In an act wholly not normal for me, I am writing with sheer positive and utter happy outlook. I have the horribly common dislike for many holidays rooted in many repetitive, and often pointless traditions and anecdotes. I do, however, love New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Let me stand firm and comment on what I find as the norm for responses to this:
First: Yes, my friends and I drink and party some on this holiday
Second: No, we don’t always do “stupid stuff” or get “shit faced” we simply have a fantastic time
Third: Yes, I make resolutions
Fourth: No, I never keep them
Fifth: Yes, my friends and I have established long-standing traditions for this holiday
Sixth: No, I don’t give a rat’s ass about what corporate roots this holiday may or may not have
I love New Year’s Eve. Every year since early high school the same core group of friends and I get together to celebrate. I was the original host and the party has floated from location to location but I always do what I can to help host. New people come into our lives, some move on to other things. We drink, play cards, and watch the ball drop: the usual. We reminisce about whatever stupid story we can think of that we told last year and make new jokes about them. At midnight, now that we are older with champagne in hand, I give the toast, we drink up, some toke cigars, and then one of the best parts happens: Nothing. Silence. Everyone kind of sits or stands smiling or thinking or maybe an uttered comment here or there. It’s a solemn moment of serenity.