The earliest New Year’s Eves that I remember were spent at my grandma’s house. My folks were part of a pinochle club and New Year’s Eve was one of their standing gatherings.
By the time I hit my teens, the last day of the year was either spent babysitting or listening to Casey Kasem’s top 100 hits of the year and wondering where my favorite songs would end up on the list. I do remember a time when I talked on the phone with one of my good friends as the year waned. Probably not something the neighbors were thrilled about because I think we were still on a party line at the time.
When our kids were little, we stayed home with them and played games, watched movies and ate things out of the freezer section of the grocery store that we’d never bought otherwise. The old year ended at about 10 PM in those days, which was still a stay-up-late-night treat. They were sincerely fun times.
I’ve been to numerous year end parties throughout the years. I’ve also spent the evening watching whatever old movie was on TV as the hours crept toward midnight. I’ve enjoyed both activities. I also don’t last much past 12:05.
This year, like the last several, we have friends and/or relatives coming to stay for a few days, which has been a lovely way to ring out the old and bring in the new.
However you celebrate – or don’t celebrate – the ending of the year, I hope the old year was, and the new year will be, kind to you. May you indeed have a happy new year.
