Happy New Year: Quick Summary
When you want to send someone well wishes this holiday, the correct spelling and capitalization is Happy New Year!
Use New Year’s (with an apostrophe) to indicate possession.
- I always fall asleep early on New Year’s Eve.
- New Year’s Day is my favorite day of the year!
- We’re going to three New Year’s parties.
New Years is only acceptable when referring to multiple instances of the holiday.
- We have celebrated several New Years together.
When it comes to spelling Happy New Year’s correctly, you have the questions, and we have the answers. Below, we’ll go over:
🎉 Which is correct: “Happy New Year” or “Happy New Years”?
🎉 “New Years” or “New Year’s”: Is an apostrophe needed?
3…2…1…let’s get started!
![Meme shows Michael Soft from The Office with a caption that reads "[softly] Don't." The accompanying text reads When you're ten seconds into the new year and someone has already corrected your grammar."](https://cdn.getmidnight.com/45d07b00b0188a892509950ff919e14e/2023/10/Happy-New-Year.png)
Is “New Year” Capitalized?
It depends on the sentence.
When used as a greeting, Happy New Year is typically capitalized. This is because New Year refers to a specific holiday and is, therefore, a proper noun.
Keep in mind that New Year’s Eve refers to December 31st, and New Year’s Day refers to January 1st.
Happy New Year, Sophie!
I can’t wait to celebrate the New Year with my family.
Happy new year.
New year does not need to be capitalized if you’re talking about the new year in general.
I definitely need to eat healthier during the new year.
Sammie is waiting for the new year to try out her new camera.
There are so many things I want to try this new year.
Happy New Year or Happy New Years?
The correct spelling is Happy New Year, not Happy New Years.
Happy New Year, Samantha!
Happy New Years, Samantha!
Remember: an “-s” turns a singular noun into a plural one. So, saying Happy New Years implies that you’re celebrating the start of multiple years. And unless you’re adept at interdimensional travel, this isn’t possible.
However, you can use New Years when talking about multiple instances of the holiday. For example:
My family and I have been eating grapes at midnight for the last ten New Years.
I celebrated several New Years in various countries, and each one has unique traditions.
New Years can be a time of rejoicing and celebrating.
However, there’s a time and place for using New Year’s with an apostrophe. We’ll elaborate on that below.
When To Use New Year’s (With an Apostrophe)
An apostrophe can indicate possession, so it should be used when referring to something that “belongs” to the New Year.
For example, New Year’s Eve specifically denotes the holiday, which lands on the eve of the new year. Similarly, New Year’s Day is the (first) day of the new year. The same principle applies to anything that “belongs” to the new year.
I enjoy going to the beach on New Year’s Day.
My wife and I host a New Year’s Eve party every year.
We’re writing down our New Year’s resolutions.
Carrie and Louise are looking for the perfect New Year’s outfits.
Start Your Year With Correct Spelling, Grammar, and More
To Recap
- The New Year is a holiday that refers to New Year’s Eve (which falls on December 31st) and New Year’s Day (which falls on January 1st). When referring to the holiday, New Year should be capitalized. Do not capitalize new year when referring to it in a general sense.
- The correct spelling is always Happy New Year and not Happy New Years. New years is only acceptable when you’re referring to multiple instances of the holiday (e.g., My friends celebrate New Years with three-day long feasts).
- Use New Year’s (with an apostrophe) to indicate possession when writing about something that “belongs” to the New Year (e.g., New Year’s Resolutions).
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