Linguists warn about a common mistake: do not say with the past.

According to ТСН: The period of the New Year holidays often stretches for several weeks, and greetings continue to sound even after they are over. However, when greeting friends or colleagues, Ukrainians often make a mistake by using the phrase 'with the past'. Linguists emphasize that this is a calque from Russian ('с прошедшим'), and it should be avoided.

For informal communication, SMS or conversations with close ones, simple and sincere phrases are suitable. They sound natural and do not create distance.

Options for greetings

Experts recommend using the following formulations:

• 'Even if I'm late, I congratulate you on the New Year!'

• 'Happy belated New Year! May it bring joy, peace, and good news.'

These phrases emphasize your attention to the person, regardless of the time when the greeting was given.

Official greetings

In work chats or official letters to partners or management, the style should be more restrained. It is important to maintain respect for the addressee and demonstrate a high level of literacy. For business communication, the following phrases are suitable:

• 'Please accept my greetings on the occasion of the past New Year.'

• 'I congratulate you on the past New Year and wish you success in the new year.'

These statements are stylistically neutral, correct, and demonstrate your professionalism, as well as help avoid awkward linguistic mistakes.

Another common mistake is the greeting 'with the upcoming'. In proper usage, one should say 'with the upcoming'.

Let us remind you, the word 'hood', which is often used by Ukrainians to denote a part of outerwear, has French origins. In the Ukrainian language, there are native equivalents, namely 'vydloha' and 'kaptur', which are documented in the Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language and are found in classical literature.

Linguists also draw attention to rarely used dialectalisms: 'zatula', 'koba', and 'kobka', which can serve as alternatives to the foreign word and enrich the Ukrainian vocabulary.

The relevance of discussing linguistic nuances is becoming increasingly important in our everyday life, especially in the conditions of globalization when we encounter various linguistic influences. Using our native language in its authentic form helps not only preserve our cultural identity but also shows respect for linguistic traditions.