Ask the Readers: What Are Your New Year's Traditions?
Editor's Note: Congratulations to SKB, Tabathia, and Liz for winning this week's contest!
2017 is just around the corner! Many people ring in the New Year by having a party, staying up for the Times Square ball drop, or watching the Rose Parade — but like any other holiday, there are countless ways to celebrate this annual event.
What are your New Year traditions? Do you usually stay up for a countdown? Will you be celebrating with friends and family, or will you be keeping it quiet at home?
Tell us about your New Year traditions and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
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My tradition is to ignore the holiday altogether. I've always felt like New Year's was depressing. I go to bed early and act like it's any other day.
If I make any new year resolutions, it would be beginning of November - before the holidays. Making them in Jan. does not work for me. I'm already depressed the holidays over and it's cold outside. That puts more stress on my body.
We'll be watching the ball drop on tv quietly at home.
I usually go out with my husband and watch the ball drop and have a good time at a Decked out ballroom with dancing and drinking and dinner!
I will go out to dinner this New Year's eve
I like to attend an early morning church service - it just starts the new year off right.
I usually have a small get together and watch the ball drop.
My partner and I usually go out and celebrate until the wee hours of the first day of the new year. I do however like the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes for each strike of the clock, and maybe we'll try that as well.
Sometimes I celebrate with friends at their home or I ring it in at my own home. Either way, its low key!
I have a quiet celebration at home with friends and a bottle of champagne. We can't stay up late so we celebrate on East Coast time and then go to sleep. And of course we always make resolutions that end up getting broken.
I don't do anything on New Year's Day but I usually go on an adventure on January 1st. I like to start the year as I mean to spend it - fun and adventures. This year, I'm taking my nieces and nephew to Knotts Berry Farm on the 1st. It was their Christmas gift.
I usually get together with some friends, have dinner, play board games, and watch the countdown!
i'm from texas originally, so even though i've lived in NYC since 1999, my texan roots kickin bigtime at new year's...so i make sure to eat blackeyed peas on new year's eve...no matter what my plans are, i make sure to eat them in someway. maybe a soup, maybe just out of a can, but i do it for good luck. maybe even make a pot of hoppin' john. good luck for 2017, everyone!
I watch Anderson and Kathy on CNN, then go to bed!
My tradition is to stay home for New Year's eve to avoid people driving drunk and watch the ball drop at midnight. This year we are heading out on New Year's Day for a short road trip.
We make a soup called dduk Guk. It's a traditional Korean rice cake soup you are supposed to eat on New Year's Day to bring you luck.
We stay home, order in and drink champagne at midnight.
I like to watch television and munch on snacks on New Year's Eve. Brunch with family marks the New Year's Day.
I usually go out to dinner on New Year's Eve with my fiancee, write a list of resolutions and re-start my exercise regimen.
Have a nice dinner at home on New Years Eve and then on New Years Day eat pork or seafood.
Some years we go to Watch Night Service at church . We always have black eye peas, stewed tomatoes and collard greens to start the year off right.
I like to watch the twilight zone marathons, eat peas, watch the best of the year shows and bring in the new year with my kids.
I used to go out for dinner and drinks when I was younger, but now I prefer to celebrate at home with my hubby, my dogs, some good food and Champagne. We count down to midnight. We often watch tv and/or play board games. Laid back, casual fun.
Some of my new year's traditions are shopping for discounted calendars and Christmas cards on Jan. 1st. I also eat black-eyed peas on that day for good luck throughout the year. I forgot to eat them this year and 2016 has been pretty difficult. I'm sure some people would agree with me.
On New Year's Day, the same small group of friends and I gather to have a "Good Luck Meal." We eat kale, spatzel, sauerkraut and pork roast - all the stuff you're supposed to have to create luck in the new year. We've done it for ten years now. It's a low key and pleasant way to step into the new year.
