New Year is a rare moment when we truly try to choose our words carefully: sincere, warm, and personal.
Greetings become part of the holiday atmosphere just like gifts, glowing fairy lights, and the anticipation of change. More and more often, we want to say something a little more original than the familiar “happiness and good health.”

New Year is an international celebration. Even if you don’t speak a foreign language fluently, one short greeting can add a special mood and a sense of connection to the wider world.
Here is how “Happy New Year 2026” and New Year wishes sound in different languages.

English
Happy New Year!
Wishing you a happy and successful New Year!
Used in both personal and professional greetings, cards, and messages.

German
Frohes neues Jahr!
Ein glückliches neues Jahr!
In Germany and Austria, New Year wishes are often accompanied by symbols of good luck — a pig, a horseshoe, or a four-leaf clover.

French
Bonne année!
Bonne année et bonne santé!
The French traditionally wish not only happiness but also good health.

Spanish
¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
¡Te deseo un feliz y próspero Año Nuevo!
Spanish greetings are often emotional and accompanied by hugs and kisses.

Italian
Felice Anno Nuovo!
Ti auguro un anno pieno di felicità!
Italians love long, warm, heartfelt wishes.

Chinese (Simplified)
新年快乐 (Xīnnián kuàilè) — “Happy New Year”
Although the traditional Chinese New Year is celebrated later, the European New Year is increasingly marked with greetings as well.
Such phrases are a small but meaningful gesture that shows attention and interest in another language and culture.

Why We Think More and More About the Meaning of Gifts

New Year’s gifts have long ceased to be just a formality. More and more people choose not things, but experiences, emotions, and something that can stay with a person for a long time.
Especially valued are gifts that:

• help personal growth;
• open new opportunities;
• support long-standing plans;
• remain useful even after the holidays.

That’s why learning, travel, and new skills are increasingly appearing on New Year wish lists.

A Language as a New Year’s Gift

Learning a foreign language is a rare kind of gift that works far beyond one single day. It means new connections, self-confidence, freedom of communication, and access to another culture.
It’s no coincidence that many people decide around New Year: “In 2026, I will finally start speaking a foreign language.” Psychologically, the New Year helps make that first step and stop postponing plans for another year.

At the end of the year, there are traditionally more reasons to start something new gently and without pressure — including language learning. That’s why Native Speakers Courses offers a special New Year format for those who want to try lessons or give a meaningful gift to themselves or their loved ones.

May 2026 bring more words that come easily, more conversations without fear, and more reasons to say Happy New Year, Bonne année, or ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! — without thinking about the translation.
And if you’d like to start the year with something new, you can always try a free trial lesson with a native speaker and see whether this format is right for you.