Ringing in the New Year

I love New Years Eve. I always have. I love all the fun, the laughter, the games, and the late night with the family. But, I have to give the credit to my Mom for making this holiday so magical for us. Typically, New Years can be for the adults, but at our house, New Years was entirely and completely for the kids.

My mom started by buying bags and bags of confetti. Then, she’d make sure we were armed with the best noise makers in the world: Pots and Pans and Wooden Spoons. From there, it was treat making and video renting and game planning to make the holiday complete. We’d each invite a friend and from there, all 14 of us (seven kids and seven friends) would make the night a blast. We’d watch movies, play games, eat yummy treats and get more and more excited for midnight. When midnight came, we ran out to the balcony and banged on those pots and pans as loud as we possibly could! Then, we’d run inside and throw confetti until it covered every last inch of the floor and we’d start itching from the many pieces that had fallen down our shirts when somebody inevitably dumped a whole bucket of it over our heads. I loved those traditions.

Today, I continue them, though modified. I still remember the hours of vacuuming up confetti, so I’ve dropped that tradition, but we still buy poppers and get lots of horns and whistles for the kids to blow. We still use the best noise makers (pots and pans) and we still invite friends to ring in the new year. But, instead of 1 friend each, we invite lots of families. Together, we play games, watch movies, and get excited for the new year. Granted, not everyone makes it to the end, but the memories all burn bright in our little kids’ memories. I hope you’ve found a fun way to ring in the New Year as a family. May it bring you many happy memories.