Happy New Year. Yay! To me, having a fresh start is the best thing. 2022 was not the best year for many, including me. Restarting and feeling the relief of letting go of negative friends or past experiences feels good. As we come back from our winter break and see all of our friends, we would normally tell them, “Happy New Year!” But when is it too late to say those words, or is it ever? 

Personally, I don’t think we should be saying “Happy New Year” after the middle of January. To me, after that time feels wrong.

Saying “Happy New Year” past a certain point breaks the rules of its purpose and disables the opportunities of other events and holidays, like Valentine’s Day. I think we should be able to appreciate the most loving holiday of the year.

A lot of people that I know say Happy New Year until the end of February. Some don’t even say it at all. I’ve heard my friends tell me, “There’s no reason for us to say Happy New Year, it’s not even special,” I get why people say this, we do have a New Year every year. However, I also do think we should at least say it because it is a celebration, and it’s a big accomplishment that we made it through another year.

I get that a lot of people don’t see family over the break or even friends and don’t get to say Happy New Year to them. For me, if I didn’t see my friends for a long period of time after New Years, I wouldn’t say Happy New Year to them. It would just be awkward to say. I’d most likely even forget to bring the topic up, or I wouldn’t even ask a question like, “What was your New Year’s resolution?” 

For some families celebrating the New Year is a big deal. It’s a time when everyone can celebrate something to remember, but the acknowledgment can’t be used to the point where the glamour has worn off. Saying Happy New Year is a celebration of the new year, so why drag it on? Especially when saying it in February or maybe even March, when there’s nothing to celebrate.

So what do we do now? It’s the dullest time of the year. Valentine’s Day is next. Time for cute couples and heart-shaped chocolates. Soon the tulips will be popping through the ground and baby birds will be chirping. Happy New Year everyone. Hope it’s a good one.