What do you say before, during and after the holidays? • The expert explains: “A lot of people struggle with it here”
The time between Christmas and New Year can be linguistically confusing. With two major holidays within a week, it becomes difficult to know how to greet in a proper way.
– Before Christmas when we talk about when we say Merry Christmas then it is like the arrival of Christmas. You could actually start with that already in the first advent, he says to TV4 Nyheterna.
All the way up to Christmas Day, you can say “Merry Christmas”, according to him. After that, you can conveniently move on to “Happy Christmas”. But most people start the Christmas greeting from the last week before Christmas.
Here it gets complicated
On Christmas Eve itself, of course, “Merry Christmas” applies. But then the confusion can arise.
– Many people struggle with it here. However, I would like to emphasize that the important thing is not how you greet each other, but that you actually greet each other. But if we stick to some sort of theoretical framework, then from Christmas Day until December 30th you can wish for a happy continuation of Christmas.
– Then if you want to be a little careful then you can add a good fat continuation of Christmas. But most people don’t.
“Happy ending”
During a small window after Christmas Eve, around December 30-31, the greeting phrase “Good ending” can be used.
– It is of course suitable for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, but should not be used for too long, for those who want to be more regular.
For those who want to wish a “happy new year”, it is in a hurry. It only applies to New Year’s Eve from midnight and January 1 onwards. then it’s time to move on to “good continuation of the new year”
However, Danielsson points out that he himself is not the etiquette police, and that the biggest etiquette mistake is correcting someone else. The important thing is that you greet, and not how you greet, he adds.
– Should it happen that you violate them, nothing will happen, he says.
In the player above: From the archive – December 2021:
Etiquette expert Mats Danielsson unravels the Christmas greeting phrases.