Our family likes a low key, stay at home NYE. We have special snacks, maybe a fondue. And we watch movies or, in recent years, CNN with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin. I don't generally make any resolutions but on New Year's Day I try to make a nice dinner that includes greens and black eyed peas so we start the year off right.
I make some goodies, including homemade eggnog, and we just hang out at home until the countdown at midnight. Celebrate w/ adult kids when they join us.
I like to stay home and watch the movies expiring off my Netflix queue while enjoying a tasty spirit.
We stay off the roads and enjoy a family night. It's safer and much less expensive to go out another night.
We clean! I like to start the new year with a clean house.
Not too many traditions, mostly just toasting with sparkling apple cider and spending time with family!
We usually have pizza on New Years Eve and watch a movie at home.
We usually spend a quiet night watching movies and then watch the ball drop. Last year on New Year's Day we spent the day with friends enjoying their tradition of eating pork and saurkraut and played board games. Best celebration! Planning to do it this year too!
staying home away from the crowds, watching a movie and eating junk food.
We have for past 3 years went to my best friends house. We play games all night. We have finger foods to snack on. It's great simple family fun.
Partying like it's 1999!
My husband, five-year old twin boys and I eat crab legs and fake champagne at home! Throw in French bread, gourmet cheese and fruit, and it's a feast fit for royalty!
Our new year's tradition says that whatever you're doing when the year changes, you'll be doing in the coming year. So we try to be spending time with good friends, eating healthy (and delicious) food, and enjoying the moment!
I need to be more active in general, and I'd like to start drinking more water.
stay home and watch harry potter movie
New Year's Day is the day for taking down all the Christmas decorations, getting the house clean, back in order and ready for the new year.
We usually have a pretty low-key new years - my husband and I order in our favorite food, watch movies, and sometimes (but not often!) make it to the new years countdown! If we want to go out to dinner to celebrate, we do so on January 1st when it's easier and cheaper to get reservations - especially because many people are still recovering from the night before!
I usually stay home and watch the ball drop with family and friends.
Both my wife and I work in the entertainment and bar industries, so New Year's eve is a work day but we like to sleep in on New Year's Day and then enjoy a nice brunch
My daughter and her fiance come over. We eat and play board games. I don't make a regular dinner- it's more a bunch of appetizers.
Our tradition is to have a big breakfast and spend all day just relaxing with family.
I usually hang out with friends and family but most recently I started a new tradition/ritual of letting go of the lessons of the past year and setting new intentions for the new year.
Our extended family gets together for either dinner or late night snacks at my sister's house and we do sparklers and other (legal) pyrotechnic toys. We count down to midnight together and then everyone sips champagne or sparkling cider and exchanges hugs and kisses while we watch the fireworks display that comes from a nearby hotel.
I like to stay in for NYE. We usually make a dinner of jumbo shrimp and king crab legs at home and then watch the ball drop.
I usually go to a friends house
It's never been a big deal; we go to bed and wake up like it's an average weekend. We've fallen into the habit/tradition of going over the inventory and updating the Emergency Bug Out Bags and reviewing the last year's budget before fiddling around with the new year's goals while dreaming up our next vacation plans.
I always make a resolution to lose weight.
We celebrate at home and spend quality time together and enjoy a few drinks
My family gets together and plays games, watches football and goes for a walk.
I always watch the Ryan Seacrest countdown show.
We stay in, have a nice dinner and watch the ball drop.
We usually purchase some non-alcoholic bubbly and toast sometime late Dec 31st, but usually well before midnight as we have a young one that will get up early.
My husband's and my tradition is to kiss.
Maxing out our Roth IRA's in January to try to get a full years worth of return of the invested dollars.
We dont really haven by traditions but we usually stay home.
Make Hoppin' John! It's cheap, delicious and fairly good for you. I put diced onions soaked in vinegar on top. Yum!
My New Year tradition is to get drunk.
I have a nice dinner at home, usually sit down and formal with my family and then we watch tv or a movie.