The Do’s and Don’ts of Ringing In the New Year
Before you stay up to watch the ball drop and make your New Year’s resolution, check out my 3 quick and easy tips for a great night.
Richie Frieman
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Ringing In the New Year
Celebrating New Year’s can be a mixed bag of emotions. Some people love the fresh start and the opportunity to fulfill their grand plans, while others dread the holiday like the plague. Still, regardless of your feelings, and regardless of how you ring in the New Year, there are ways to do so that won’t leave you regretting it on January 1—not to mention needing to make a New Year’s resolution such as: “Please don’t let last night ever happen again!”
The Do’s and Don’ts of Ringing In the New Year
Let me first start out by saying, as the father of a 3-year-old, my last few New Year’s Eve celebrations have ended before the clock struck 12 in London. However, there were many times in my life that I rang in the New Year “in style” (as the kids say). If you’re like me, and your late night party days have been on hiatus, it doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the New Year right with friends, family, and a Disney Princess movie on in the background.
So before you raise your glass, check out my top 3 Quick and Dirty Tips for the proper do’s and don’ts of ringing in the New Year:
Tip #1 – Don’t Get Wasted
“What? Don’t get wasted? How un-fun is that?!?”
This was the exact response of my younger cousin when I told her I was writing this article. And let me point out that I’m not trying to be a grumpy old man here. In fact, if P. Diddy would just send me my invitation to his New Year’s Eve bash already, I might be able to let my hair down. So I’m not being a stick in the mud when it comes to holiday drinking… or Wednesday night drinking for that matter. Still, nine times out of ten, when holidays roll around, people tend to go overboard with the bubbly and wake up the next morning wondering what went wrong… and why they’re on the kitchen floor with no shirt, a missing shoe, and wearing someone else’s lipstick (or any lipstick for that matter).
Ringing in the New Year with some alcohol is by all means okay but beware of reliving your college days. And if you’re still in college reading this, either stick to partying within walking distance from your dorm or get a hotel room – PLEASE!
There are two ways drinking too much on New Year’s Eve will land you in the UnMannerly Hall of Fame (this year’s inductees include Lindsay Lohan, all the Kardashians – who won our Lifetime Achievement Award – and the guy who runs TMZ).
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Cops: Cops use New Year’s Eve as target practice for speeders and drunk drivers – which is good! I’m saying this as someone who once got a ticket on New Year’s Eve only one block from my apartment. I wasn’t drinking, thankfully, but “supposedly” didn’t come a complete stop at the stop sign. Hearsay! Since cops are super-vigilant on New Year’s Eve, they had a field day shining a light in my eyes, asking me to count backwards, and issuing the ticket. Police officers have a job to do and if you do drink and drive, you deserve all the tickets in the world.
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Bad Photos: Yup, that’s you on your friend’s Facebook page, with the pee stain on your pants, only a few feet from the toilet. Almost made it! Try proving that you’re a serious candidate at a job interview while that shameful evidence is floating around the web. Need I go any farther?
Tip #2 – Do Make a Plan
Who doesn’t like to get dressed up and go out for a night on the town? And New Year’s Eve is a perfect time to do that. But there is so much hype about midnight that it makes the next season of American Idol look like the National Ping Pong Championships. What, never heard of that? Exactly! Whether it’s a bar, restaurant, hotel, or nightclub, every establishment has a special on New Year’s Eve to drive in business. So, if you are going to join in on the festivities, make sure you plan ahead.
Many places take reservations weeks in advance of the big night, and there still is time to make yours. The last thing you want to do is get all dressed up, head out to a nice place, and wait until 2AM to get service. Bad planning will ruin your night, period. So take some time now to make for a memorable evening later.
Tip #3 – Don’t Stress Out
How many times have you heard people worry about their New Year’s plans? Where do I go? Who do I go out with? What do I wear? Who do I kiss when the ball drops? The list goes on and on. However, stressing over the night is a waste of energy. For one, no matter what you do, the goal is to be with people you enjoy. And even if you are alone, go out and treat yourself right. You never know what can happen. But, in the end, don’t stress. Clothing, entertainment, romance… it’s all about making what you have now work for you.
Like me, I have two suits; one is my bar mitzvah suit (which since I weighed the same at 12 as I do now, still fits) and the other is one I bought for my college graduation 11 years ago. So when I rip open my closet, I’m not shocked that these two suits are the only ones in there and I’m not going to let that ruin my night. Plus, my wife is a smokin’ hot momma and with her on my arm, I can’t look bad, even if I wear the keyboard tie I wore to my bar mitzvah.
My point is, New Year’s, like any other holiday Hallmark decides to inject with steroids, is what you make of it. Whether it’s a low key hangout or a rocking party like my good friend P. Diddy throws, the point is that you just have fun with it.
Do you have a great story about how you rang in the New Year? Post all the details in Comments below. As always, if you have another manners question, I look forward to hearing from you at manners@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Check out my Modern Manners Guy Facebook page, follow me on Twitter @MannersQDT, and of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips.