5 Memorable Ways to Celebrate New Year's Eve at Home

Some of the best New Year’s Eve celebrations happen at home. You can wear what you want, serve what you want, spend time with your favorite people and pets, and ring in the new year however you choose. You can even go to bed before midnight if you prefer. Let’s look at five memorable ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home.

New Traditions

Maybe you already have beloved New Year’s Eve traditions, but why not add a couple of new ones to the list? A fun thing to do is to burn Christmas candles throughout the evening. If you enjoy candles, you probably have a variety of them that are partially burned from this year. Why not put them all on a pretty tray along with the Christmas candles and burn them until they are gone? It can make a lovely display and allow you to enjoy the last of your candles with the last of the year. New Year’s Eve is also a nice opportunity to enjoy the last of the Christmas greenery before you put it away until next year (if it’s manmade) or recycle it.

In addition to sharing New Year’s resolutions, why not share what you are most grateful for from the past year and what you hope for most from the New Year? If you are unsure what to be grateful for, you can always start with food, clothing, and shelter. There are those among us who would love to have these things. Any activity that involves gratitude and hope will be a memorable one.

New Recipes

Did someone say food and drink? This is a celebration at home, so the menu is totally up to you. Of course, you can whip up those old favorites, but why not add in a new dish or two as well? If you’re not sure what to make, do an internet search for New Year’s Eve recipes or for ones that start with your favorite ingredients.

If you like to indulge in a little bubbly or a cocktail on New Year’s Eve, plan your pairings to match your new dishes. New Year’s Eve is also a great opportunity to try a new cocktail recipe. You might discover a new favorite, and you won’t have to worry about getting an Uber or having a friend drive you home.

Movie Marathon

The long evening of New Year’s Eve is perfect for a movie marathon. Do you and yours have favorite movie series or favorite actors? Perhaps you are Harry Potter or Star Wars fans or love Clark Gable and Rita Hayworth. With streaming services available, you can find almost anything. Plan those DVDs or streaming movies in advance to make sure you will have the ones that you want available (and in the order that you would like to watch them). And because you are at home, you get to make the fashion choices for this activity from street clothes to women’s loungewear to matching family pajamas.

If you are spending New Year’s Eve by yourself or with a pet, this is also a great option. Why not put your feet up, enjoy your favorite food, and dive into those movies for yourself? No negotiating what to watch—you are in control of the remote! You could also have a virtual movie marathon by setting up a watch party with friends or family who are far away. That way you can watch the same movies together and laugh (or cry) in all those favorite places or chant your favorite lines together.

Board Games

This is a mainstay for a reason. In our digital world, when was the last time that you broke out the scrabble board or monopoly board? This can be an entertaining way to enjoy the hours before midnight. The conversation around the table alone will be worth it.

Tailor your board games to your group. Are there little ones who would love to play chutes and ladders? Is this an all-adult group that would enjoy one of those adult games with silly (or inappropriate) questions? Do you just love playing backgammon, but you haven’t had a good excuse to do so in a while? Meet the New Year’s Eve board game tradition.

Dance the Night Away

Who says you must go out to go dancing? The great parts about having a mini dance party at home are that you get to choose all your favorite music, you can indulge in all the silly dance moves that you might be too shy to try in public, and you can dance for as long (or as little) as you like. Whether you dance as couples, in one big group, or by yourself, you get to rock out in your own style on New Year’s Eve.