25 Ways To Write Your Holiday "Out-of-Office" Message

One aspect of preparing to take off work for a holiday involves setting up your out-of-office email reply. By reviewing some key examples of out-of-office messages, you can craft your own before your holiday time off.

In this article, we discuss holiday out-of-office messages and offer 25 examples of messages you can use for inspiration.

Related: Guide: Out-of-Office Email Messages (With Examples)

What are holiday out-of-office messages?

Holiday out-of-office replies are automated email messages that professionals use to let others know they cannot respond due to being on vacation during a holiday. These messages typically include:

• An apology for the inconvenience

• A reason for not replying right away

• An alternative person to contact for something urgent

• When the sender can expect a reply

An out-of-office message is considered a professional way to notify others of your absence from work. You can set up this automated response through your email provider.

Related: Guide To Working on Holidays: Standard Paid Holidays, Extra Pay and Benefits of Holiday Work

Examples of out-of-office messages for holidays

There are several ways you can write an out-of-office message ahead of a holiday. Depending on your company culture or your potential audience, you can craft a professional message or take a funny, creative approach. Out-of-office messages typically fall under the following categories:

Business professional messages

Business professional messages are those that demonstrate your professionalism while only including limited details about your holiday plans. Here are some examples of business professional messages if you want to create a direct and formal out-of-office email:

Example 1

Hello,

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, I am out of the office until Jan. 3. Please direct any urgent messages to our project supervisor, Casey Myers, at cmyers@email.com. I appreciate your patience and will try to respond to your email no later than Jan. 10.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday,

Sincerely,

Jordan Smith
Quality Specialist

Example 2

Greetings,

I am currently out of the office for the upcoming holiday. I will be back to work on Dec. 2. You can send any pressing emails to my colleague, Alex Maeve, at amaeve@email.com. Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to speaking with you further when I return.

Sincerely,
Jesse Martin

Example 3

Hello,

I'd like to thank you in advance as I am currently out of the office for the holiday weekend. You can expect a reply from me on Jan. 14 at the earliest. If you do not receive a response from me by Jan. 20, please send a follow-up email, and I will try to reply as soon as I can.

Sincerely,

Avery Bertrum
Manager of Public Health

Example 4

Greetings,

I'm away for the week so I am unable to reply to your email at this time. I will return to the office on Feb. 19 and will do my best to reply to you within the next work week. If your email contains time-sensitive information, please redirect your message to my supervisor, Monica Raymond, at mraymond@email.com. Thank you for understanding, and I hope to contact you soon.

All the best,

Bailey MacDuff
Accountant

Professional and friendly messages

Professional and friendly messages include a degree of professionalism while also including more casual language. Here are some examples of friendly, yet professional messages:

Example 1

Hi,

Sorry I missed you! I'm currently out of the office and will not return until July 7. My coworker has kindly agreed to respond to any pressing topics on my behalf, so feel free to forward your email to csonatara@email.com if it contains time-sensitive information. Otherwise, you can expect a reply from me by July 15. Thank you for your understanding.

Have a great holiday weekend,

Best,
Sam Levenson

Example 2

Hi there!

Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office for the upcoming holiday. I appreciate your understanding in advance and look forward to contacting you once I return on Jan. 7.

Sincerely,

Erin Caulfield
Account Manager

Example 3

Hi,

It's great to hear from you! I'm currently away for the next week to celebrate the holiday season. I return to the office on Dec. 29 and I will do my best to respond to your email within the next seven business days.

Thank you for your patience,

Kendall Michaels
Internal Sales Representative

Example 4

Hello,

I hope this email finds you well. I will be out of the office for a holiday for the next two weeks (June 4-18). In the meantime, you can contact Sam Rush at srush@email.com and he will try his best to respond to you by the end of the business day.

I look forward to contacting you once I return,

Sincerely,

Charlie Stewart
Director of Financial Consulting

Related: How To Draft a Vacation Request Email

Festive messages

Festive out-of-office holiday messages provide you with a creative approach to tailor your automated email message to a specific holiday. Here are some examples of festive messages if you want to spread some holiday cheer to your recipients:

Example 1

Season's greetings!

It's that time of year again when the office is filled with holiday cheer and everyone is spending time with their loved ones. I am one of those people, which is why I cannot respond to your email right now. Thank you in advance for your patience, and I look forward to responding to your email once I have returned.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year,

Jamie Latson
Marketing Specialist

Example 2

Hello,

It is the most wonderful time of the year which means I am currently at home wrapping presents and baking sugar cookies instead of at my desk. I'll be sure to reply to your email as soon as I'm back in the office following New Year's Day.

Happy holidays!

Cameron Wallace
Customer Service Manager

Example 3

Happy holidays!

I am currently getting into the holiday spirit, and so is the rest of the office. I'll be sure to respond to your email when I return to work on Dec. 28. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you and your loved ones have a joyous holiday.

All the best,

Lennox Haven
Marketing Director

Example 4

Greetings from the North Pole!

