When I was editing Ellii’s New Year’s lesson plans, I started to question the use of New Year’s, New Year, and new year.

When do we use the possessive form of "New Year's"?

Also, there are instances where the words “new” and “year” shouldn’t be capitalized. Confusing, right?

With the holiday around the corner, your students might be asking you about this very soon. I did a bit of research to find out what the style guides and dictionaries suggest, and I thought I’d share the results with you.

Here are some teaching tips for when to write New Year’s, New Year, and new year so you and your students can ring in the new year right!

"New Year" vs. "new year": Let's talk about capitalization

It can be tricky for English learners to understand the difference between “New Year” and “new year.” Why is New Year capitalized in certain instances and not others?

This breakdown should make teaching the difference to your students much easier.

When to capitalize "New Year"

Capitalize New Year when you’re referring to the January 1 holiday.

For example: 

• Happy New Year!
• My sister sent me a card wishing me a happy New Year all the way from Mexico.

When to lowercase "new year"

Lowercase new year when you’re referring to the year as a whole.

For example:

• It’s the first day of the new year, so let’s celebrate!
• The new year is a great time to start new projects.
• He’s decided to quit smoking since it’s a new year.

When to use "New Year's"

Use the possessive form New Year’s when you’re referring to December 31 or January 1, or when you’re describing celebrations, resolutions, or activities made on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.

For example:

• New Year's Day
• New Year's Eve
• We're celebrating New Year's at grandma's this year.
• I spent the night thinking about my New Year's resolutions.
• Try these Christmas and New Year's classroom activities.
• It was a fantastic New Year's celebration.

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, when the words “eve” and “day” are present, we clearly need the possessive form “New Year’s.” Think of it like a shortcut—instead of saying “New Year’s Eve,” we can simply say “New Year’s.”

But what about when “eve” and “day” aren’t present? People sometimes forget to include the ’s when it should probably be included.

For example, when I wrote a blog post called "7 Christmas and New Year’s Classroom Activities," I chose to write “New Year’s.” Why? Because I was thinking of the holiday “New Year’s Day,” and I was simply dropping the word “day” like you would when you say “Christmas” (instead of “Christmas Day”). 

Print this cheat sheet for your English language learners.

What the research says

What do the dictionaries have to say about “New Year’s” vs. “New Year”? 

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary has an entry for “New Year,” but states that usually “New Year’s” is used. 

Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English does not have an entry for “New Year” but does have an entry for “New Year’s,” so clearly they advise using “New Year’s.” 

Final thoughts on "New Year's," "New Year," and "new year"

I would use “new year” when following an article (“a” or “the”), and I would use “New Year’s” in all other cases, aside from the expression “Happy New Year.”

(Note: “Happy New Year’s” is also possible, but not as common in North America.) 

Sources

• The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, section 8.89.
• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition, entries such as “New Year.”
• Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English, 1st edition.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in December 2012 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.