| Unless you are a Celtic pagan (and they are out | | | | many letters to me. |
| there so I don't mean to slight them) and a number | | | | Then there are, of course, the French, they who |
| of others, your New Year comes at the beginning of | | | | have brought us champagne, brie, and French fries. |
| January. I have collected the phrase "Happy New | | | | To them I would wish a hearty "bonne annee" as I |
| Year" in several different languages so that you can | | | | drain my glass and nibble on another escargot (with |
| either impress (or annoy) your friends, or actually use | | | | Brigitte Bardot?) |
| the phrase to someone who doesn't speak English. | | | | For our troops overseas, valiantly protecting our way |
| Although the Hebrew New Year is actually Rosh | | | | of life, if you have the occasion you can wish one of |
| Hashanah (usually sometime in September), you can | | | | the locals a gleeful "Sanah Jadidah" with a nod toward |
| say "shana tova" at both New Years. For your | | | | Mecca. And, to my wife's family on Sao Michael on |
| Spanish speaking friends you can use "Feliz Ano | | | | the Azores (some of the best food ever, my wife's |
| ~Nuevo" with great gusto. What about if you know | | | | carne guisada will make a grown man cry) I would |
| someone who speaks Irish? You can use "Bliain nua | | | | offer my heartfelt "Feliz Ano Novo" |
| fe mhaise dhuit" but don't ask me how to pronounce | | | | That's Happy New Year in six languages. I hope it is |
| it. The Celtic languages always seem to have too | | | | of some use to you. |