Polite New Year's greeting used from January 1st onward. The phrase literally means 'congratulations on the opening (of the new year)'. It is the standard formal greeting for the new year period.
Happy New Year. I look forward to your continued friendship this year.
新年のご挨拶:明けましておめでとうございます。
New Year's greeting: Happy New Year.
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; the most common written form.
Rare kanji form using 御座います for ございます; mostly seen in formal or traditional contexts.
Very rare full-kanji form; archaic and decorative.
From 明ける (akeru, 'to dawn, to begin') in its continuative form 明けまして (akemashite) + おめでとう (omedetou, 'congratulations') + ございます (gozaimasu, polite copula). The phrase literally means 'congratulations on the beginning (of the new year)'.