New Year’s Eve. A million people pressed together in Times Square. Champagne bottles popping open, streamers flying around, the ball dropping. People cheering, kissing strangers, stamping their stilettoed feet in the cold.
Why join in that kind of fun when I can curl up under a fluffy blanket, eat takeout Chinese food, and watch a movie?
So, no, we don’t have any traditions. Not yet. For at least three New Year’s Eves since we’ve been together, Husband was down in Joshua Tree taking awesome photos. I think I stayed in, played solitaire on the computer, and cuddled with our cat. I’m thinking we should institute takeout Chinese food as a tradition, coupled with a movie. Maybe solitaire. The Stay-At-Homies New Year’s Eve. For the New Year’s Eves he’s been at home, we haven’t done much.
We’re really fine with just sitting around. We’re very good at sitting around, actually. But having a tradition sounds cooler. Do you do anything for New Year’s Eve? Have any suggestions for a couple who would really rather be warm and comfortable than wearing fancy clothes and shivering?
Resolutions? Making any seems too much like tempting fate. Any resolution I’ve made in the past has been broken. I like that David Sedaris short story where the guy’s jerk mother agonizes over her resolutions every year, writing, erasing, rewriting, and erasing so hard that she destroys multiple index cards. And even though she never changes into a nice person, her resolution is always the same: Be good. (Sorry, Mr. Sedaris, for spoiling your punchline. Everyone else: the rest of the stories in that book, Barrel Fever, are hilarious, so…yeah. Buy a copy or something.)
So my resolution is to remember my challenge to myself (The Challenge of Turning 30) and to actually, um, do something about it (the clock is ticking, people!). And to be good.
Beth Hull 
Yes, I have a tradition of staying in and warm. I think that is a good tradition. maybe that is where you acquired your semi-tradition. I wouldn’t mind going out to dinner and a movie though. That would be a good tradition. Not too ambitious, doesn’t require stilleto heels, or sequins (sp?), or driving too far. Anyway, Happy New Year!
You know, I could always wear sequins while staying in…nah, they’d get caught in the fuzzy blanket threads. 🙂
I think takeout Chinese food is a great tradition! 🙂 One of my most favorite NYE memories was when my roomies & I decided to throw a fondue NYE party. We had like 6 different fondue pots of cheese, chocolate, I think we even had oil for doing a meat fondue. It was so much fun – people could come & go, didn’t have to “set a table” for anyone, had card games & board games going. It was just relaxing & fun! Haven’t set any traditions with the hubby since I’ve either been pregnant, sick with morning sickness & pregnant or we’ve had kids. Fun! But one tradition I read from someone else was that they pick a long movie to watch that night since they “have the time” – something like Ghandi or Gone With the Wind or something. So, that’s totally a homebody tradition! 🙂 Happy New Years!
Vicki, thanks for the ideas! I like the fondue thing. Recently I cleaned out some cabinets and found a fondue pot someone gave us for our wedding – unused! It’s time to break it out, I think!
Well, now you can eat mochi on New Year’s! 😀
Another option is the Southern way: black eyed peas with ham and collards. Might be less scary to your mom. 🙂
Dana, I’ll take the mochi over that other stuff any day. The mochi was dee-licious! Tell your grandmother she’s awesome.