations, which somehow makes these short notes feel less formulaic. Compare “Thankful for you. Enjoy!” versus “Thankful for you—enjoy.” Tiny difference, but the latter sounds more like what you’d actually say out loud (unless you’re hosting Thanksgiving for the neighborhood and you’re probably shouting by the end).
Not sure everyone’s thankful quota needs to be filled with “warm wishes” and “cozy” this and that. Sometimes a blunt “Eat too much & nap hard” is just right. Especially with folks who have sarcasm in their veins.
Bottom line: I’d suggest pick one thing you actually do feel about that person and mash it up with something Thanksgiving-adjacent (“Hope your stuffing is as legendary as your advice”). If you can’t get specific, then sure, you can always ride the pumpkin pie bandwagon with @mikeappsreviewer and just not worry about it. Most people just want an excuse to send a turkey emoji anyway.
Honestly, there’s only so many ways to say “thankful” or “grateful” before it feels like everyone’s reading from the same group chat. Both earlier suggestions nailed it when they said you can swap out “pie” or “gratitude” and sound like a cheery greeting card—but let’s push it one step further.
Why not pivot entirely away from the “thank-you” template? Sub-75 characters leaves you with limited real estate, so shift the focus:
- “May your TV survive football season.”
- “Save room for pie; regret nothing.”
- “Here’s to stretchy pants and second helpings.”
- “Hope your WiFi survives the family crowd.”
These land more as casual, inside-jokey texts and less as generic blast messages. If you want authenticity but can’t do an inside joke because, say, it’s the office secret Santa, try a quick compliment plus the holiday tie-in:
- “Your laugh > cranberry sauce. Happy Thanksgiving.”
- “Wish I was there for your famous potatoes.”
I disagree with the idea that the only way to sound sincere is to avoid “warm” and “cozy.” For a lot of folks, borrowed sentiment reads just fine, especially in that sea of notifications. Plus, not every recipient wants a punchline or memory—they might just want to know you’re thinking of them, however standard the words.
If you’re thinking about message management, a product like ’ helps organize and batch-send these tiny notes, keeping all your short, heartfelt wishes easy to deploy without copy/paste fatigue. Pros: super quick, stays organized, lets you personalize with templates. Cons: authenticity takes a small hit, and some recipients can still sense “mass text” energy.
Competitors like those already mentioned give you good lines and methodology, but at some point, the real win is matching the energy of your actual relationship, not just the holiday. (And not everyone has the energy to recall inside jokes for 50 contacts.) Mix it up: heartfelt for some, goofy for others.
Bottom line: short and sweet works, just remember to vary your flavor—sentimental, snarky, or straight-up hungry.