Happy New Year!

Akemashite omedetou

Happy New Year!

 

New Year's Celebration
The New Year is the most important time of the year in Japan. (just like Christmas in the west).
At the end of the year:

I wish you will have a good new year.
Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai. (formal)
よいお年をお迎えください。
Yoi otoshi o! (casual)
よいお年を！

During New Year's days (Jan.1st to 3rd), up to the middle of January:

Happy New Year.
Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. (formal)
あけましておめでとうございます。
Akemashite omedetou. (casual)
あけましておめでとう。 "Akemasu" literally means "to open". "Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu (I look forward to our continued relationship over this year)" is often added after "Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu". To reply, "Kochira koso" is used.
Seeing someone after a long absence

I haven't seen you in a long time.
Gobusata shite imasu. (very formal)
ご無沙汰しています。

Long time no see.
Ohisashiburi desu. (formal)
お久しぶりです。
Hisashiburi! (casual)
久しぶり！

There is a Japanese song titled "Ohisashiburi ne（お久しぶりね）". "Ne（ね）" is a sentence particle. Ne is used to seek confirmation and is similar to English expressions such as "right?" or "don't you agree?".
To reply to "Gobusata shite imasu," "Kochira koso (Same here)" is used. In casual conversations among friends, simply repeat "Hisashiburi!" or "Hisashiburi ne".

Fröhliche Weihnachten! – Merry Christmas!

Ich wünsche Euch allen fröhliche Weihnachten und eine ruhige und besinnliche Zeit für Euch, Eure Familien und Freunde auf der ganzen Welt!!!

(Well, if you didn´t understand that: I wish you a Merry Christmas and a calm and contemplative time for you and your families and friends all over the world!!!)

VIVE LE VENT = Jingle Bells!

* VIVE LE VENT (Interpreted by GINETTE RENO):

Sur le long chemin tout blanc de neige blanche
On the long path all white from the white snow
Un vieux monsieur s’avance avec sa canne dans la main
An old man walks by with his walking stick in hand
Et tout là-haut le vent qui siffle dans les branches
And all the way up there, the wind that blows into the branches

Lui souffle la romance qu’il chantait petit enfant
Whistles to him the romance that he sung as a little kid
Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent d’hiver
Long live the wind, long live the wind, long live the wind of winter
Qui s’en va sifflant, soufflant dans les grands sapins verts, oh !
Which goes whistling, blowing into the big green Christmas trees, oh!

Vive le temps, vive le temps, vive le temps d’hiver
Long live the time, long live the time, long live the time of Winter
Boule de neige et jour de l’an, et bonne année grand-mère
Snowball and New Year’s Day, and Happy New Year Grandma!
Joyeux, Joyeux Noël au mille bougies
Happy, Happy Christmas with a thousand candles
Quand chantent vers le ciel les cloches de la nuit, oh !
When sing toward the sky the bells of the night, oh!
Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent d’hiver
Long live the wind, long live the wind, long live the wind of Winter
Qui rapportent aux vieux enfants leurs souvenirs d’hier 
Who brings to the old kids their memories of yesterday
Et le vieux monsieur descend vers le village
And the old man goes down to the village
C’est l’heure où tout est sage et l’ombre danse au coin du feu
It’s the time when everything is nice and the shadow dances nearby the fire
Mais dans chaque maison il flotte un air de fête
But in each house, a tune of celebration floats
Partout la table est prête et l’on entend la même chanson, oh !
Everywhere the table is ready, and you could hear the same song, oh!
Boule neige et jour de l’an, et bonne année grand-mère
Snowball and New Year’s Day, and Happy New Year Grandma