The Weltchek Weekly

The holidays are upon us and with them lots of opportunities to wish people well. Putting those wishes to paper correctly, however, can be tricky. Is it, for example, Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year or Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year?

Read these guidelines to find out:

• When you’re referring to the new year as in the next 12 months, new year always goes in lowercase, so if you chose the first version, you chose correctly.
• Always capitalize the names of holidays: Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Day; Hanukkah (also Chanukah); Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Christmas; Kwanzaa; and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
• When you write Happy Thanksgiving, Happy New Year, Happy Hanukkah, and Merry Christmas—particularly as standalone greetings—capitalize all the words. The same goes for Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays.
• As a general rule, however, keep things in lowercase. Many would be tempted to capitalize the main words in the following example, but this is more elegant—and correct—in every way: Best wishes for peace and joy this holiday season and a new year of health, happiness, and prosperity.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving is also correct.

As I said, it’s tricky.