new year traditions

[jessaroo]

I am wondering how other families celebrate new year's. My 6 year old has fond memories of staying up late with her cousin. This year her cousin will not be in town. I am looking for ways to make the evening special. Any ideas? What are you doing?

[staceychev]

It's not a tradition, but... this year, my Mom's on-again-off-again boyfriend is off-again, and my husband has a gig in NYC. So, me, my mom, and DD (4.5YO) are going to dinner together and to see The Princess and the Frog.

[HollyBearsMom]

We have some friends over and make homemade pizza w/ a variety of toppings. There is kiddie champagne (sparkling cider), crazy hats and poppers. Basically we all just stay up late and play games. Since we have been doing this with the same family for the last 4 years I guess it is a tradition!

[ann_of_loxley]

No help here... We don't even 'do' 'bedtimes' ... But I have also never been one to actually stay up that late. I am far too tired lmao. I see the 'new year' when I wake up in the morning usually lmao!

[Jessy1019]

Since I was a kid, NYE has meant staying up, eating hors d'oeuvres, and playing board/party games. That's still my favorite way to spend the evening, and my daughter looks forward to it every year now. She still hasn't made it up til midnight -- she's not much of a night owl -- but she tries.

This year, we have friends coming to visit, and they'll be arriving sometime that evening . . . I'm hoping the added excitement will help her stay awake.

It's a great tradition, IMO. As a teenager, I turned down party invitations to stay home and do the game thing with my mom.

[lucyem]

We know two families that have New Years bonfires and invite friends for dinner/dessert/marshmallows and bonfire.

I knew a family that used to make little pigs out of that edible paste you see in bakeries. My mind is a total blank as to the name of the paste. Usually you see it made into little animals. While I do not like the taste of the paste I still remember the New Years I spent with them as a teen and we all made these pigs. You could also use fondant.

[staceychev]

Originally Posted by lucyem

My mind is a total blank as to the name of the paste.

Marzapan?

[lucyem]

Yes marzipan new years pigs. They were from Germany and said that was a tradition they grew up with.

[*Lisa*]

We always make predictions about what we think will happen in the upcoming year (some silly, some serious). We write them down, put them in an envelope and seal it up, and then we open it on a year later on New Year's Day to see how right we were.

[K-Mom3]

Games, special treats, movies, gathering together with family sometimes. I think we'll put the kids to bed, just later than usual. My kids are 1, 3, and 5 and would be pretty difficult to be around for DAYS if I let them stay up later than 10 or so.

[Raene]

We put DD to bed at the usual time and spend time together as a couple. We don't get a ton of alone time, and when we do, it's usually getting things accomplished, so just sitting and being together is our NY gift to one another. Tonight we are planning on having a candlelight dinner (those of you in the south who shop at Central Market...I really love those Dinner for 2s that they do...we'll do something similar to that) on the living room floor, picnic style. And then we'll have champagne and play board games, talk, maybe watch a movie, etc. I'm looking forward to it, though DH is in a sour mood right now, so hopefully that will change.

[meco]

We celebrate the Lunar/Chinese New Year, but I love the traditions and rituals surrounding it and think they could be applied to New Years as well since they are both a a time to let go of the negativity and start anew. And a time to sweep away the old and prepare to usher in the new. Lunar New Year traditions often reflect that.

Some of the ones we do include sweeping and cleaning the house before the new year (to sweep things away and prepare for a new year) and no sweeping on the first day (as not to sweep away the luck), get the old out and prepare for the new, we decorate our house (lots of red), set off firecrackers (to ward off bad fortune), pass out and receive lai see/red envelopes. Also, lots of red, new clothes and haircuts, food offerings to ancestors. There are also lots of delicious meals, lion dancing, festivals and parades.

It's my favorite time of year. And as a bonus, it's 15 days long.

[Raene]

Originally Posted by meco

We celebrate the Lunar/Chinese New Year, but I love the traditions and rituals surrounding it and think they could be applied to New Years as well since they are both a a time to let go of the negativity and start anew. And a time to sweep away the old and prepare to usher in the new. Lunar New Year traditions often reflect that.

Some of the ones we do include sweeping and cleaning the house before the new year (to sweep things away and prepare for a new year) and no sweeping on the first day (as not to sweep away the luck), get the old out and prepare for the new, we decorate our house (lots of red), set off firecrackers (to ward off bad fortune), pass out and receive lai see/red envelopes. Also, lots of red, new clothes and haircuts, food offerings to ancestors. There are also lots of delicious meals, lion dancing, festivals and parades.

It's my favorite time of year. And as a bonus, it's 15 days long.

[hipumpkins]

Originally Posted by *Lisa*

We always make predictions about what we think will happen in the upcoming year (some silly, some serious). We write them down, put them in an envelope and seal it up, and then we open it on a year later on New Year's Day to see how right we were.

we do this but we keep the predictions in a notebook. We also have fondue every year. Cheese for dinner and chocolate for dessert. I am going to implement the hot broth and raw meat when the kids are bit older.
We also have breakfast at the diner on New year's day.