After the hellish reality of 2020, it’s safe to say we won’t be bringing in the new year in the traditional fashion. For a lot of us, it seems this New Year’s Eve will be more of a celebration of seeing the back of this year than about excitement for the new one. So, here are a few pandemic-friendly ways to spend the famous countdown to midnight.
Host a zoom ‘party’ in your living room
This is the safe but social option. Make sure you’re stocked up with drinks, food, and props and stream your meeting to your TV screen to feel like your mates or family are really in the room. You could even host the ‘zoom quiz of all zoom quizzes’ and challenge everyone on their knowledge of the madness that has been 2020.
Hogmanay under the stars
If you’re lucky enough to have outdoor space and dry weather, light a fire and spend the night under the stars. After a year of staying home and mostly indoors, the idea of welcoming the new year in the great outdoors feels somewhat poetic. You could even try your hand at star gazing using this online chart. You’ll also get the perfect view of any local fireworks.
Household New Years’ Resolutions
The tradition of resolution-making doesn’t always have to be ‘eat less chocolate’ or ‘exercise more’. Maybe take this year to make resolutions with those you live with, to give you a goal to achieve together and have fun in the process. Think gym buddies but with something more creative, like finding a new outdoor place to visit each weekend. You could even make a resolution for someone else, if they agree to it!
Late night board game tournament
Cards Against Humanity is always a winner, along with Exploding Kittens, and Shot in the Dark. You could even live-out The Queen’s Gambit scenes with a game of Chess. If you’re a Monopoly lover then that’s a great option too, but make sure to start early as we know how those property wars can drag on!
Have an early night and enjoy calling it a day on 2020
It seems like more people than ever will be choosing this option. After what has been a difficult year for so many of us, it has hardly set the tone for huge celebration. If you’re not in the mood to party, call it a night and get well rested for what will hopefully be a much better and brighter year.
Words by Jessica Morris