How to Record a Holiday Video Message (With Scripts)

To record a holiday video message that looks good, keep it to 30–90 seconds and sit facing a window or lamp. Record in a quiet room, with the phone at eye level and an arm's length away. Say one specific thing, not a list of wishes. Then look at the lens, not at your own face on the screen. That last part is the hardest, and it's where a few prompts next to the camera help most.

Below: how long to talk, how to write it so it doesn't sound read, the setup, and ready-to-adapt scripts for Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year. If you want to check how long your words take to say, paste them into the read-time estimator.

How long should a holiday video message be?

Shorter than you think. Most people speak at about 130–150 words per minute on camera, so a minute is only around 140 words. Here's a guide by who's watching:

Business messages have their own rules. They're covered in the guide to holiday video messages for clients and your team. To turn a target length into a word count, use the word budget calculator.

What to say: a four-part structure

Almost every good holiday message has the same shape. It keeps you from rambling, and it gives the person watching something to remember.

1. Greeting with their name. "Hi Grandma" beats "Hi everyone" whenever you can make it personal.
2. One specific thing. A memory, a thank-you, or one piece of news from your year. One. Specific details are what make a message feel like it was made for them.
3. The wish. What you hope their holiday or their next year looks like.
4. A sign-off you'd say in person. "Love you." "See you in March." "Save me some pierogi."

Write prompts, not a speech

Here's the trap: if you write every word and read it, you'll sound like you're reading. If you write nothing, you'll say "um" a lot and forget the good part. The middle ground works best for personal messages.

• Write the first and last line in full. Openings and endings are where people stumble.
• Write the middle as short prompts. "Lake trip, the canoe" is enough to remind you of the story. Tell it in your own words.
• Read it out loud once. If a line is awkward to say, change it. The speakability analyzer flags long sentences and tongue twisters.

Put those prompts right next to the camera lens and your eyes stay where the viewer is. That's the one thing a sticky note on the wall can't do.

How to set up so it looks good

You don't need new gear. A phone made in the last few years records clean video. What usually lets people down is the room.

Light: face it, don't sit in front of it

Sit facing a window in daytime, or put a lamp behind the phone pointed at your face. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette. A lit tree or string lights make a lovely background, as long as they're behind you and your face is brighter than they are.

Sound: quieter matters more than fancier

Turn off the TV, the holiday playlist, and the kitchen fan. Pick a room with a sofa, curtains, or a rug, since soft things cut echo. Keep the phone close. An arm's length is about right for the built-in mic.

Framing: eye level, head and shoulders

Prop the phone on a stack of books so the lens is level with your eyes. Looking up into a phone held at your chest is the least flattering angle there is. Frame your head and shoulders, with a little space above your head.

Orientation: think about where it'll play

• Horizontal if it will play on a TV or laptop, or get edited together with other clips.
• Vertical if it's going straight to a phone, a messaging app, or Stories.

Do a 10-second test

Record "Testing, hello," play it back with headphones, and fix one thing. It's quicker than discovering a dark, echoey take after you nailed the delivery.

Holiday video message scripts

Swap in your own names and details. The specific line in the middle is the part that matters most, so don't skip it.

Christmas message to family far away (about 60 seconds)

Hi Mom, hi Dad. Merry Christmas from all of us here in Chicago.

[Prompt: the snow, Lily's first nativity play, her line about the donkey.]

It doesn't feel quite like Christmas without your kitchen, so we made your gingerbread recipe. It's not as good. We'll need lessons.

We hope you have a slow, warm day. We miss you and we'll call tonight. Merry Christmas. Love you.

Christmas message to friends (about 25 seconds)

Merry Christmas, everyone! I'm sending this from under three blankets. Thank you for this year, especially the camping trip that rained for four days and was somehow still the best weekend of the summer. Have a great one, and see you on the 28th.

Hanukkah message (about 30 seconds)

Happy Hanukkah, Aunt Ruth! We just lit the first candle, and the kids are already negotiating over the latkes. Thank you for the dreidel you sent. Sam has decided he's the family champion. Wishing you eight bright nights. Chag sameach, and lots of love from all of us.

New Year message (about 40 seconds)

Happy New Year, Ana!

[Prompt: one highlight of the year together. The Lisbon trip.]

Looking back, my favorite part of this year was Lisbon. Getting lost on purpose and finding that tiny fado bar. For next year, I hope you get the job, the flat with the balcony, and more trips like that one. With me, ideally. Happy New Year. Talk soon.

A group "Happy Holidays" from the whole family

Give each person one line and a 15–30 second slot, and agree on the order before you press record. "Everyone say Merry Christmas" makes a cute final shot, but not a whole video. Kids are better with one fun question ("What's the best present you could give Grandpa?") than with a line to memorize.

How to read your prompts without looking away

When people glance down at notes, it reads as nerves. Viewers notice it straight away. The fix is to put the words next to the lens.

• On a phone: use a teleprompter app that shows the script over the camera while you record. Make the text big and keep the prompt window short and close to the lens, so your eyes barely move.
• On a laptop: open the free web teleprompter, paste your prompts, and narrow the window so the text sits just below the webcam.
• For a short message: you may not need any scrolling. Four prompts in a large font fit on one screen. Read the first line, then look straight at the lens and talk.

More on keeping your delivery natural is in the guide on how to read a teleprompter naturally.

Mistakes that make holiday videos look rushed

• Starting the moment you hit record. Wait a beat, smile, then speak. Hold a beat at the end too, so you're not cut off mid-word.
• Apologizing first. "I'm terrible at these" wastes your opening. Start with their name.
• Ten takes. The second or third take is usually the warmest. By the tenth, you sound like a news anchor.
• Watching yourself. Your face on the screen pulls your eyes away from the lens. Look at the lens, where the person watching will be.
• Recording on the day. Christmas morning is loud and everyone's busy. Record a day or two before and send it when you want it to arrive.

Recording one with GoTeleprompter

I build GoTeleprompter, so here's how it fits this. On iPhone and iPad you read and record in the same take. The script sits over the camera, and you can drag it right under the lens. Pick vertical, horizontal, or square framing, and the video saves straight to Photos, ready to send.

If you've written your message in full, Voice Follow scrolls it as you speak and waits when you pause. Voice Follow requires iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later. If you're telling a story from prompts instead, use a slow constant speed or keep everything on one screen. Voice tracking needs words to match, and ad-libbing doesn't give it any.

The apps are free for up to 2 scripts, which is plenty for a couple of holiday messages. On Android or Windows, use the web teleprompter in your browser. It's free with no signup.

Birthdays work the same way, with a few twists. The guide to recording a birthday video message covers group videos and milestone birthdays.