From eating grapes at midnight to writing resolutions, there’s a New Year’s Eve tradition for everyone. Some people spend the holiday with their families, others with friends. New Year’s Eve can be a special time for anybody, no matter how you celebrate it, so we wanted to share the traditions of our Jackson-Reed community.
One common tradition is to kiss at midnight and make it last until the new year. You end one year with someone you love, and start the next with the same person. The new year can usher in new love, or continue with the old. New Year’s Eve can give you the courage to finally ask out that girl or to make the first move. It’s up to you to be spontaneous!
Another New Year’s tradition is wearing white to symbolize a fresh start. Freshman Lily Gonzales says she wears white so she can “start the new year on a blank page.” Feeling confident is always a great way to start off the new year, and since white is commonly believed to symbolize purity, it’s perfect if you want to let go of things from the past. As they say, the past is in the past.
Of course, people usually stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve to see the end of the year through. This is the most common tradition there is, done by most people around the world.
However, because of the different time zones, Australia’s new year starts half a day before ours, and California celebrates later than us. It’s beautiful that no matter where you live in the world, even as we all start the new year at different times, people are staying up until midnight for their annual traditions, celebrating with friends or embracing their loved ones.
As for food themed traditions, Health & Physical Education teacher Jason Spinks says, “my wife and I eat black eyed peas at the beginning of the new year. They get rid of bad omens and bring us luck.” This was a new trend to us, and it’s a very interesting one at that. The concept of eating a food to bring you a new relationship, or ring in the new year with good luck and ward off the bad is so cool, and we love that these traditions have been brought into the spotlight lately.
Although there’s certainly popular traditions (and a lot of them), we also wanted to see some original traditions from the JR community. One that was pretty new to us was from freshman Yaw Marfo. He explained that “at midnight, we write our predictions for the next year and seal it in an envelope. On NYE, we open ours from the past year. It helps me start off my year in a fun way!” This tradition provides an opportunity to reflect on your goals for the year, and where you hoped to be at this point. It offers a good time to stop and think about your relationships with those you love, what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year, or even to just think about what shoes you want for your birthday this year.
When we look closely at New Year’s traditions, it’s also interesting to note that some popular traditions came to us from other countries. For example, eating 12 grapes under the table as soon as midnight hits has become a popular trend online, but actually originated in Spain.
You have to eat all 12 in the first minute of the new year to get good luck; in Spanish culture, you eat a grape for each month, getting a wish with each. As it’s been circulating on social media nowadays, it’s said to give you good luck in relationships. Only time will tell if this actually brings you luck or is just a silly myth!
New Year’s Eve is definitely a fun time to spend with your family, friends, or even alone. Whether you have lots of unique traditions or you just want to go to bed early, the night is a symbol of starting the next 365 fresh, giving yourself a blank slate. It’s also a good way to refocus yourself and reflect on your goals and how you’re going to reach them.
Sophomore Rose O’Leary told us, “I like celebrating the new year so I can set new goals and work on bettering myself.” This is a theme echoed throughout the school’s community where students make New Year’s resolutions each year. Although almost a quarter of people give up on their resolutions before the first week’s even over, it’s still good to recognize what you want for yourself and the year. It can also be a great time to focus on your relationships with loved ones.
Whether you’re at a party with strangers, an intimate gathering with only your closest family and friends, or alone watching the ball drop, New Year’s Eve is a highlight of the year. It’s a chance for both time with loved ones and self-reflection, which is exactly why we love it! •