How do you celebrate NYE?

Culture, Media, General Culture, Chains, General Discussions
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We used to throw a massive cocktail & nibbles party for up to 85 peeps (dance floor & all) up until the pandemic. We (= I) had already grown a bit tired of all that that entailed, i.e. the cleaning, the setup, the cleaning again the next day, so I can’t say that I miss it.

Thankfully, a couple of friends have taken over duties a couple of years ago. It’s a bit smaller & the playlist isn’t as excellent, of course ;-), but it’s a nice new tradition & we can leave whenever we want :slight_smile:

It’s rarely ever been just the two of us, but I know plenty of folks don’t celebrate at all, or have their own little tradition at home.

What’s yours?

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2

Just the two of us. And we “celebrate” quietly. Nice dinner. Force ourselves to stay awake till midnight. Then sleep as soon after family phone calls are done.

FWIW, dinner is:

smoked salmon. soda bread

beef & chestnut stew. Spuds. Something green

Chocolate & orange tart (supermarket purchase - in the freezer)

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3

Depends on the year. In the past, we’ve gone to a favorite bar and then to dinner, walked over the Williamsburg Bridge, went to hear music at a club, or just stayed in.

An old friend of mine threw a big scandalous party for 30ish years, then stopped when he and his wife split up. This year he’s re-booting, and we will be there will bells on.

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4

Usually just the two of us, which is the plan again this year. Probably going to be Bayless’s shrimp cocktail and maybe some guac with tortilla chips and adult beverages. New Year’s Day will likely be lentils and pasta.

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5

I still have to figure out what to make/have between my band’s annual First Night gig at the church in the afternoon, and the party starting at 9pm as there won’t be any proper food.

We have a bunch of frozen escargots in the freezer, but that’s not the most ideal basis for a dance party…

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The last NYE I had out was at a restaurant in 2019, where we had a dinner party for 10 in a private room. 4 couples, and 2 single people.

Sadly, 2 of the husbands have died since Dec 2022. One of the husbands died a week ago.

We are doing dinner with one couple in their apartment. This is the first time to do NYE with friends since 2019. The person who was widowed recently probably won’t be feeling up to joining us. The other widow moved to California in September.

I have no idea what’s for dinner.

The last 4 years, when I’ve made NYE dinner at home, I have made a big dinner and included some lucky foods.

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Just the 2 of us, nothing special though I am trying to get my wife to make a lentil dish of some sort. She’s not big on lentils, neither am I for that matter but Mom always had them for luck & we need all the luck for the coming year. Yes I could do it-- I’m always chasing her out of the Kitchen-- & it’ll probably come to that. :grin:

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8

I used to go to a former friend’s house in the 2000s where another friend would cook (he had been on the lines at several restaurants) and I would be his sous chef. Meals could be elaborate, depending on what he planned. Always enjoyed it. But fell out with the original friend, so that stopped.

Went into Boston for First Night twice…once in 1990 or 1991 just to wander around with my sister and brother, IIRC, and another time with a small group of friends where we got a table for the night at a restaurant, but we could get up and leave and walk around Boston Common and Faneuil Hall and then return for our next course. But that was enough for me.

Once I was in London for NY Eve (forget the year) with that former friend. That ended up being a debacle, as she didn’t realize that many stores closed down the week between Christmas and New Year’s (antique stores), even though I told her that. She also thought we could just go into a pub and get a full meal, but anything near us was just serving a ploughman’s lunch of sorts. (We didn’t want to get a reservation at the fancy restaurant in the very nice hotel she booked us at as that would have required fancy dress, which neither of us had brought.) So she did Trafalgar Square on her own, as it was rainy and damp and cold, and I was no longer in the mood for celebrating anything.

Now? I’m on my own. I plan a nice meal…already thinking about what to make. I don’t open a bottle of bubbly because it’s way too much for just me.

Sometimes I watch Dick Clark’s NY Rocking Eve, but the musical guests are no longer my style. Although the two Andys on CNN’s NY Eve show are often funny. :grin: And sometimes I make it to the NY Times Square ball drop; most times I don’t. And I’m fine with that.

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9

My dad used to light up fireworks at my maternal grandma’s place, where we’d often spend the holidays. I ADORE fireworks (SASHIMI!), and I also loved hearing the ship horns and church bells at midnight.

Berlin on NYE is a fucking war zone, and I can’t in good conscience recommend being about town to anyone. Well… a frenemy, perhaps :wink:

I miss private fireworks in the US. It’s all on July 4th, and nada on The Proper Day. Harumph.

