Happy New Year Wishes | 100+ Ideas for 2026

The New Year is a time for celebration and connection. Whether you’re looking to reach out to a coworker or client, send a thoughtful card to a loved one, or craft a cute message for a social media post, we’ve got you covered with ideas to start 2026 on a high note.

If you’re looking for more customized ideas, check out QuillBot’s Free AI Writing Prompt Generator for more inspiration.

Classic Happy New Year messages

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when wishing someone a happy new year. These tried and true classics capture all the sentiment of a new year.

• Wishing you health, happiness, and love in the new year.
• Happy new year to you and your loved ones.
• Cheers to a new year filled with fun and memories.
• Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best for 2026.
• Here’s to a phenomenal new year!
• Wishing you a blessed and prosperous new year!
• May the new year bring you peace, joy, and all the things your heart desires.
• Wishing you a bright 2026 and a spectacular start to the season.
• Sending you warm wishes for a safe and happy new year.
• May your 2026 be filled with new adventures and beautiful moments.

Happy New Year messages for friends

Celebrate the milestones of the past year and all the memories to come with these messages for your closest friends.

• Cheers to new beginnings with old friends.
• I’m so excited to keep making memories with you; let’s make this year even better. 
• Thanks for putting up with me last year. Let’s do it again in 2026!
• Here’s to many more couch hangs, movie nights, and conversations over a bottle of wine.
• Your friendship helped make 2025 special. I can’t wait for more memories with you in 2026.
• Whatever the new year brings, I’m just glad I get to face it with you by my side. Happy 2026!
• New year, same us. Can’t wait for more adventures in 2026!
• I wouldn’t want to ring in the New Year with anyone else. Let’s make it legendary!
• 2026 is our year!
• I’m so grateful for your friendship! Cheers to 2026. 

Professional Happy New Year messages for colleagues

A friendly but professional Happy New Year message can be a great way to boost team morale, celebrate your progress, and keep spirits high as you enter a new calendar year.

• It’s been a privilege to work with you—cheers to another year of collaboration!
• I’m so lucky to collaborate with such amazing colleagues. I can’t wait to achieve even more with you in 2026.
• What a great year! Let’s bring the same dedication, commitment, and purpose into 2026.
• Let’s continue to excel together and make 2026 an outstanding year for all.
• Working alongside you has been a highlight of my year. I look forward to another year of surpassing our goals together!
• Happy New Year! I’m so grateful to be part of such an innovative and supportive team.
• Happy New Year! Let’s keep this momentum going and make some magic happen this year.
• Cheers to more coffee, more breakthroughs, and more wins in 2026!
• To a team who makes the hard work look easy—wishing you a prosperous and joyful year ahead.
• Here’s to another 365 days of turning big ideas into even bigger results. Let’s make 2026 our best year yet!

Professional Happy New Year messages for clients

A quick New Year’s note is more than just a greeting; it’s a powerful way to strengthen your partnerships before the Q1 rush begins. Use these professional messages to show your clients they’re valued as the calendar turns.

• Wishing you a successful and fulfilling New Year, [Name]!
• Cheers to a year of continued growth, success, and collaboration.
• Thank you for your trust in us. We hope your new year is filled with success and opportunity. 
• Wishing you continued success and innovation in the new year. 
• Thank you for being a valued client in 2025. We wish you a successful new year.
• It’s been a pleasure working with you—all the best in the new year.
• May the coming year bring you even more opportunities to thrive and lead in your industry.
• Your partnership has been a highlight of our year. Wishing you and your team a prosperous 2026.
• Thank you for a wonderful year of partnership. We’re excited to see what we can achieve together in the months to come.
• Here’s to another year of tackling challenges and celebrating wins together.

Happy New Year messages for family

There’s no better way to kick off January 1st than by sending a little love to the people who know you best. Whether you’re texting the group chat or writing a heartfelt card, these family-focused wishes help you start the year on a high note.

• Thank you for helping make this year so special. May 2026 bring many more laughter and smiles.
• Home is wherever you are—thank you for being there for me this year and every year. 
• How lucky I am to have such an amazing family to celebrate each year with. Cheers to 2026!
• No matter what 2026 has in store, I know I can handle it with you by my side. Happy New Year!
• To the ones who have been there since day one: let’s make this year our most memorable one yet.
• Grateful for the roots that keep me grounded and the family that helps me fly. Cheers to a beautiful 2026.
• May our family bond grow even stronger as we navigate another 365 days of adventures together.
• Sending so much love across the miles this New Year. Can’t wait until we’re all under one roof again!
• To my favorite people in the world: thank you for being my constant. Wishing you every happiness in 2026.
• No matter how far apart we are, we’re always together in spirit. Happy New Year to my wonderful family!

