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22.12.2011, 17:44
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| | | Holiday Greetings in German
I'd like to wish my (non-Christian) cleaner happy holidays. Can someone suggest how to say something along the lines of "Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year" in German?
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22.12.2011, 17:46
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
Ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und alles Gute zum neuen Jahr!
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22.12.2011, 17:46
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
| Quote: | |  | | | I'd like to wish my (non-Christian) cleaner happy holidays. Can someone suggest how to say something along the lines of "Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year" in German? | | | | | To keep it neutral, I guess "schöne Feiertage und einen Guten Rutsch (ins neue Jahr)" or "und ein gutes Neues Jahr"
That what you had in mind?
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22.12.2011, 17:51
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
| Quote: | | | | | Ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und alles Gute zum neuen Jahr! | | | | | Isn't this wishing a merry Christmas? As she's not Christian, I'd rather than offer her (generic holiday) good wishes.
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22.12.2011, 18:06
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
| Quote: | | | | | Isn't this wishing a merry Christmas? As she's not Christian, I'd rather than offer her (generic holiday) good wishes. | | | | |
OOPS, sorry, didnt read your post properly  |
22.12.2011, 21:16
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
There is no such thing as a neutral "holiday" wish. Look at the word: HOLI-day. Festtage is a good one, but the said Fest is Christmas in the first place.
Am I the only one that feels like it's not offensive in a German cultural language setting to wish Frohe Festtage to everybody even if religion is not part of the message? Weihnachten is just a fact in the calendar, everybody get free, that's neutral enough to my German head.
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22.12.2011, 21:25
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
| Quote: | | | | | To keep it neutral, I guess "schöne Feiertage und einen Guten Rutsch (ins neue Jahr)" or "und ein gutes Neues Jahr" | | | | | This is perfectly fine, but don't capitalize adjectives. (guten Rutsch / neues Jahr)
You can also say "Frohes Fest und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr"
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23.12.2011, 07:39
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
| Quote: | | | | | Am I the only one that feels like it's not offensive in a German cultural language setting to wish Frohe Festtage to everybody even if religion is not part of the message? Weihnachten is just a fact in the calendar, everybody get free, that's neutral enough to my German head. | | | | | No, you're not the only one. I agree. But I also think, despite not being a Christian, that it's not offensive in English either.
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23.12.2011, 09:17
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
Exactly. The only people I've found who are sensitive to this are media types from Islington and some Americans.
I've been in countries where Islam is the main religion e.g. Oman, Lebanon, UAE, Syria where many of the local people still appreciate Christmas. There was an article in one of the GCC newspapers where a muslim man was asked why he sent Christmas cards when he was not Christian and he cheerily replied because he enjoys all the friendliness and colour of this particular holiday and felt it was open to all. I think the view was that the message of goodwill to all men (and women!) was universally recognised.
Merry Christmas!
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27.12.2011, 04:17
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| | | Re: Holiday Greetings in German
You can say happy holidays : "Schoeni Fearherdaghi" (noh..") (also)
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