Word Usage – How to Answer ‘Happy New Year’?

I've heard congratulations used in birthday greetings, or in wishing someone a happy new year, but it's generally intended to be somewhat humorous.

When I've heard it used, the implication has been: Congratulations! You made it through another year. Put another way: It's been a whole year and you're still alive. Congratulations.

Some might consider such "congratulations" to be morbid humor, particularly if the person you are talking to is quite advanced in age.

As for saying,

"Congratulations, I didn't know that."

I'd be careful with that one. It sounds like a sarcastic remark given to someone who has just stated something obvious.

As for:

"Happy new year in advance"

that sounds normal and idiomatic to me. Another more casual way you could say the same thing is:

"Have a happy new year!"

By putting the "Have a" at the start of the remark, you're acknowledging that the new year is coming soon but is still a little ways away.

If you're worried about sounding too "bossy", the culprit often isn't the word you. Instead, it's the verb after the word you.

For example, these phrases make it sound like what you're about to write is absolutely correct, and there is no other valid way of doing something:

• You should change...

• You are supposed to...

The solution I often use is to couch the language in a less assertive way:

• You might want to consider changing...

• You probably should think about trying...

By using words like might, probably, and often instead of words like should, must, and always, your answers are less likely to sound like you are touting the only right way to do something at the exclusion of other possible solutions.