My favorite New Year’s Eve ritual
Years ago a friend of mine whose mother was Korean taught me what her mother said was a traditional Korean ritual for New Year’s Eve: You want to go into the new year the way you want the whole year to go.
That means, among other things, creating an atmosphere of order and abundance. So my friend would make sure her car had a full tank of gas, she had cash in her wallet, and her cupboards and refrigerator were full. She’d get her hair dyed, her nails done, her clothes all washed and ironed. She’d clean her house and wash her car. Everything set to start the new year fresh.
I love that. I love the new year, period. Fresh starts are my favorite thing–the idea that you can write all your mistakes up on a white board and then just erase them and start over.
And I love this ritual. I’ve been doing it for years. I’ve made converts of my husband and friends. It’s just so much fun to think about all the things you’d like to do to get yourself to the starting line in the right frame of mind.
I’ve added a few things to the ritual. I like to clean out my closet and give away all those clothes that I know look ugly on me or don’t fit the way I like, no matter how much I paid for them (that’s the guilt part that’s always a little hard for me, but I figure it’s worse to have clothes just hanging in my closet unused, when they could be out there being worn by someone who would love them). I’ve also added the element of doing something on New Year’s Eve that I’d like to make sure I do more of all year long.
Which is why we always go camping. It’s perfect to sit out in the cold beside a campfire, and write down all the things you regret or wish you could do over from the year that’s passed, and then throw those regrets into the flames. Ahh. Very freeing. And it’s so much more relaxing–for me, at least–to spend the night cuddled up in a tent in the quiet wilderness than shouting above the music at a party.
This year we have to delay our campout to New Year’s Day, but that’s okay. We’re taking my 10-year-old nephew, and the dog, of course, and that will make a nice pile of warm mammals in the tent on a freezing night. Plus my nephew is the most enthusiastic camper–everything about it is fun and exotic for him. He and I love to stay up long after my husband has called it a night, and tell stories by the campfire (well, I tell stories, the boy listens and keeps saying, “One more!” every time I tell him I’m too tired and need to go to sleep). Then we have pancakes and a little hike in the morning, and come back all stinky and relaxed. It’s great.
So I thought I’d throw that ritual out to all of you, just in case you like the idea of filling up your gas tank and cleaning your house and going grocery shopping and hitting the ATM in time to start the new year off fresh and abundant. I’m really, REALLY looking forward to 2008. You? And does anyone else have some rituals to share?
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I love that idea, and I especially love that you throw your regrets into the fire.
I have a good friend from high school who, right after the new year rang in, would always say, “I haven’t brushed my teeth all year.” Or “I haven’t worn deodorant all year.” Bah-dum-ching. I mean, obviously, we enjoyed the dry humor and thought we were hysterical and tried to get as creative as possible. I would always snort-laugh, and I think of him every new year at midnight. But there’s something to that — I’ll try to fill in the blank with a bad habit (”I haven’t worried needlessly all year”) and try to stick to it.
This year, I will forget about my worries and my stripes. How’s that?
Happy ‘08, Robin!
That’s a great idea! I’m actually really looking forward to starting a fresh new year too!
We take a family picture every New Year’s Eve. Same sofa. Dogs. Kids. Hubby. And me. Then it goes in the album so we can see how our family changes.
PJ, what a great idea!
Jules, I would love a funny friend like that. Want to share? And I love that your little girl sings that song wrong: Forget your worries and your stripes . . . We can all do well to try that.
Dylan, enjoy the freshness!
OK. I’m putting gas in the car. Doing the laundry. And taking a picture. Because THAT is a really cute idea…
New Year’s Day is my birthday so I go over to my parents house. I usually get a calander from my mom to start the year off right. We usually go to breakfast, but none of us have wanted to get out of bed that early anymore, so we are doing the dinner thing. Then we have cake and pull poppers in the back yard while the dogs go completely nuts inside the house! Gotta love family traditions!
These are some lovely and refreshing traditions, Robin. I remember writing resolutions in my journal when I was a pre-teenager, but I don’t think I’ve done that in years. What I do try to do each year is to serve black-eyed pea soup on New Year’s Day. That’s for good luck, or so I have been told: http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/vegetables/blackeye.html
Wow, I love that concept. If only I had been, say, reading blogs instead of lazing around all day yesterday, I might have read this in time to, you know, do some of that stuff. I did do the dishes. In 2008, I would like to have clean dishes. Honestly, I think I’d also like to laze around, so maybe it’s all worked out for the best.
My new year’s tradition is to go out to the movies on New Year’s Day. This is mostly because I have invariably stayed up too late on New Year’s Eve and am kind of tired and useless the next day. Movies are good for that.
A New Year’s Eve tradition in my house is to put money under the doormat(paper bills)and after the ball drops at midnight,to bring the cash back into our home,making sure to slide the bills across our doorstep. That way,we can encourage the fates to increase our financial fortunes for the year.
My own personal tradition is to have a mini-marathon of my favorite TV episodes-I began it last year when ABC Family held an Ugly Betty Season One thon. This year,I received the first four seasons of Gilmore Girls on DVD(Yeah,me!)and plan to watch the following:
“The Lorelais’ First Day at Chilton”
” The Lorelais’ First Day at Yale”
“Ballrooms and Biscotti(mainly because we got a huge jar of biscotti this Christmas and it would be fun to gnaw on a couple of them while watching this)”
“That Damn Donna Reed(the first GG episode I saw that made me want to keep up with the show in reruns)”
“They Shoot Gilmores,Don’t They?”
Big party,I know! Happy New Year,Robin and also to everyone else here:)
I just picked up 3 bottles of sparkling grape juice which Melissa and I plan to pound back before midnight. Kinda been an annual tradition since Oliver has been born.
Love the traditions, Robin! My mom also made this fragrant Korean Good Luck soup. We would also get crisp dollar bills to encourage prosperity.
Lady T, I love how your family puts the dollar bills under the doormat and slide back into your household. I think we’ll do that this year.
My husband and I are big movie people on New Year’s Day. We’ve got a huge stack of movies for the whole family to watch tomorrow. Can’t wait!
Here’s to an incredible New Year!
Shai, Happy Birthday!!!
Alkelda, thanks for the recipes! Those look great!
Adrienne, I’ll need a movie report tomorrow, please. Enjoy your lazing about.
Lady T, I love that tradition with the money! Great idea! And I know you’ll fully enjoy your Gilmore Girls fiesta. Yay!
Patrick, drink responsibly and keep it clean.
Vivian, have a great time with your movies. What fun!
Happy New Year! This year, I think New Year’s Eve was harder to arrange than ever. My girls need to be in bed no later than 8:00 and the little one gets fussy by 7:15, which made it tough to decide whom to hire as a sitter. Add our two best friend couples, with whom we’ve spent the Eve for five years now, and their children, and it was nearly impossible. But we made it out to dinner! Even though we went our separate ways afterward, we enjoyed our time together at the Japanese steakhouse, watching our chef work his magic on the grill and then savoring each bite. Then my hubby and I got the kids asleep and had a great evening together. And we actually stayed up until midnight. Idiots. (:
Kelley, you stayed up until midnight? How romantic! And yes, semi-crazy. But what the hey–it’s once a year. Now back to your early bedtimes with 20 minutes of reading before you pass out. Are you still doing 20 minutes this year?
Oh gosh, yes! It’s the only way I get recreational reading in. It’s the best way for me to get settled enough to sleep–forget about my own life for a while and dive into someone else’s. But, it being only 20 minutes or so, this is the reason I don’t often comment on the Tuesday Book Club. It kinda takes a while to get through one! (: