Christmas Greetings

[Shelley]

So its that time of the year when all my friends who know I study Chinese ask me how do you say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Chinese?

 

I wondered what the best answer to this question is.

 

I have always said 圣诞快乐  and  新年快乐    but I heard  恭贺新年 yesterday and now I wonder which is the most used. I know Christmas is not Chinese festival but it is being celebrated more and more from what I can see.

 

i wondered how many other ways there are to say it and which one would be used amongst Chinese people.

 

Oh and 圣诞快乐 and 新年快乐to everyone  

Hope you all have a good Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

 

[Shelley]

Should I take the lack of response to be because there is no more to add or just because no one is interested?

[winterpromise31]

The only Christmas greeting I know is 圣诞快乐. So 圣诞快乐!! :D

[oceancalligraphy]

I say 聖誕節快樂, but 聖誕快樂 is common too.

 

聖誕 can mean the birth of an emperor, Confucius, or Christ. 耶穌 is Christ, and 耶誕 means the birth of Christ. 耶誕快樂 also means Happy (Merry) Christmas.

 

I think 新年快樂 is more typical in conversation. 

 

恭賀新年 is on the formal side, and is used more by businesses. The original phrase is 恭賀新禧 (congratulations on new happiness), which I would only use for the lunar new year.