New Year's Eve: The Most Boring Holiday after Arbor Day

[3894]

Debate.

[Not Afraid]

Well, if you lives in So Cal, I thin you'd have a different opinion. :)

[Strangler Lewis]

On the dullest, soberest New Year's Eve, you still get to sing "Auld Lang Syne." All you have on Arbor Day is "Oh, My Arbor."

[Prudence]

Yes, because my spousal unit falls asleep by about 9pm and then it's just me sitting around with the cats until the new year arrives - looking suspiciously like the old year.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Since having to sit at home with my parents for far too many New Years' past, I'm dedicated to doing something interesting on New Years.

It's why I hopped on a bus and became a bum on the streets of Pasadena for 24 hours back in '96...and met GD. That tradition ran its course, and now we're in on a certain party tradition. If that stopped happening, I'd throw my own party, or something. Being bored on NYE: Not allowed!

[Nephythys]

New Years will be spent celebrating Christmas with all the relatives that are out of state during the actual Christmas holidays-meh- better than staying at home I guess.

[CoasterMatt]

My monkey and I spend every NYE at Disneyland - and once again we'll be there - this time from opening in 2006 till closing in 2007. We have a tradition of having Space Mountain as our last rollercoaster of the year, and our first rollercoaster of the year, usually in about an hour and a half span :D

[Nephythys]

Your monkey?

[Alex]

I rarely do anything exciting for new year's eve and even when we go to a party I've never been at one where Auld Lang Syne was sung.

That said, I do something for NYE more consistently than for Christmas, Fourth of July, or Memorial Day so it isn't anywhere near the bottom the list.

[€uroMeinke]

I shall not have a boring New Years

[CoasterMatt]

I also like to scream from one year to the next :D

[lashbear]

Your monkey?

I agree with Nephy... Your Monkey ?!?!

[innerSpaceman]

I think perhaps the O.T. meant the actual holiday ... i.e., New Years Day. Arguably, if considered by itself, the most boring of holidays.


It need not be. sometimes there's bacon.

[Jughead P. Jones]

In Canada, we don't celebrate Arbor Day. (or, is it Arbour Day? We do love the letter "U" in a rather vain sense, after all)

But, as far as I'm concerned, New Years Eve is a nonsense holiday. All we do is watch a glowing ball drop from the sky to signify the New Year. Whoop-de-doo.

Then again, maybe I'm just jaded after the promise of world destruction with Y2K was a lie.

Now, what am I going to do with that underground bus I used as a bomb shelter?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Where have you guys been? CoasterMatt's monkey is his beloved. :) He calls her "monkey" all the time.

[CoasterMatt]

Rose, my dear sweet wife, is affectionately known as my monkey... :D

[Kevy Baby]

When I was in high school, it was in bed around 8:00 or 9:00 on NYE because I had to be up at 3:00 to hop on a bus to go march in the Rose Parade ('80, '81, and '82). Through most of the 90's, I worked my way into the New Year (as a DJ). I (gladly) gave up on that at the request of my dear sweet wife (who has no pet name).

While we may not have done anything special for NYE, Susan and I always enjoyed sitting in bed (or the couch) watching the Rose Parade on Channel 5 (LA's channel 5: KTLA). They play the Rose Parade continuously all day long, repeating it over and over. So, not matter when you turn it on, you can just watch until it gets back around to where you started.

The last couple of years has been a regular party. I now look forward to that, possibly more than Christmas.

No matter what we do, New Years DAY is about the nothingness. The day is completely void of anything of substance. I take my vegging very seriously on that day!

Rose, my dear sweet wife, is affectionately known as my monkey... :DI've always wondered: does she have a pet name for YOU?

[Ghoulish Delight]

I too wasn't allowed to stay up until midnight until I was probably around 11 or 12. For many of those years, I was very confused about talk of a "giant lighted ball falling at midnight." One year, I managed to keep myself awake in my dark room all the way until midnight. I was so excited, I would finally get to witness the spectacle that is the giant ball! Imagine my disappointment when all I saw outside my bedroom window was the same boring street. The ball must have dropped in the other direction, or the houses across the way blocked my view.

Imagine my further disappointment when I finally learned what it REALLY is. I have been very unimpressed with that stupid ball of lightbulbs since.

