It may take a few weeks to mentally adjust to the new calendar year, but at what point does saying “Happy New Year!” lost its shine?
To help navigate the social uncertainty of wishing everyone a happy new year, etiquette experts considered the best time to switch from this phrase and give their thoughts on it. the way forward in 2023.
“There is no fixed expiration date for good wishes,” says Ann Elizabeth Burnett, Etiquette Consultant and founder of Elizabeth Etiquette, who names her business. “But by the end of the first week, after the new year, the greetings were reduced.”
According to Etiquette, whether you’re greeting a colleague, relative, or stranger, context matters.
“I think you have to consider it in the context of your meeting and your conversation,” she says. “Definitely you won’t say ‘Happy New Year’ during January and February – it’s definitely too late. But if you meet someone, and they’ve just been offered a new job, for example, it would certainly be nice to say “a great start to the new year, all the best.”
As it marks three years since the pandemic approached in March and with the possibility of a recession in 2023, Etiquette says patience and empathy are the way forward in a world full of uncertainty and tension.
“Shops, healthcare organizations… all are operating at full capacity.” she speaks. “I think if we could just take a step back and practice a little more patience and empathy with those around us, I think that would be one of the best things any of us can do. can do when entering the year of uncertainty.”
For Suzy Fossati, founder of Avigone Etiquette in Toronto, there is a flexible schedule for greetings depending on the context someone finds themselves in, especially the first day back to work this year for for some it will be January 9 at the latest.
“For most people, the celebration really ends tomorrow, January 6, with the epiphany. So I want to use it as my timeframe,” says Fossati. “But I think people will be back in the office on Monday, the 9th, so that will be their first day back and the first chance they have to see a client or colleague.”
“Even if we’re having a polite conversation, what I mean is maybe in the first few days [after New Year’s Day], then we want to stop. While business wise, or for a group of older people, it can actually last more than a few days.
For Fossati, as Canadians head into 2023, remembering what it means to be a decent human being after years of isolation is a top priority.
“Even if that means taking that extra moment to remember the acts of respect and kindness we can all do for others,” she said. “Sending thank you cards, or gestures, or simply can give people the benefit of the doubt.”
For Louise Fox, owner of Etiquette Ladies, the colder months after Christmas are a particularly important time of year to be considerate of others — especially as some people may feel sad during the day. winter.
“This year, I want to remind everyone that this time of year is difficult for many people, including the winter after Christmas. You don’t know the challenges other people might face in their lives,” Fox told CTVNews.ca in an email Thursday.
“I hope that people will try to be more patient and less judgmental of others and make less mistakes out of kindness.”
