Happy Holidays!

You’d like to send a special note to clients and business partners in English-speaking countries this time of year. Which phrase is best?

In addition to Christmas and New Year’s Day, December and January are full of important holidays that are celebrated in English-speaking countries. In the US, the Jewish holiday Hanukkah often takes place in December, and Kwanzaa is celebrated by African-Americans starting Dec. 26. In the UK, Boxing Day is celebrated every year on Dec. 26. While perhaps less commonly celebrated, the Winter Solstice, which is also called Yule or Midwinter in English, may also be special to people you do business with.

Our advice: A general greeting such as “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” will best meet your business needs and is most commonly found in business in English-speaking countries. In online greetings or in cards, companies also often avoid sending holiday greetings which have symbols or other images that are connected to specific holidays. It’s probably best to only send a holiday-specific greeting if you know a business partner celebrates a specific holiday or you’ve received a holiday-specific greeting from them.

Mindy Ehrhart Krull
About the author

Originally from the US, Mindy Ehrhart Krull holds a master's degree in journalism and has been teaching English and working as an author, editor and proofreader in Germany since 2008.

At DELS, she leads a team of several English trainers and language professionals.

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