Old New Years and New Years to Come

I have always loved New Year’s Eve.  I love the thought of a clean slate, of starting a new chapter of a life, of looking back with reminiscence and looking forward with hope.

My earliest memories of New Year's were waking up on New Year's Day and seeing paper hats, tiaras and noisemakers on the kitchen table.  My parents would have gone to a party and brought these home for us kids to celebrate with...AFTER they woke up, of course.  I remember my big thing as a kid – actually, a pre-teen – was listening to the Top 100 Songs of the Year, played one-by-one.  Sometimes I would keep track and actually write them out in a list, but usually I would just listen.  I DID keep track of #1s…I wrote them in my diary.  Anyway, I would have my little transistor radio in-hand all day, listening to the countdown.  I still look forward to various annual music countdowns; tonight we'll be watching the countdown of the Top Country Music Videos.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Some years I would watch the Ball drop in New York on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”; some years I would listen to the New Year come in on the radio.  I always looked forward to that final “3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”

The change of decades would be fun, sometimes, too.

I never really went out for a big New Year’s Eve party.  As a kid, teen, and young adult I usually stayed home.  I remember the year I was 17 my mother gave me a single-serving bottle of Andre’s Pink Champagne to share with my then-boyfriend.  I remember making him a “fancy” dinner (Chicken Au Gratin, frozen), then having the radio on, and toasting in the New Year with him.  I thought it was a Big Deal at the time. 

After I got married we still didn’t go out, but preferred to remain at home.  We would watch movies, or listen to music, but we always made it special and romantic.  There were two years when friends of ours would have a small party at their home; those were the only years we went out.  Some years my husband would have to work; he would call me at midnight so that we could still see the New Year in together.

Now we have the girls, and they LOVE staying up ‘til midnight for the New Year!  They take a nap in the afternoon before: the only time – other than to watch a NASCAR night race – that they will willingly and voluntarily nap.  After dinner the home turns into a big pajama party.  We all wash up and get into jammies, make some popcorn and watch a movie or two, play some games, and just have a good time.  Right before Midnight we pour the Toast:  non-alcoholic sparkling white grape for the adults (the girls don’t like “fizz”, but our older one is willing to go for it this year) and white grape juice for the girls.  We watch the ball drop, make a toast, say a prayer for the coming year, and talk about either something we loved from the year just past or something we’re looking forward to in the New Year.  Then we go around and change the calendars, officially setting the New Year.

Maybe some year, when the girls are older, we may go out.  However, even if we never do, I like my New Year's as they are.

Oh, one thing that we DON'T do is New Year's Resolutions.

Happy New Year, everyone!  May God bless you and yours, and may 2012 be filled with love, light, health and beauty.