[sleepyjeff]

My favorite holidays:

Christmas Day
Christmas Eve
New Years Eve
Thanksgiving
Easter Sunday
Halloween
New Years Day
Independence Day
Valentines Day
Cinco de Mayo
Memorial Day
Labor Day

Least favorite(mainly because I have to work these days often dealing with those who have it off....:mad: )

Veterans Day
Martin Luther King B-Day
Presidents Day
Columbus Day
Ground Hogs Day((yes, a certain major unions' members get this day off)

I have no strong feelings, one way or another about these:

Flag Day
Pearl Harbor Day
and the rest.....

[Kevy Baby]

I have been very unimpressed with that stupid ball of lightbulbs since.There is some sort of pathological sadness that drives my amusement of that event. It is a must see for me.

Its stupid, mostly pointless, is a taped event from three hours earlier (on the West Coast), yet I must see it.

[Prudence]

Flag Day is our anniversary, so we're rather fond of that.

I think Seattle has the best festive fireworks location, so I watch that on NYE.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

For most of my life NYE was a nothing day, New Years day was always getting up early to watch the parade in my PJ's. The last few years have been spent at Disneyland and the first one is by far the best. Yes I was by myself (no big shock there) and it was just a lot of fun to part of the masses, in front of the castle. I knew nobody, but it was just one big bunch and it was a blast. Next best NYE was when I met up with CoasterMatt and Rose. Beer can floating down IASW and CM's leapord coat and cowboy hat. Last year "should" have been a great time and I'll refrain from speaking more on that, but I got to be with some special friends and that was important to me.

This year, we'll see what happens. It'll be Disneyland again. :)

[MouseWife]

Growing up, all we had was Dick Clarks 'Rockin Eve'. The folks would go out dancing. It never meant anything to us. I have never been in the least bit interested to be in a room where a random person would feel they could come up and kiss me. Yuck. Unless it was someone I wanted to kiss me, stay the heck away.

As parents, we try to something for the kids so they don't long for whatever it is out there we always missed.

We've had parties where the kids whose parents go out come and hang out, we have a table set up, music, decorations, the whole shebang.

Mostly, though, we have a dinner of some sort and then take the family out to see whatever is the top movie of the week.

I don't know if that will happen this year, Hubster working both Eve and Day. :(

So, I think it may suck this year. But, it is what we make of it.

Thanks for bringing up memories of NYE as a kid. CP, I love your story. Especially how it ended. :snap:

The ballad of Kevy and Susan is also sweet...:snap:

[Prudence]

I did ring in the new year once while dancing on a coffee table. That was quite a while ago.

[€uroMeinke]

I've grown rather fond of Columbus Day myself

[wendybeth]

Groundhog Day is a big one around here. Well, we call it Marmot Day, but same dif.

[3894]

I've grown rather fond of Columbus Day myself

Listen, Columbus Day is raw excitement compared to New Year's Eve.

[innerSpaceman]

Why is it that only the third quarter holidays have an "Eve?" Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve ... heck, even Halloween is actually an Eve!

Why no Labor Day Eve, or Independence Day Eve? Where's Memorial Day Eve and Washington's Birthday Eve??


But with the exception of Christmas (and xmas eve is no slouch), those late year eves have become more holidays than the holidays they were created to precede ... purportedly because there was such bloody excitement about those major holidays.

But now? New Year's Day is a day for complete nothingness and energy conservation. All Saint's Day is an absolute non-entity, while Hallow'een is up there with the big boys.


* * * * * * *


Perhaps because I grew up just outside New York City, New Years Eve has always been a big deal for me. The lightbulb ball drop was real ... it happened live - - it actually signified midnight (and not midnight 3 hours ago). My brother and sister and I were always allowed to stay up late, and to throw confetti all over the house at the strike of twelve.

The childhood parties just naturally segued to teenage parties and then adult parties. There have been perhaps three NYEs where I haven't gone out to a party. Those were weird anomalies ... and I hope to have very few repeats. I find the thought of New Years Eve alone more depressing than the prospect of either Christmas or Valentine's Day alone.

It's just wrong, and more than a bit sad.






oh christ, where's my bacon? I'm feeling lonely.

[CoasterMatt]

bacon heals all...

[Alex]

I'm generally much more active on New Year's Day than New Year's Eve. New Year's Day is a day for going on a nice hike somewhere or seeing six movies at the theater or whatever. New Year's Eve most years I have to work.

I would guess that the reason for New Year's Eve and Christmas Eve (and originally All Hallow's Eve) is that the big ceremonial point of the holidays actually take place over night. The point of New Year's takes place at midnight. Santa delivers presents while you're sleeping.

Plus, most people aren't having fun unless they're drinking to excess so they aren't in the mood to actually do things the next day.

