last New Year / the last New Year

[mia.mur]

Which variant is correct?

1) My husband and I celebrated last New Year in Saint Petersburg.
2) My husband and I celebrated the last New Year in Saint Petersburg.

 

[emsr2d2]

They're both grammatically possible. In the first "last New Year" answers the question "When did you celebrate?" In the second, "the last New Year" answers the question "What did you celebrate?"

I'd say "My husband and I celebrated New Year in St Petersburg last year".

Note that I would take "[the] last New Year/New Year last year" to mean the night of December 31st 2022 into January 1st 2023. If you're talking about December 31st 2023 into January 1st 2024, I'd simply say "My husband and I celebrated New Year in St Petersburg". Absent any other context, the reader/listener will assume you mean the period that includes New Year's Day this year.

 

[jutfrank]

They're both grammatically possible. In the first "last New Year" answers the question "When did you celebrate?" In the second, "the last New Year" answers the question "What did you celebrate?"

Although I agree with this, I do think that in the first sentence, 'New Year' could also easily be interpreted as what was celebrated.

You don't need the word the before certain events. The following sentence, which doesn't require a definite article, is structurally equivalent:

We celebrated last Christmas at my mum's.

Although last Christmas could be interpreted as a 'when' phrase (= Last Christmas, we celebrated at my mum's), I think it would more likely be interpreted as a 'what' phrase, i.e., the thing that was celebrated.