The origins of the New Years Eve celebration are shrouded in mystery, but appear to coincide with the end of one calendar year and the beginning of another. There are scientists who posit it may be linked to Stonehenge, based upon the random beer cans, champagne bottles and unpaid bar tabs found there during a recent archaeological dig. The CDC believe that in much of the world people come together to build a vibrant community and “welcome in the New Year”, but a body of social scientists theorize it is merely an excuse to drink to excess.  

While NYE celebrations are now commonplace, it was not an immediately accepted custom. Researchers believe this was due to it’s initial commemoration on June 14th, which many found confusing. But the idea of a holiday in June – and drinking to excess – were popular, so the event was repurposed to Flag Day. The drinking to excess thing remained, which explains the spike of births in mid-March.

But once it was moved to December 31st, it really caught on. And around the world, interesting rituals developed.

But even those are subject to debate:

Are party hats and noise makers a remnant of ancient Druid celebrations? Or just a way for Party City to clean out their back closets?   

Was the ‘Countdown to Midnight’ conceived by a dyslexic reveler?

When is Dick Clark coming back?

Which ball drop is the most exciting? Tokyo’s Killer Squid, Oslo’s Giant Herring, or Omaha’s Creamed Corn?

And have New Years Resolutions ever been taken seriously? Maybe this is the year….

I, for one, am hoping for an old fashioned New Years, just like the ones I used to know.

My favorite New Years Days involve a number of treasured rituals:

  • Sleeping Late.
  • Over a cup of coffee, attempting to recreate the night before.
  • Multiple cases of the Ohnos (Oh no, I did what?).
  • Realizing that the nagging pain I feel was caused by sleeping in an odd position on a party hat -no wonder the Druids walked like that.
  • Changing the year on my New Years resolutions.

But the excess of NYE finally reached the point where something had to be done: Dry January! Hey, when even I think I need to cut back, something has to be done.

But Dry January can be a bit… dry. So we have tried different approaches to cutting back.

One year, we quit drinking at home, but made an exception when we went out to eat. Unfortunately, going out to eat 3 times a day gets expensive.

The next year, we only imbibed at a friend or relative’s house. Unfortunately, the pressure of making new friends only makes one want to drink more – but oddly may actually fulfill a New Year’s resolution. And it is even tougher to make new relatives, which I believe has fueled the “fake genealogy” boom.  

And it can get creepy when you keep dropping in on the neighbors for lunch and/or dinner, despite their home now being an Air B&B.

But one year we actually had a dry January. I slept and felt better, and it really wasn’t that tough.

I resolve never to do that again.

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