We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to celebrate big holidays like New Year’s Eve. Like there’s a right way and a wrong way to do so, when really all there is are choices. We can choose to celebrate or not celebrate however we want. If you haven’t already made plans to celebrate NYE, that’s OK. I have a few suggestions that I would like to offer.
More from MamásLatinas: How the color of your underwear can help you manifest in the new year
I focused on suggestions that are family-friendly so people of all ages can be included in your celebration. Most of all, I want to encourage you to relax into the joy of marking the end of the year and the beginning of a new one. Despite any challenges you may have faced or are still facing, you deserve to take a moment to celebrate your growth. Here are a few ways you can do so on NYE.
Have a fun family game night.
Bust out the cards, dominoes, lotería, and board games. If you don’t have any, now would be a good time to go pick some up. Need some new games? Consider getting Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Yo Sabo, and No Mercy Uno.
Check out some fireworks.
Do a quick online search for fireworks near you and head over to watch. Keep in mind that it can get busy and you might want to head over early to get a good spot. Or you could head to a rooftop or park with a good view and watch from there.
How about a movie marathon?
Have everyone suggest movies they would like to watch or have a list ready to go. Get the popcorn and beverages set up and hit play. Take breaks between movies to chat and move.
Snack the night away.
What’s a celebration without snacks? Don’t tell me because I don’t want to know! Get snacks that everyone likes and let everyone nosh. Have a balance of items so that no one has too much of a good thing and ends up with an upset tummy.
Watch the ball drop as a family.
There is a ton of New Year’s Eve programing available. Choose one or switch back and forth from two or more. Check programming in English and Spanish throughout the night.
Dress up to hang out in your living room.
Dressing up to hang out en la sala is a longstanding tradition for many. I personally love it. Why should wearing our fanciest clothes be reserved for “going out” occasions only? Wear your most dazzling clothes and sparkle all night long while you hang in your living room.
Or go the pajama party route.
Some people like to dress up to hang out in their sala and others prefer to hang in their pjs. Either is a good choice. Take a vote and see what your family prefers and then dress accordingly.
Have a living room sleepover.
This is particularly great if you go the pajama party route. Set up blankets, sleeping bags, cushions, inflatable mattresses, and so forth in your living room. You can all get cozy and fall asleep together when you’re tuckered out.
Make some solo, partner, and partner resolutions.
If you enjoy making resolutions, them make them. Make some for yourself, make some with your partner, and make some as a family. If resolutions aren’t your thing, you can choose a word or phrase for the year. The word or phrase is meant to be your guiding principle to focus on for the next 12 months.
Practice some fun NYE traditions/superstitions.
You could eat 12 grapes at midnight and make a wish for each grape or circle the block with a suitcase if you want to travel in the new year. Check for more ideas here.
Create a family vision board.
Vision boards are a great way to set intentions and be visually reminded of those intentions. Get magazines that you can cut images or words out of or print out pictures from the internet of things family members what to manifest in the next 12 months. Hang the vision board in your home where it’s visible to all and at the end of next year, see how much of it came true.
Make a family bucket list for the coming year.
This is a fun way to bond. Everyone gets to contribute to the list by sharing what they would like to do as a family in the coming year. It’s sweet and you can refer back to the list throughout the year for ideas.
Have a family video game night.
My kids and husband love to play video games. Me? Not so much, but I’m willing to play on special occasions because they have fun and I have fun being a part of their fun. They also have fun laughing over how bad I am and I’m OK with that because I am truly awful. Sometimes I don’t even know which player I am.
Do an early countdown.
Younger children, older adults, and tired parents can’t always stay awake until midnight. If that’s the case, you can always do an early countdown. Various streaming services including Netflix have New Year’s Eve countdown videos that you can play to celebrate on the earlier side.
Just chill and do nothing.
There is nothing wrong with doing nothing. Maybe you’re tired, maybe everyone else is tired. That’s fine. Just chill. Don’t put pressure on yourself or anyone else to do something just because you think you have to. Oh, and if you fall asleep before midnight, good for you for starting the new year all rested.
*Psst: If you purchase an item on this list, MamásLatinas may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.*
*Psst: Si decides comprar algún artículo en esta lista, MamásLatinas.com puede recibir una pequeña comisión. Cada artículo y cada precio son verificados y están correctos a la hora de publicación; sin embargo, algunos de los artículos se pueden agotar o el precio puede cambiar luego.
