[lizardlady]

What are New Year traditions in your area?

Here in the South we eat black eye peas and hog jowls on New Year's Day. My in-laws were from Louisiana where the tradition is to eat red beans and rice.

Some of my neighbors get wild and crazy shooting guns into the air. Aside from the noise the biggest problem is that what goes up comes down. Every year there is a report of someone getting hit by a stray bullet.

[Nammu]

There really are no food traditions here. Growing up my parents went to parties and if it involved my cousins we had our own party. If it was at our house the adults had the basement and we kids had the upstairs and TV. If it was at someone else’s house then we kids had the whole house. As a young adult I went out to parties. About 20 years ago I just started staying home and watching the same shows we watched as kids. **** Clark’s rocken New Years. Now days I switch between the different programs, but watch the New York ball drop. But mostly I read because music isn’t as great as it once was. This year I might have wine since there’s some left from Christmas but there’s a high probability that I won’t. Firecrackers here depends on how cold it is, usually not many.

[Mountaindewed]

I still go to bed around 5 or 6 each year. If shes able to get me up my mom wakes me up about 10 minutes before midnight and we drink fake champagne. This year we're going out for an early dinner since our Christmas Eve dinner plans didn't work out.

New Years Day I just stay home all day. Maybe watch some of The Twilight Zone marathon.

[lizardlady]

Oooooooh, Twilight Zone marathon sounds great!

it's not really a tradition, but for some reason, I always end up, on new year's eve watching MRS browns boys

It started a few years ago when the movie was on new year's eve, and now it seems when ever I turn on tv new year's eve, mrs brown is on, without me even having to do anything

huh

[rechu]

There are some traditions here, but I don't follow them. You are supposed to wear yellow underwear to bring good luck. You are also supposed to eat lentils at midnight to bring abundance.

[lizardlady]

Yellow underwear?!?! Would love to know how that came to be.

[rechu]

I am curious too about the yellow underwear. When I get a chance, I will see if I can find out where the tradition came from.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by rechu

I am curious too about the yellow underwear. When I get a chance, I will see if I can find out where the tradition came from.

There are times my sense of humor seems frozen in adolescence. I'm envisioning something about underwear and weewee!

[divine1966]

Originally Posted by lizardlady

There are times my sense of humor seems frozen in adolescence. I'm envisioning something about underwear and weewee!

Lol Liz. Hahah

On a serious note I don’t own a single piece of yellow clothing!

[LiteraryLark]

This year my parents and I watched all three Austin Powers movies, the Pee Wee Herman movie, and we were able to watch the last 40 seconds of the ball drop in NYC on TV.

I usually write New Year's resolutions. I am still working on writing them, but top resolutions include broadening my social horizons by making new friends and trying dating again, eating more vegetables, exercising, travelling, and drinking less alcohol.

EDIT I get very specific with resolutions, but I'm just giving out the rough draft version.

[Aardwolf]

I'm in the UK.
By default most people get absolutely hammered, make at least two terrible decisions, then regret it on new years day.

[rechu]

I don't have any yellow clothes either divine. I am naturally blond and adding yellow clothes to the mix is not a good combination.

The other night we were watching a movie from Argentina. The female protagonist was blond. According to my husband she's Michael Bublé's wife. Anyways, the costume designers constantly had her in these bright yellow shirts and jackets that were three sizes too big. It was so unflattering.

[lizardlady]

Originally Posted by ACQPL

I'm in the UK.
By default most people get absolutely hammered, make at least two terrible decisions, then regret it on new years day.

That seems to be the default in the States too!

[MuseumGhost]

Traditionally, we always had boiled shrimp on New Year's, along with a a steak dinner. My parents would let us stay up and sip ginger ale (in lieu of champagne), and watch the ball drop at midnight. Then we were hustled off to bed...and my folks would turn off the TV, and turn on the old records, and slow dance in the living room. Every New Year's was some kind of anniversary for them.

I've been doing better, and able to plan ahead more effectively, so I've been making small amounts of appetizers, serving chilled prosecco at midnight, and husband and myself have a small, quiet night in. We used to attend a good friend's house party every year, but his sudden passing, along with the pandemic, put a permanent stop to that.

This year, thankfully, we noticed there were no fireworks, for the first time in a very long time. It was lovely.

[rechu]

There were no fireworks here either this year. Usually there is a big show at the coast cities of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso. It had been cancelled the last two years due to Covid, so the tourism industry was really hoping for a big year this time. The contract was awarded to a production company that had past problematic events. Then, it was discovered that the fireworks had expired. So, the government agency that approves those things refused to give approval. Many tourists canceled their reservations and business owners are not happy.

Usually some municipalities in the capital do them too, although they were also canceled due to Covid in 2020-21. The biggest one is in downtown Santiago. I am not sure why it didn't happen this year. It may be because no one feels safe going there at night anymore.

[lizardlady]

MuseumGhost, your family traditions from when you were kids sounds lovely.

[lizardlady]

Rechu, that is too bad about fireworks being canceled and tourists not coming. Covid really hammered tourism. Sad businesses got hit again.

[rechu]

It really is terrible, liz. Sadly, both mayors are out of their depth and from a pretty extreme political coalition. They don't seem to get the importance of small enterprises, especially those in tourism, to their economy. Neither Viña del Mar nor Valparaíso has much economic activity outside of tourism. There are a few companies in other sectors based there, but tourism moves the economy.

I had a bit of sympathy for the mayor of Viña del Mar. When she took office, she had to deal with an economic hole left by the prior administration. But, since then she has shown she has made many missteps that make you think she doesn't understand the city she is running. Valparaíso has turned into a run-down graffiti-covered urinal under the current administration. It is really sad. I used to enjoy visiting the city.