Can you say happy new year before new year?

[goodstudent]

1/2/3 days (a few days) before new year day (1 Jan), can you say happy new year to people?

When is the earliest and latest that you can say happy new year?

 

[Skrej]

Yes, you can. There is no rule saying how far in advance, but it's pretty common to wish people "a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" together, so you'll sometimes hear it a week or more in advance. After Christmas, you'll hear it all the time leading up to New Year's day.

Generally if it's close to Christmas, you can also offer New Year's greetings.

As for after the holiday, again there's no rule, but you'll hear it for at least several days, maybe up to a week.

You won't hear it for as nearly as long after January 1st as you're likely to hear it before January 1st, however.

As long as you're not saying it in July, people won't care. ;-)

 

[goodstudent]

When do you usually say the sentence "Happy New Year"?

Do you say it when you just meet the person? e.g. Hello, good morning, happy new year.

Or do you say it when leaving?
e.g. Thank you. Happy new year.
e.g. Bye. Happy new year.

I am driving a taxi so I would like to be polite and make my passenger feel happy.

 

[Skrej]

You can use it either way, both as a greeting and a farewell.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd use it when parting from someone if it's still December. From January 1st onwards, I'd use it when I meet them.

 

[goodstudent]

I'd use it when parting from someone if it's still December. From January 1st onwards, I'd use it when I meet them.

Is this a common practice or just personal preference?

 

[tedmc]

Is this a common practice or just personal preference?

I think it is common and logical - a parting greeting for something coming up and an opening greeting for something that has started.

 

[Tdol]

When do you usually say the sentence "Happy New Year"?

After Christmas (before that it would include Merry Christmas) and a couple of days into the new year.

 

[Roman55]

I found this thread quite interesting. It became clear to me that having lived so long in France I've become conditoned not to say Happy New Year until the new year has actually begun. It is simply not done here.

 

[Rover_KE]

When do you usually say [STRIKE]the sentence[/STRIKE] "Happy New Year"?

It's not a sentence.

 

[GoesStation]

"Happy new year!" is a perfectly good sentence. Although English sentences normally require a main verb, exclamatory and interrogatory sentences may not. For example:

"Help!"
"Fire!"
"Why not?"
"No."​

 

[emsr2d2]

Even in reported speech, we would capitalise "New Year" in "Happy New Year!"