I'm not actually at the North Pole, but I am preoccupied with wrapping presents, drinking hot chocolate and listening to festive music as the elves do. Therefore, I won't be able to respond to your email until after Dec. 27. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Best,

Drew Tangier
Department Buyer

Example 5

Season's greetings!

I'm probably in the middle of a tree farm right now, getting covered in tree sap, so my hands would get stuck to my keyboard if I tried to respond to your email. I'll try to answer your email promptly once I am back at work.

Thank you,
Andy Baker

Funny messages

Similar to festive out-of-office messages, you can also tailor your email to provide recipients with a funny out-of-office message while you take off for a holiday. Here are some examples of funny email messages:

Example 1

Hello there,

If you are reading this, that means I am currently wedged between two in-laws who are watching game shows at 2 p.m. on a Thursday. I wouldn't dare disturb them, and that is why I cannot respond to your email right now. Thank you for your understanding in advance, and I will be sure to answer your email once I escape.

Happy holidays,

Peyton Saunders
Director of Sales

Example 2

Why, hello there,

As you have probably guessed, I'm not in the office right now. Instead, I am road-tripping across the continental United States to spend the holidays with my relatives. They will no doubt ask me very personal, uncomfortable questions about my life choices and why I consider my Pomeranian my child. So you'll understand why I cannot respond to your email for the next two weeks.

I'll respond to you as soon as I return to the office on December 27.

Thank you,

Kennedy Dowling
Creative Projects Supervisor

Example 3

Greetings,

Do you secretly dislike eggnog? So do I. I try to avoid it at all costs during the holidays. The same logic applies to work emails. I've found that the fewer work-related emails I read and respond to during my time off, the more joyful the season becomes. However, I look forward to reading your email after Jan. 2.

Sincerely,
Presley Hayward

Example 4

Aloha from Hawaii!

Just kidding, I'm not in Hawaii. How awesome would that be though, right? Instead, I'm enjoying a peaceful vacation in my living room. That being said, I'm not in the office right now, and therefore cannot respond to your email until after Dec. 27. Thank you for understanding.

Rowan Lindsey
Event Coordinator

Related: Q&A: What Is Vacation Pay?

No contact messages

No contact messages are those that directly tell your recipient you will not respond to their message, no matter how urgent, until the date when you are back in the office. You can keep these out-of-office emails professional or more creative as long as you make it clear that you are not able to check your email at all while on holiday. Here are some kind ways to tell a recipient that you cannot reply before a certain date:

Example 1

Hello,

I hope this email finds you well. I am currently traveling for the holidays and won't have internet access while I am away, so I will not be able to read or respond to your email until after March 23. Thank you for your patience, and I will contact you as soon as I can.

Best,
Parker Clawson

Example 2

Hi,

I am out of the office from now until Jan. 18. I'll be away for the holidays and will not be able to respond to work emails at any point in time. If you have an urgent message, please contact our wonderful marketing coordinator Grey Mitchel at gmitchel@email.com. When I return, I will try to respond to your email within the next seven business days.

Thank you,

Alex Straton
Marketing Campaign Consultant

Example 3

Greetings,

I am currently out of the office enjoying the holiday season with my family. So I can come back to work refreshed, I will not be replying to any emails from Dec. 14 to Dec. 28. Thank you for your understanding, and I will return your email as soon as I can.

All the best,

Sawyer Redding
Graphic Design Specialist

Example 4

Happy Holidays,

I hope this email finds you well. I am taking advantage of the holiday season to get some much-needed time with family and friends. I will not be able to respond to any work-related emails until after Jan. 4. If you have a time-sensitive message, you can email Brennan Taylor, our production manager, at btaylor@email.com.

Thank you,

Logan Bar
Production Specialist

Some contact (if urgent) messages

If you know you can answer urgent emails while you are out of the office for a holiday, you should write an out-of-office message that lets the reader know you will be available for some contact. However, you should make sure to clarify that you will only respond to urgent emails, and less timely requests should wait until the date you are back in the office. Here are some examples of this type of out-of-the-office message to help you establish clear emailing guidelines so you can enjoy your time off:

Example 1

Hi there,

Thank you for your email. I am currently away for the holiday season visiting family. If your message contains time-sensitive information, please add URGENT to the subject line and someone from my office will respond to you within 24 hours. Otherwise, I look forward to reading your email on Dec. 27.

Have a wonderful holiday,

Riley Lowe
Director of Quality Assurance

Example 2

Hello,

I am out of the office for the holiday weekend. However, I am responding to emails that need immediate action. If you have any pressing questions, please include the word URGENT in your subject line so I can make your email my top priority during business hours.

Thank you very much,

Emerson Diaz
Financial Advisor

Example 3

Greetings,

I'm taking advantage of the holiday season and traveling with family, however, I will respond to pressing emails. If your message is time-sensitive, use URGENT in your subject line so I know to reply by the end of the business day. More general requests can be emailed to Marlowe Williams at mwilliams@email.com.

Thank you,

Lindsey Bellum
Real Estate Associate

Example 4

Hello,

I wanted to wish you a happy holiday season and remind you that I am currently out of the office. I will only reply to emails marked as URGENT. I will respond to all other emails after I return.

Thank you,
Sasha Thyme