# Dear Miss Crookes, Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!



## beatlemaniac

Hi  I am writing a Christmas card for my Latin teacher and am trying to say, 'Dear Miss Crookes, Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! I have really enjoy studying Latin this year. Best wishes'. I would also like to write the date.My attempts in Latin so far are:Datum Romae die 19 decembris anno 2012​(beatlemaniac) Miss Crookes salutem dicit. (Any suggestions as to what Miss Crookes would be in the dative, and would this be too formal for a Christmas card?)

Natale Christi hilare (*or *Felix Dies Natalis - which is more natural?) et faustum annum novum. Gratias tibi ago *for teaching me (sorry, really not sure about this one)* hoc annus. tu documenta fructus sum valde.

Also, does anyone have any ideas about what 'Best wishes' (or something to that effect) would be? How would Roman letters normally have been ended?

Thanks so much for any help. It's much appreciated. Please correct any mistakes! Thanks again.


----------



## Scholiast

saluete!

What a lovely idea. Miss Crookes will be thrilled.

Here's my suggestion:

(beatlemaniac) magistrae [this is the dative for "Miss" in a school context] Crookes salutem dicit.

Festum Nataivitatis Christi hilarem commendo tibi, et faustum novum annum. quod tu me hoc anno docuisti, gratias tibi ago. lectionibus tuis magnopere fructus sum.

No need for any closing formula - Romans' letters were "signed" at the beginning.


----------



## J.F. de TROYES

Scholiast said:


> saluete!
> 
> (beatlemaniac) magistrae [this is the dative for "Miss" in a school context] Crookes salutem dicit.
> 
> Festum Nativitatis Christi hilarem commendo tibi, et faustum novum annum. quod tu me hoc anno docuisti, gratias tibi ago. Lectionibus tuis magnopere fructus sum.
> 
> No need for any closing formula - Romans' letters were "signed" at the beginning.



We are agreed. I'd just opt for _exopto _rather than _commendo. _Maybe _magistrae meae_ as well.


----------



## Scholiast

My thanks to J. F. de Tr. for correcting my typo in "Nativitatis".


----------



## beatlemaniac

Hi Scholiast and J.F. de Tr.! Gratias vobis ago. This has been so useful! Thanks so much again. And, Scholiast, I really hope she will be- thanks to you two. Also, is the date okay?


----------



## Scholiast

salue iterum, beatlemaniac

I should perhaps have added, if you are a young lady, you would write not _fructus sum_, but _fructa sum_. The date? For Christmas Day, this would be a.d. VIII Kal. Ian. MMXII.


----------



## fdb

Except that the ancient Roman dating system should be used with a Julian (not Gregorian) date. Today (19 decembris anno domini 2012 Greg.) is VIII Id Dec (6 December 2012 Jul.)


----------



## Scholiast

saluete!



> Except that the ancient Roman dating system should be used with a Julian  (not Gregorian) date. Today (19 decembris anno domini 2012 Greg.) is  VIII Id Dec (6 December 2012 Jul.)



I am all in favour of pedantry, grammatical and calendrical, but with the greatest respect to fdb, is this not, for the stated purpose, just a little _de trop_?

Happy Christmas to all our readers.


----------



## Hamlet2508

If beatlemaniac goes to the trouble of writing a Latin letter to his Latin teacher  the date should certainly be correct.

For December 19, 2012 I get ante diem XIV. Kalendas Ianuarias MMXIII.


----------



## FloMar

Could someone help me write 'Merry Christmas' (semi-formal / informal) for a Christmas card?


----------



## S.V.

IO SATVRNALIA *!*

_




_
_　　　　　　　　　 　　Iesu nativitas_, Salvador Dalí


----------

