London and Athens, Friday, 31 December 2021 -
New Year's Eve is quickly approaching, and we will soon be in the year 2022.
Have you been afraid to go out in public because of the omicron version, had your plans cancelled, or simply wish to stay in and celebrate with your family and close friends at home?
Here's a list of entertaining activities to do at home to ring in the New Year, from board game tournaments to eating "lucky" food.
Organize a dinner and drinks party
A buffet supper is ideal. Everyone is tasked with bringing their favourite food, but have fun with it. Sure, someone can bring over a main course but still a cheese board, pizza and, why not, ice cream, will make it more interesting! Encourage your friends to bring a pitcher of their favourite cocktail to share at the celebration as well.
New Year's Resolutions
Was it your New Year's resolution to eat healthier, lose weight, or tone up your body? In the New Year, toss those out the window.
Let's focus on a new resolution that won't make you feel deprived of food or your health. If you want to take it easy, commit to reading a new book every month or volunteering at a local organization to help out your community. Don't become stressed up at the start of the New Year by making a resolution that appears impossible to achieve.
New Year's Eve television specials
Let's end the year by relaxing on your couch and watching some New Year's Eve fireworks on TV. There isn't much to say about this; simply turn on the television and begin "arguing" with your pals on the greatest show to watch! We're betting the next argument will be over the final slice of pizza, and then it'll be on to the ice cream!
Dinner with a "prize"
Do you want to start 2022 off with a bang? Make your year's final lunch a feast of "lucky" foods.
Pork, black eyed peas, lentils, or herring are all good choices for the New Year. Consume collard greens, cornbread, or sauerkraut in 2022 to attract fortune. Do you like noodle dishes? To bring longevity for the coming year, eat a bowl of soba noodles. Do you want to complete the circle next year? As the clock strikes midnight, enjoy a donut. Eat 12 grapes at once or an entire fish — head to tail — for true luck throughout 2022.
Assemble a scrapbook
Close off the year by reflecting on the experiences you and your family made in 2021.
Purchase scrapbooking supplies and compile a scrapbook of your favourite events from 2021. To make it more personal, assign a page to each member of your family. Create everyone choose their favourite memories from each month, and then have a page where everyone may write down their favourite moment of the year. Create a theme for the entire book, such as black and gold, retro, pyrotechnics, or clocks.
Traditions from other countries
This year, celebrating culture is a fun and intriguing way to ring in the New Year.
Hang onions on your doorway like the Greeks did. The stinky yet tasty vegetable is a symbol of rebirth and will help you thrive in the New Year.
When the clock strikes midnight in Denmark, people "jump into the new year" by leaping from their chairs. It's popular among children and is said to bring good fortune. Other customs you might follow include spreading salt on your doorstep to promote peace, as done in Turkey, or baking bread for good luck, as done by Armenians.
Construct a time capsule
To say the least, 2021 has been an unusual year. What better way to mark the passing of time than with a time capsule?
Gather some movie or concert ticket stubs, a few photos, and perhaps a handwritten message explaining your experience in 2021. Purchase some mason jars so that each family member has their own capsule and may decorate it as they choose. If you don't want to fill your property with holes, store the jars safely and come back to them next New Year's Eve.
Well-known fireworks displays
Why not watch renowned firework exhibitions from the past instead of waiting for pyrotechnics to appear on your television screen around midnight?
For this binge marathon, YouTube will be your best friend. What's even better? The concerts don't have to be just focused on New Year's Eve celebrations. Perhaps you recall visiting to Walt Disney World as a kid and want to share that experience with your kids. You can also see firework exhibitions from around the world from previous years. A 33-minute firework celebration from Japan may be found by simply putting "firework shows" into YouTube.
Party games' marathon
Let's have some fun and compete at the end of the year. Begin a strategy game marathon at the top of each hour until midnight, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
You may need to add or remove various games depending on the number of persons in your household. Play party games that will last less than an hour; Monopoly, Jenga, Uno, Battleship, Guess Who, Connect Four, and Scrabble are some of the games that the Caller-Times recommends. Add incentives for the top player each hour to make it more engaging.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !
(Written and edited by: The Decision Maker – Lifestyle editors)
