When does it become socially unacceptable to wish someone a happy new year? Etiquette experts weigh in

By Tara De Boer, CTVNews.ca writer

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    TORONTO (CTV Network) — It may take a few weeks to mentally adjust to the new calendar year, but at what point does the saying “Happy New Year!” lose its shine?

To help navigate the social uncertainty of wishing people a happy new year, etiquette experts weigh in on the best time to move on from the phrase and give their thoughts on the way forward in 2023.

“There is no set expiry date for the well wish,” said Ann Elizabeth Burnett, Etiquette Consultant, and founder of Elizabeth Etiquette, who goes by her business’ name. “But by the end of the first week, after New Year’s, the greeting has sort of waned.”

Whether you’re greeting a colleague, a loved one, or a stranger, context is important, according to Etiquette.

“I think you have to look at it in the context of your meeting and your conversation,” she said. “Certainly you wouldn’t keep saying ‘Happy New Year,’ throughout the whole January and February – definitely too late. But if you meet someone, and they’ve just been offered a new job, for example, then it is certainly great to bring up “what a great start to the new year, wishing you all the best.””

As the three-year mark following the pandemic approaches in March, and with a potential recession on the horizon for 2023, Etiquette says that patience and empathy are the way forward in a world of uncertainty and stress.

“The shops, healthcare organizations… they’re all stretched to the limit.” she said. “I think that if we can just take a step back and exercise a little more of that patience and empathy for those around us, I think it will be one of the best things that any of us can do as we move into this year of uncertainty.”

For Suzy Fossati, founder of Avignone Etiquette in Toronto, there is a fluid timeline for the greeting depending on which setting someone finds themselves in, especially as the first day back at work this year for some will be as late as Jan. 9.

“For most people, the celebrations actually end tomorrow on January 6, with the epiphany. So I kind of like to use that as my time frame,” said Fossati. “But people are going back to the office I think on Monday the ninth, so that would be the first day they’re back, and the first opportunity they have to see clients or colleagues.”

“Whether we’re talking socially, which I’d say is probably within the first couple of days [after New Year’s Day], after that, we’d want to stop. Whereas business wise, or for an older group of people, it might actually last a couple of days longer than that.”

For Fossati, as Canadians embark on 2023, remembering what it means to be a kind human following years of isolation is top of mind.

“Whether that means spending that little bit of extra time to remember those kind, considerate respectful acts that we can do for other people,” she said. “Sending thank you cards, or gestures, or simply just as far as being able to give people the benefit of the doubt.”

As for Louise Fox, owner of Etiquette Ladies, the colder months following Christmas are a particularly important time of year to be mindful of others — especially as the winter blues can set in for some.

“Going forward this year I would remind people this time of year is difficult for many, including the after-Christmas winter blues. You don’t know the challenges others may be facing in their life,” Fox told CTVNews.ca in an email Thursday.

“I hope that people will try to be more patient and less judgmental of others and err on the side of kindness.”

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