Home > Knowledge > New Year's

Personalized New Year's Traditions

Are you tired of watching other folks have fun on New Year's Eve? Do you wish you could be with friends and family instead of sharing a crowded dance floor with drunken revelers you barely know?

Many families have begun their own traditions around New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. While some are designed to keep teenagers away from the temptations of alcohol and unsupervised parties, other traditions are specifically aimed at simply being with those we cherish most.

New Year's Eve Ideas
If you can't afford tickers to a New Year's Eve ball, invite some friends over, have a bonfire, and watch fireworks. This is the kind of tradition that can grow over the years as couples have more children and word of an alternative New Year's Eve party spreads.

Here are some other appropriate activities for heralding the New Year:

• a bonfire on the beach
• a tailgate party in your own driveway
• a winter camping adventure with songs around the campfire
• a group ski trip culminating in a special meal by the fireside
• a progressive party where participants go house to house sampling courses such as hors d'oeuvres, soup, an entrée, desserts and after-dinner drinks (don't forget to charter a bus, rent a limo or designate a few non-drinking drivers)
• a movie marathon complete with popcorn and s'mores melted over a wood fire in the backyard firepit.

For those of you who love to dress up on New Year's Eve, try hosting an elegant sit-down dinner, with tux and tie required. You can also rent a hotel suite and serve sinful finger foods or travel to a country inn and go for a sleigh ride. Plan a special surprise by hiring a college student to play the piano or play Auld Lang Syne on a dulcimer at midnight.

If New Year's Eve celebrations aren't your thing, you might consider making a few extra dollars by babysitting or bartending, or by driving partiers to and from their destinations.

New Traditions for New Year's Day
If your tolerance for football has been worn down by a day in front of the idiot box on Thanksgiving, you might consider planning something other than TV for your family on New Year's Day.

Plan a games day. Set up a card table and have different games that even the younger kids can play. Or you might purchase a few picture puzzles and let everyone participate.

You can start the day with a special breakfast and follow up with a walk in the park, or have neighbors and friends over for a special dessert.

Even small rituals can help you start the New Year off right. Gather up toys, clothes and household items that you don't use and bag them for charity. Throw out items that have cluttered your storage space and aren't of use to anyone. Make it a ritual.

Some families are far apart. Set some time aside to call relatives or friends you haven't heard from in a while. Gather the kids around and have them write Christmas gift thank-you notes as they sip on hot apple cider or hot chocolate.

Granted, almost all of these are things that you can do any day of the year. But the warmth of the season and the opportunity to kickstart the New Year with loved ones will make each activity truly special. Don't be surprised if these small attempts turn into rituals that your children pass on to their families in the coming decades.

Are you thinking about making some New Year Resolutions?