Irish Toasts And Blessings For A Happy New Year

Here is a collection of Irish toasts and blessings to help you ring in the New Year, with a little bit of Irish wit and wisdom.

Happy New Year To All!

Here you'll discover how to wish everyone a happy New Year, Irish style.

A Happy New Year - Vintage Card — Happy New Year

Image Credit

Celebrating New Year in Ireland
Always Look To The Future
Wishing for Wealth and Luck in the New Year
Counting Our Blessings
Irish Sayings As You Raise A Glass
Irish Language Blessings

Celebrating New Year in Ireland

In centuries past the Irish did not celebrate the New Year at the beginning of January. For the ancient Celts the New Year began with the feast of Samhain at the end of October.

In this rambling post, we explored why celebrating the New Year in January is a relatively new tradition in Ireland.

However, in modern day Ireland the New Year is welcomed in style. So why not take a look at our old Irish sayings that have been handed down through the generations and that are perfect for ringing in the New Year.

Always Look To The Future

Here are some lovely warm words from Ireland that remind family and friends to always look to the future and count our blessings.

"Always remember to forget

The troubles that pass away.

But never forget to remember

The blessings that come each day."

Here's a toast wishing that the days to come will be filled with happiness.

"To all the days here and after

May they be filled with fond memories,

happiness, and laughter."

Let's pray that the Father in Heaven looks kindly upon us this year.

"May the good Lord take a liking to you -

but not too soon."

New Year Midnight Clock — New Year Clock

Here's another lovely saying from our Irish ancestors that makes a perfect toast to ring in the New Year.

"May the saddest day of your future be no worse

than the happiest day of your past."

Here's another version of this Irish proverb...

"May the best day of your past

be the worst day of your future."

Here's one of my favorite Irish sayings of all times. It goes like this...

"Dance as if no one were watching,

sing as if no one were listening,

and live every day as if it were your last."

Vintage New Year's Toast — Best Wishes for New Year

Wishing for Wealth and Luck in the New Year

In this next selection of Irish blessings you'll find wishes for happiness, contentment, enough coins to provide just the right amount of wealth to ease your worries, and of course prayers for a long life.

Here's one to add to your collection of Irish toasts.

"May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.

May good luck pursue you each morning and night."

Here's one with an unusual wish at the end.

"May your glass be ever full.

May the roof over your head be always strong.

And may you be in heaven half an hour

before the devil knows you're dead."

Here's one praying for acceptance wherever you go in life.

"May your neighbors respect you,

trouble neglect you,

the angels protect you,

and heaven accept you."

Good Fortune In The New Year — Vintage New Year Card

Our Irish forebears truly had the gift of the gab. Their wise old words have endured for centuries.

"May your heart be light and happy,

May your smile be big and wide,

May your pockets always have

A coin or two inside!"

Here's to good fortune in the New Year.

"May you be poor in misfortune,

rich in blessings,

slow to make enemies,

quick to make friends.

But rich or poor,

quick or slow,

May you know nothing but happiness

from this day forward."

Here are some wishes for safety in the New Year.

"May you have warm words on a cold evening,

A full moon on a dark night,

And the road downhill

all the way to your door."

New Year Friendship — Vintage New Year Image

The sentiments in this next Irish toast are truly beautiful. Good friends have always been prized and respected in Ireland.

I even have a collection of blessings and sayings that focus on the power of friendship.

"In the New Year, may your right hand

always be stretched out in friendship

and never in need."

Wishes for a long life are commonly found in old Irish sayings and proverbs. Here's one that's adaptable as a salutation for the New Year.

"May you live as long as you want,

and never want as long as you live."

Here's one that advises against being miserely in life. Use your blessings to create happiness.

"It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow,

than to spend tonight like there's no money."

New Year's Sleigh Ride — New Year Sledding

Here's an Irishman's toast to help you ring in the New Year, while raising your glass to friends and family.

New Year wishes are important but there's an Irish twist to this old saying - wise old words from Ireland without a shadow of a doubt.

"May you get all your wishes but one,

so that you always have something to strive for!"

Looking to the future is very important as we start off a New Year with hope.

"To all the days here and after,

may they be filled with fond memories,

happiness and laughter."

Here's a toast for those who are proud to be Irish and wish to celebrate their Irish heritage.