Happy New Year messages for your partner

These messages are perfect for ringing in the new year with your favorite person.

• I’m so lucky to have you to ring in this year and every new year with!
• 2025 was one for the books—I can’t wait for many more new chapters with you in the new year.
• Looking forward to a new year where every day starts and ends with you ❤️
• There’s no one I’d rather have standing by my side when the clock strikes midnight.
• The years with you just keep getting better. Cheers to us!
• Let’s make this year our most beautiful one yet. Happy 2026!
• Let’s make ‘more memories’ our only resolution this year.
• Here’s to another year of us being the best team I know.
• I can’t wait to spend another 365 days by your side. Happy New Year!
• Happy New Year to the love of my life!

Short Happy New Year messages

Keep things simple and sweet with these brief messages to celebrate NYE.

• Happy New Year!
• Cheers to 2026
• 12 new chapters, 365 new chances.
• Out with the old, in with the new.
• Happy 2026!
• Best year yet!
• Wishing you a bright 2026.
• 2026, let’s go!
• The best is yet to come
• New year, new adventures

Funny Happy New Year messages

Start the new year off with a smile with these playful messages.

• May your resolutions last longer than your New Year’s Eve hangover.
• I’m setting myself up for success by making zero resolutions this new year.
• Cheers to another year of making questionable life decisions!
• May all your troubles last as long as my commitment to going to the gym in January.
• Happy New Year! Let’s celebrate by staying up way past our bedtimes and regretting it for the next three days.
• Happy New Year! We all know we’re just here for the champagne. 
• Happy New Year! Let’s see how many times I accidentally write ‘2025’ on everything until July.
• Here’s to another year of us pretending we’re going to start ‘meal prepping’ on Sundays.
• Happy New Year! May your Wi-Fi be strong, your battery be full, and your ‘mute’ button always be working during Zoom calls.
• May your 2026 be filled with fewer ‘per my last email’ moments and more ‘out of office’ replies.

Happy New Year messages for social media posts

These ideas will pair perfectly with your 2025 photo dump.

• and a happy new year 🥂
• To be continued
• New year same me 
• Dry January starts tomorrow
• Kiss me at midnight
• Before I agree to 2026, I need to see some terms and conditions
• MMXXVI
• Page 1 of 365
• Entering my best year yet era
• 2026 vision

Happy New Year quotes

Draw inspiration from these classic lines about new years and new beginnings.

• “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” —Brad Paisley
• “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” —C.S. Lewis
• “What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” —Vern McLellan
• “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” —Oprah Winfrey
• “May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early!” —Aleister Crowley
• “In the New Year, never forget to thank your past years because they enabled you to reach today!” —Mehmet Murat İldan
• “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every New Year find you a better man.” —Benjamin Franklin
• “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”
  —Albert Einstein
• “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” —Bill Vaughan

Frequently asked questions about Happy New Year messages

What are some unique ways to say Happy Chinese New Year?

Beyond the common “Happy Chinese New Year” (新年快乐, Xīnnián kuàilè), here are some meaningful and less commonly mentioned greetings you can use to add a special touch during the celebrations:

• 步步高升 (Bù bù gāo shēng) — Wishing you continuous promotion and success
• 招财进宝 (Zhāo cái jìn bǎo) — May wealth and treasures come to you
• 吉祥如意 (Jíxiáng rúyì) — Wishing you good fortune and that everything goes as you wish
• 大吉大利 (Dà jí dà lì) — Wishing you great luck and great profit
• 龙马精神 (Lóng mǎ jīngshén) — Wishing you the spirit and vitality of the dragon and horse
• 合家欢乐 (Hé jiā huānlè) — Wishing happiness to your whole family

Using these alternative greetings can show cultural insight and make your wishes stand out during the Lunar New Year festivities.

Want help crafting personalized or creative Chinese New Year wishes? Try Quillbot’s AI Chat for instant, customized language suggestions!

Is it happy new year or happy new year’s?

The correct expression is Happy New Year! But, if you add “Eve” or “Day” to the expression, you use the possessive noun form “year’s” instead (e.g., “Happy New Year’s Eve!”).

A free QuillBot Grammar Check can help you make sure your holiday greetings are error-free.

Should you capitalize happy new year?

If you are using Happy New Year as a standalone greeting for the holiday, then you should capitalize every word (e.g., “Happy New Year, friends!”). However, if you are referring to the new year more generally, you should not capitalize it (e.g., “Wishing you all a happy new year!”).

These guidelines can help you when you’re writing holiday messages to friends and family.

A free QuillBot grammar check can help you make sure you’re using capitalization correctly.