So, y'all got any plans for ushering in the New Year? Any traditions you want to share?

I'll be working New Year's Eve into New Year's Day; (29th, 30th and 31st; then off 'til the 5th!) so my only plans for NYE are to take party hats and high calorie snacks into work!! We used to host a get together on New Year's Day, but the weather hasn't been cooperative the past couple of years for folks to drive out to the farm; don't know if another cousin will host this year or not.

I'll get to put my brand new shiny 6 qt. pressure cooker that Santa Hubby brought me for Christmas through it's paces on NYD! We always have Corned Beef and Cabbage; and Black Eyed Peas for good luck on NYD. Usually a pot of ham and bean soup, corn bread, Irish Soda bread and other goodies to go with as well. I'd better get Hubs to eating those Christmas left-overs up to make room in the fridge for the New Year's ones!

The Almanac says that January 2nd is a good day to start a diet; BTW!!

Well, I'm off to work; hope y'all come out of your turkey coma and get back here soon!

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2001

Answers

David and I are such poops that we almost never make it to midnight. When we lived on the east coast we used to celebrate English New Years That way we could celebrate at 7PM instead of 12:O0. Actually it was fun. We would sometimes even get a call from one of his relatives celebrating at midnight!

Now we are in the Central time zone and 6PM seems a bit early for even us to celebrate. Don't know what we will do! Kim

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

I am up past midnight almost every night. Perversely, on New Year's Eve, I alway seem to start falling asleep about 10:30. If I have alcohol, you can really forget it -- I'm done for!

I have a party Sunday night, the 30th. But that's all. I MAY go to see Fellowship of the Rings again. Was going to do that Christmas Eve or Day, but since I came down with a horrid cold, I didn't!

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

At midnight on new year's eve, you will find me, and my kids, and hubby now too, out on the front poarch, where we have gatherered with our choice of pots and pans and wooden spoons , then what a ruckus we make as we each clammer away, ringing in the new year beating on those pans.Happy New Year! We shout!

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

Glad to see you are still among the living joy :>). I am feeling somewhat better myself, although still feeling like a total airhead for some reason. (maybe because I am???) Keith and Sherri were here for a couple of hours and it was sure nice to see them again.

For some reason we seldom are awake at midnight on New Year's Eve, although I also am frequently a late night person these days. Even on Y2K night I fell asleep reading and woke up only to discover that the lights were still on. Don't have any special plans these year either. I usually don't do the resolution thing, but do take some time to reflect back upon the past year and see if I can see any personal growth or if I am just marking time.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

Gosh, I'm usually so tired by 9 p.m. that I barely make it into the bed after putting the toddler to sleep before my eyes are closed! I guess that means my plans are to fall asleep with my loved ones snoring around me. :-)

We ususally have multi-bean soup with (leftover) christmas ham on new years day. I bet I've only stayed up for the new year 3 or 4 times on purpose in my life. An exciting lot are we Pucketts'!

Sure sorry to read that so many are suffering with colds. Only in the last week has the temp. gotten really cold here in my part of Kansas. Only a few little frightened snowflakes have shown themselves. I guess they are scared of that non-stop wind over the plains.... Hope everyone wakes up all well in the morning.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

Our friend Oz has a new year's party every year. It's nothing major, we just sit around and drink and give the MST3K treatment to whatever movies he's rented, and then come midnight we try to figure out what sort of undead creature Dick Clark actually is. Keith may have to do the first-footing since he has the darkest hair of the group after Oz, and he can't first-foot his own house.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

Looks like we are going to the neighbors for a neighborhood party. We did that last year, too! (the previous year we actually went 4 miles from here to some friends...big y2K party!) In the past, we have usually gone to bed before 11 p.m.

We eat a lot (salmon or lasagne, usually, or both) and practice toasting (ahem!) the New Year for a couple of hours before it actually gets here. We watch the ball descend the Space Needle on teevee, kiss at midnight (hopefully our spouses) and then start yawning. Shortly thereafter we'll walk home and make our way to bed.

For some reason, we seem to never sleep in on New Year's Day...too much to do, and with a holiday, the extra daylight is such a bonus! Last year, we listened to the Rose Bowl game and had a bonfire while we cleaned up some stuff in the ram paddock.

As to resolutions (groan)...well that's a different thread!

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

Here it is Friday night...just three nights away from New Year's Eve and I can't keep my eyes open!! It's only 10 p.m. How the heck am I gonna stay awake til midnight on Monday?????

G'nite! ZZZZZZZZ

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

Sherri, explain first footing, please! I will be the first one in my house on the new year; and my hair is (mostly!) dark; as is Hub's (what he has left of it!) Unless, of course, the kids come out here after Sis gets off work at the nursing home; they are both blond, darn it! Should I bar the door?!

-- Anonymous, December 29, 2001

First footing is an old Scottish custom. If the first visitor through your door in the new year is a dark-haired man, the house will have good luck for the year. A red-haired man is supposed to be bad luck. It's traditional for the man doing the first-footing to bring a gift of salt, coal, bread, and whiskey to ensure prosperity for the household in the coming year. It has to be a visitor, walking into your own house doesn't count (but having a family member who doesn't live in the house do it is OK). It was also considered good hospitality to share a bit of the whiskey with the first-footer, so going door-to-door collecting free drinks was a popular activity for the dark-haired young men in the village.

-- Anonymous, December 29, 2001