[Not Afraid]

Plus, most people aren't having fun unless they're drinking to excess so they aren't in the mood to actually do things the next day.


In my household, they just start drinking again.:cheers:

[CoasterMatt]

New Years Day used to be the day I'd play the loudest most obnoxious music I could find, then go around the neighborhood finding out who was hungover.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Why is it that only the third quarter holidays have an "Eve?" Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve ... heck, even Halloween is actually an Eve!Erev Yom Kippur? Erev Shabbat every week?

Notice that all the ones that do have Eves are religious in origin (New Years being timed to Jesus's bris). I suspect it's at least partially a holdover from the Jewish tradition of holidays beginning at sundown the night before.

[tracilicious]

I really like New Years. It gives me a chance to reflect on the past year, wrap things up that I don't want to carry into the new year, and wildly speculate about what life might bring in the year to come. I try to spend the last few minutes doing something fantastic with Michael (cuddling or talking, or having sex from one year to the next are all good). I like to spend the next day enjoying my family, being productive and generally making the most of life.

[Stan4dSteph]

Usually NYE is a time to be depressed about spending alone. I'm with Prudence, although minus the cats and spouse.

This year I might go running on NYD. Our new governor, Eliot Spitzer, is ringing in his inauguration with a run and everyone is free to come along.

[3894]

This year I might go running on NYD. Our new governor, Eliot Spitzer, is ringing in his inauguration with a run and everyone is free to come along.

Now that sounds like fun.

[innerSpaceman]

Notice that all the ones that do have Eves are religious in origin (New Years being timed to Jesus's bris). I suspect it's at least partially a holdover from the Jewish tradition of holidays beginning at sundown the night before.
Heheh, I love the subversiveness in so much being attributable to the jews. And it secretly and subtlely pleases me no end that the uber-celebration of Christmas is due to 30% jew, 60% pagan and 10% christian.


:eek: But, huh ... New Year's is timed to the Bris of Jesus??!?!? Please tell me you just made that up!

[tracilicious]

:eek: But, huh ... New Year's is timed to the Bris of Jesus??!?!? Please tell me you just made that up!


Lol, I'm supposing he was being facetious, as historically, Jesus couldn't have been born anywhere near December. Very funny though.

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, probably. And not to thumb anyone's nose in it ... but:

Merry Christmas everyone. Jesus was a jew. He was born in July, and the timing of Christmas was to co-opt the Solstice celebration from the pagans.

Dear Christians everywhere ... I've always enjoyed what you've added. Song and beauty and mirth and Santa. This jewish pagan thanks you for playing!

[BarTopDancer]

I think we should start a 4th of July eve. Especialy when it falls during the week and you can't celebrate the 4th into the 5th.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I am not being facetious. Behold, the Feat of the Circumcision (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Circumcision).

[Morrigoon]

Debate.

Nothing to debate, you've obviously never been to one of NA's parties ;)

[Stan4dSteph]

Nothing to debate, you've obviously never been to one of NA's parties ;)Uh oh, this sounds California-centric.

[Morrigoon]

I am not being facetious. Behold, the Feat of the Circumcision (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Circumcision).

Feat, eh? ;)

[Morrigoon]

Ummm.... yeah, but so were the comments about being at Disneyland... also a huge NYE party, and a perfect alternative to sitting alone wondering just how many drugs it took to get Dick Clark to be able to appear this year (didn't he look like hell a couple years ago?)

[tracilicious]

I am not being facetious. Behold, the Feat of the Circumcision (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Circumcision).


That's hilarious!

[3894]

Nothing to debate, you've obviously never been to one of NA's parties


Does she serve those little water chestnuts wrapped in bacon, the whole served on a toothpick? Love those.

[Kevy Baby]

Behold, the Feat of the Circumcision (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Circumcision).It sure beats the Feet of Circumcision.

[innerSpaceman]

Or worse, the circumcision of feet.

[lashbear]

Does she serve those little water chestnuts wrapped in bacon, the whole served on a toothpick? Love those.

I have at home a wooden cactus covered in little holes, for the presentation of things on toothpicks. You need to come over to my place one time. :D

[Kevy Baby]

I have at home a wooden cactus covered in little holes, for the presentation of things on toothpicks. You need to come over to my place one time. :DI sense a roadtrip coming on.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I sense a roadtrip coming on.
You'd have to build the road first

[lashbear]

The Great Australia To USA Inter-Continental Highway.

Wouldn't THAT one need some comfort-stations !!

"Are we there yet?"

"Nearly.... only 2 months to go..."