"Long live the Irish

Long live their cheer.

Long live our friendship

Year after year."

Here's a truly vintage saying, but it's heartfelt sentiments are worth sharing to this very day.

"Here’s to the land of the shamrock so green,

Here’s to each lad and his darlin' colleen,

Here’s to the ones we love dearest and most.

May God bless old Ireland, that’s this Irishman’s toast."

Music and laugther are all part of Irish fun. Here's a blessing that celebrates Irish craic.

"May the sound of happy music,

And the lilt of Irish laughter,

fill your heart with gladness,

that stays forever after."

Counting Our Blessings

Here's a beautiful saying about how to look on the positive rather than the negative side of life when anticipating the New Year and all that it may hold for us.

"Count your blessings instead of your crosses.

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes.

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears.

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full times instead of your lean.

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth.

Love your neighbor as much as yourself."

Here's a lovely shamrock blessing that's perfect for ringing in the New Year.

"For each petal on the shamrock

This brings a wish your way

Good health, good luck, and happiness

For today and every day."

There are so many old Irish toasts and sayings to choose from, I hope one of these will work for you.

"May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold,

and at the end of your rainbows, may you find a pot of gold."

This one always brings a smile to my face.

"As you slide down the banisters of life

May the splinters never point the wrong way."

A New Year's Drink — Toasts for the New Year

Irish Sayings As You Raise A Glass

The Irish are world renowned for the joy they find in sharing a drink with friends and family. A glass of good wine, a cold beer or a pint of stout are enjoyed all over Ireland, when friends and family come together to celebrate the New Year.

Here's my collection of Irish drinking toasts especially for New Year celebrations.

As we raise our glasses in a toast, we say the word 'sláinte' instead of cheers. Phonetic pronunciation goes like this 'slaw-in-cha).

It means to your health.

You'll find a complete collection of sayings warning us about too much of the "quare stuff" in my earlier ramblings.

"When we drink, we get drunk.

When we get drunk, we fall asleep.

When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.

When we commit no sin, we go to heaven.

So, let's all get drunk, and go to heaven!"

And here's another great toast that promotes a little moderation, as you enjoy a few beers with friends this year.

"May you always have a clean shirt,

a clear conscience,

and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint."

Here's to a good life...

"May the joys of today

Be those of tomorrow

And the goblets of life

Hold no dregs of sorrow."

When trying to encourage a friend to have a second drink, here's what the Irish say.

"A bird never flew on one wing."

And when it comes to buying that second round, here's a good saying..

"May the winds of fortune sail you,

May you sail a gentle sea.

May it always be the other guy

who says, this drink's on me."

Cherub and New Year Clock — New Year Cherub

Here's another good one with a little bit of Irish humor...

"We drink to your coffin.

May it be built from the wood of a hundred-year-old oak tree

that I shall plant tomorrow."

Irish Language Blessings

Here's a favorite Irish language saying for ringing in the New Year.

"Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo arís."

(phonetic pronunciation goes like this guh mer-ih-meed guh lare beow er on ahm sho ar-eesh.)

May we all be alive this time next year!

Irish for Happy New Year is Athbhlian Faoi Mhaise Daoibh and phonetic pronunciation goes like this “ah-vleen fway vah-sha jeeve.”

Here's another Irish language saying that sounds like a tongue twister.

‘Sliocht sleachta ar shliocht bhur sleachta.’

Pronunciation in phonetics goes like this - shluck-th shlok-tha er hluck-th vur shlock-tha.

"May there be a generation of children on the children of your children."

Athbhlian Faoi Mhaise — New Year Wishes from Irish American Mom

Learn How To Say Happy New Year in Irish

If you're interested in learning how to say "Happy New Year" in Irish or Gaelic, or in exploring some old Irish folk beliefs and customs for this holiday, why not check out my Happy New Year post here.

And so this New Year, may the luck of the Irish be with you.

"May the good Saint Patrick protect ye,

and the devil neglect ye."

I couldn't help myself - I just had to sneak in that gem from days gone by.

But all joking aside, my prayers for you are as follows:

May the hinges of our friendship never grow rusty. (That's our online comraderie - thanks for reading my ramblings.)

May the highway of life bring you smooth roads and happiness ahead, and may you reach the happiest of heights, as all your dreams come true this year.