17 Festive Email Subject Lines to Boost Opening Rates

As the Christmas season approaches, inboxes become more crowded than at any other time throughout the year. Brands compete for attention with promotions, heartfelt messages and festive greetings. But even then, only a handful of emails will actually stand out from the competition. 

The secret often lies in one small but powerful element: the subject line. A well-crafted festive subject line doesn’t just hint at Christmas cheer. It sparks curiosity, creates emotional resonance and encourages readers to click and open it up to see what all of the fuss is about. 

Whether you’re launching a Christmas campaign, sharing a seasonal update or running an end-of-year promotion, the right subject line can dramatically increase your website’s performance in every aspect. Let’s talk about why subject lines matter, how you can create them yourself and give you some examples of effective Christmas-themed email subject lines.

Why do festive email subject lines matter?

During the Christmas season, consumer behaviour will shift. People are more willing to shop, explore and engage. According to the Bank of England, Brits spend 29% more money throughout the month of December than at any other time of the year. With this in mind, it’s absolutely imperative that you stand out from the crowd to beat the competition. But why are we turning to effective Christmas email subject lines to get the job done? Let’s take a closer look. Effective Christmas email subject lines will:

• Capture seasonal emotion
• Leverage urgency and excitement
• Offer value (including discounts, tips and exclusive deals)
• Tap into nostalgia
• Evoke curiosity or delight

How to craft festive subject lines at Christmas

Creating festive subject lines for your email campaign might seem like a straightforward task, but it’s a lot more difficult than you might have otherwise thought. If you’ve given it a go before reading this, then you might have been stumped for inspiration. If this is the case, don’t worry. We’re on hand to help you along the way. Here’s how to craft festive subject lines for your email campaign this Christmas:

Add seasonal emojis thoughtfully

Emojis can boost open rates by drawing the eye away from the text and towards the bold colours. The only thing to remember with emojis is to ensure you’re only ever using one at a time and that they’re strategically placed. Often, marketers will choose to place those emojis at the end of their subject lines, rather than sprinkling them throughout. This is mainly because your subject lines should never be too long. 

Bring out the emotion

Christmas is a thought-provoking, nostalgic and magical time of year. It’s something that brings out emotion, warmth, joy and generosity. You should play on this and use it to your advantage, ensuring your Christmas email campaign. You should use buzz words like ‘magic’, ‘cosy’, ‘sparkle’, ‘cheer’, ‘gift’ and ‘celebrate’, if you want to make sure your email subject line resonates strongly.

Use limited-time language

The great thing about email subject lines is that they allow someone to see the topic or purpose of an email without actually opening it. This is why putting a sense of urgency into your subject line is beneficial. It often results in quick opens. Use phrases like “last chance” or “ends tonight”, or “final day”. Just make sure that those deadlines are genuine, as it could harm customer-company trust.

Personalise when possible

Using the recipient’s name or even their location can be a great way to increase engagement and make your correspondence feel personal. They’ll feel less like ‘just another customer’ and more like a valued one. This will make it far more likely that they’ll open your email as it feels tailored to them. 

Keep it short & sweet

Software like Outlook will only display a short excerpt of the email subject line. This means that anything longer than between 5-8 words would be considered to be too long. Keep your subject line within these remits and stick to words that are personal, meaningful, urgent and impactful. 

17 examples of festive email subject lines to use this Christmas

Now that you know how to create your own festive email subject lines, let’s take a look at a few of our own examples when it comes to enticing new customers and bringing back existing ones. Here are 17 Christmas email subject lines to use in your email campaign this festive season, but don’t forget to create some of your own:

The general Christmas season

1. “Your [emoji of a present] is waiting…unwrap it inside!”
2. “Christmas magic starts here [emoji of a star]”
3. “A little Christmas cheer just for you”
4. “The gifts you really want this year”
5. “It’s the season for BIG savings [emoji of a Christmas tree]”
6. “A little sparkle to brighten your week [emoji of a star]”
7. “Celebrate the season with something special”
8. “End-of-year surprises await [emoji of a Christmas present]”

Winter themes

1. “Cosy up with these winter deals [emoji of a snowflake]”
2. “Warm wishes & cool offers inside”
3. “Beat the chill with something special”

New year

1. “Hello 2026! Start the year with a treat [celebration emoji]”
2. “New Year. New Deals. New You”
3. “Countdown to savings begins now”

E-commerce Christmas promotions

1. “Black Friday came early – your VIP access awaits”
2. “Festive flash sale! 24 hours only [emoji of a star]”
3. “Stocking stuffers under £20!”

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