In the next few days, we’ll be celebrating the Gregorian New Year! While this is the most commonly celebrated calendar new year around the world, it is also not the only one. For Myaamiaki, our year is based on the lunar calendar which reflects the cycles of the moon. This puts our lunar new year celebration around February, instead of January 1st. Myaamiaki today celebrate the beginning of both calendar years in different ways depending on the cultural significance. For this coming New Year’s Eve, we will celebrate in a variety of ways like waiting until midnight to ring in the new year. We have a few phrases for this celebration that we can use when it comes time. 

wiiyaakiteeheelo weehki-kihkatwe ‘Happy New Year!’

kweehsitaatiiyankwi ‘we show respect to each other’ – This is used as a formal holiday greeting.