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10

We’ll have the grandkids NYE (7 & 5) so we’ll celebrate twice. Once early for them, then midnight for us. Although…. they both tend to wake up around 5:30am so we may keep them up later to try to get a decent sleep for ourselves. Usually Anderson and Andy for us. Maybe lobster tails or filet mignon for our dinner. The little one’s only eat burgers, pizza, or mac n cheese. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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11

Private fireworks in the UK are a recentish thing. It pretty much started with the millennium. Now, there’s no point going to bed early as the noise will keep you awake. We usually go out into the back garden for a few minutes to watch

Our next door neighbour is 90. She was telling us that, in recent years, she and two friends have got together for dinner on NYE, with each taking it in turns to cook. But they’ve decided that their eyesight is no longer good enough for driving at night- so they are having their gettogether on NYD for lunch.

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sleep

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13

First Night can be so cold, snowy, or rainy. We attempted it a few times before realizing we actually had zero interest in leaving the cozy restaurant or pub where we were ensconced.

Nowadays, we like a daytime walk on conservation land to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new. We greet, and are greeted, by other people and often their dogs. Catch a glimpse of any ducks or swans paddling on the non-frozen parts of the ponds. Then, back home to make dinner and sip a glass of something with bubbles.

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14

Huh. Here, there are plenty of unsanctioned fireworks on NYE. And gunfire, though not as much here as there was in Los Angeles when I lived there in the 1980s.

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15

Sad to hear about the gunfire.

We have a lot of ridiculous winter fireworks that freak out the cats, dogs, birds, deer, rabbits, and coyotes that live in my neighborhood.

Before 2020, fireworks in Canada were only allowed on Victoria Day in May and on Canada Day in July.

During the Pandemic, random people started setting them off illegally ( I think mostly Millenial Dads, but I’m not sure. :smiley:) on NYE, on Chinese New Year, during Diwali, when hockey teams win, when hockey teams lose, random Tuesday nights at 1 am.

I don’t mind if the fireworks are set off on parks by professionals for Chinese New Year or Diwali or any other fall, winter or spring holidays.

I don’t want the fireworks being set off my amateurs in my neighbourhood. Our ER wait times are already 19 h long, without people blowing their fingers off on NYE. While the fireworks on random nights are illegal, there is no enforcement taking place.

It’s sort of funny, because at the same time that wildfires, global warming, landfill, garbage collection, and pollution are getting worse, and fireworks certainly don’t help with any of that, people are lobbying to have amateur fireworks be made legal year-round.

Meanwhile, I’m supporting the people who want to get rid of all the amateur fireworks, year-round, that torment veterans, gunshot victims, animals, and everyone else who hates them.

Our city, which has reduced garbage collection because of all the new population, voted in favour of making fireworks more available year-round. My city councillor was the lone councillor who was concerned about the effects of fireworks on the pollution, environment, wildlife (esp hibernating wildlife), pets, and residents.

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16

You’d think out here in the boonz it would be everywhere, but… well, it’s got nothing on my homeland. I’m also not sure if this is a matter of federal or state regulations :woman_shrugging:t2:

And to think a huge fireworks store just opened recently. It’s truly a mystery :thinking:

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I remember NYE in Amsterdam, 1975. As the hour struck, we went out into the street, where at one intersection people had crammed wire waste baskets with all sorts of fireworks. They set them off, and explosions filled the air, fire in all directions, and everyone went “oooh”. Then we turned to look at the next intersection, which had another wire waste basket filled with fireworks. Oooh!

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18

Sounds fabulous :partying_face::star_struck::fireworks::sparkler::firecracker:

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First time I went with my sister and brother, it was 60° degrees out! The ice sculptures were melting.

And my brother and father played an April Fool’s joke on me…on December 31st! I was wearing a gorgeous teal blue-green wool coat that went to mid-calf with black jeans and boots that night, and he told my Dad what I was wearing. Dad called me the next day to wish me a HNY, and asked what I had worn, which at first I thought was odd. I told him, and he said “It WAS you! I saw you on TV! They were showing cities and people around the country, and I saw a couple of women that looked like you and your sister in the open area in the center of Boston!” (Boston Common, for those who might not know) which we HAD walked through.

I was thrilled, told coworkers, friends…and then my brother told me on April 1st that he had told Dad what I was wearing to play a joke on me.

Jerks. :smile:

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20

They’re illegal in MA, so those that want them cross over to NH, the Live Free Or Die state. :face_with_raised_eyebrow::roll_eyes: And sometimes the idiots who don’t know how to handle them do just that. Or at least badly injure themselves. It’ll be be loud and noisy for at least an hour on 01/01/25.

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