People always have plenty of ideas for things to do on Silvester (New Year’s Eve) – auf eine Party gehen (go to a party), Zuhause feiern (celebrate at home), Feuerwerk anschauen (watch the fireworks) – but what about on New Year’s Day?

New Year’s Day is called der Neujahrstag in German. Like in many other countries, Neujahrstag is a public holiday in Germany, so many businesses, banks, post offices and other stores are closed on this day.

So what kinds of things could you do on Neujahrstag? Here are some ideas – in German – to inspire you!

Visit family and friends – Freunde und Familie besuchen

Play board or card games – Brettspiele oder Kartenspiele spielen

 

Tidy up – aufräumen (especially after a Neujahrsparty – New Year’s party!)

Put Christmas decorations away – Weihnachtsdekorationen wieder einpacken

 

Go for a walk – spazieren gehen
– at the beach – am Strand
– in the forest/woods – im Wald
– in the neighbourhood – in der Umgebung

 

Think about the year gone by – auf das vergangene Jahr zurückblicken

 

Make new year’s resolutions – Neujahrsvorsätze machen
– quit smoking – mit Rauchen aufhören
– exercise more – mehr Sport treiben
– lose weight – abnehmen
– concentrate more on job – mehr auf den Beruf konzentrieren
– drink less – weniger trinken
– be more economical – sparsamer sein

 

 

Buy a new diary – Ein neues Tagebuch kaufen

 

 

De-clutter – entrümpeln
What could you de-clutter? – Was könnten Sie entrümpeln?
– das Haus – the house
– Ihr Leben – your life
– der Keller – the cellar
– der Dachboden – the loft/attic
– das Büro – the office
– der Kleiderschrank – the wardrobe
– die Papiere/die Dokumente – the papers/documents
– der Laptop – the laptop
– der Schuppen – the shed

 

Do nothing! – Nichts tun!
– to relax – sich entspannen
– to watch TV – fernsehen
– to sleep – schlafen
– to nap – ein Nickerchen machen
– to read – lesen
– to eat – essen
– to sit on the sofa all day – am Sofa den ganzen Tag sitzen !

 

Send new year’s cards – Neujahrskarten senden
In Germany it is common to send Neujahrskarten – new year’s cards – to friends and family. These are sometimes sent instead of Christmas cards, and include a summary of the sender’s year, to keep friends and family up to date with all their news. It’s another way to reflect on the year gone by, and share your achievements, news, and ups and downs with loved ones. Phrases used in Neujahrskarten include Ein gutes und gesegnetes neues Jahr! (A good and blessed New Year!) and Prosit Neujahr! (Happy New Year!).

 

Whatever you choose to do today, I’d like to wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2016!

 

Prosit Neujahr!

Constanze x