The Mean Ol’ Schoolmarm is very excited about the upcoming new year, but she can’t cross over into 2013 without one last fit of bossiness.
(As always, feel free to chime in if you disagree with MOSM!)
Did you know there are right ways and wrong ways to wish someone a happy new year?
(Well…in a grammatical sense, anyway.)
CORRECT WAYS
“Happy New Year!”
This is the traditional way of greeting someone as one year transitions to the next. “New Year” is capitalized because it is accepted as a proper noun (it is my understanding that New Year, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day are all capitalized as variations of the same holiday) and “Happy” is capitalized because it’s the beginning of a sentence.
“Have a happy New Year!”
This is also correct, as “New Year” is still a proper noun/event/holiday, but “happy” is no longer at the beginning of the sentence and is therefore not capitalized.
“Have a happy new year!”
This is also correct, as you are referring not to the specific event/holiday of New Year, but to the year as a whole. You want the person’s upcoming year to be happy.
“Happy New Year’s Day!”
This is also correct, as “New Year’s Day” is a proper noun.
INCORRECT WAYS
“Happy New Years!”
This is incorrect, as the way it reads, you are wishing someone many happy new years ahead, which would be nice. Just not grammatically correct.
“Happy New Year’s!”
This is a commonly used, albeit incorrect, way of wishing someone a Happy New Year. It would be correct to tack on “Day” at the end (“Happy New Year’s Day!”) but “New Year’s” alone is not correct.
“Have a Happy New Year!”
Okay, so this is starting to get excessively technical…but in the above example, “Happy” should not be capitalized as it is not part of the proper noun (and is not at the beginning of a sentence.
And now, Mean Ol’ Schoolmarm is going to find a worthwhile hobby. She’s clearly in need of one.
Happy New Year, friends!
(Be sure to jump in if you disagree with MOSM on these points. She’s actually not 100% sure she’s right.)
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
