How to Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Home

We did it. Another year is finally done, and it is time to celebrate and ring in the new year! These past couple of years have been difficult for everyone. We, as a society, have had to completely change the way we do things in order to keep ourselves safe. It has been exhausting, so I think we all deserve a little celebration. But unfortunately, not a lot has changed, which is why I am going to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home this year.

With the Omicron variant of COVID being the most common, and the most transmissible, it is more important than ever that we take precautions to keep people safe. One of those precautions is not getting together in large group settings, like New Year’s Eve parties.

As an introvert, I have no problem with that. My plans for ringing in the new year include making homemade pasta with my family and watching movies. I have never been a fan of big get-togethers, so this is my average celebration.

But for those who love to socialize, going into the third year of having to still worry about large gatherings and COVID can be upsetting.

But you can still enjoy yourself and have a good time even if you are trying to figure out how to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home! There are so many ways you can look back at the past year while being excited about the future!

Take my expert advice of an introvert on how to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home!

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1. Zoom Celebration

There is no reason you need to feel alone on a holiday that most people usually spend together. So if you are in need of some social time this New Year’s Eve, host a Zoom party! Our life has moved virtual, so our celebrations can as well.

Create a Zoom session with your friends and family and celebrate. It won’t be exactly the same, but it can still be fun! Here are some things you can do during a Zoom party:

• Play games: There are a ton of different games you can play online or over Zoom! You can check out this article from Marie Claire with 28 different games you can play over Zoom.
• Watch a movie with friends: With Google Chrome extensions like “Teleparty” you can now watch movies with friends without being in the same room. Either use the built in chat feature or use zoom on a different device to still talk while the movie is playing.
• Talk about your New Year’s resolutions: If you plan on setting goals for the new year, it is great to talk about them with others! It is a great way to consolidate your goals, and get motivation from others. You and your friends can keep each other accountable on your resolutions.
• Cook the same meal: While on Zoom, have everyone cook or eat the same meal. It will make it feel like everyone is in the same room as each other. Just make sure to give an ingredients list prior to the Zoom party.
• Watch the ball drop together: There may be some lagging involved (technology isn’t perfect yet), but you can still have that epic countdown that you are use to on New Year’s Eve! While on Zoom, tune into the Time Square ball drop, or whatever other celebration you like to watch each year.
• Don’t forget to decorate: It isn’t a party without decorations, right? Send little decorations packs to your friends homes so that you can all have matching decorations! Or make sure everyone has their own decorations. It will add a little fun to the celebration!

2. Cook a Delicious Meal

Like I said, my plans for the day involve all the homemade pasta I can eat. I always make sure I am having a delicious meal on New Year’s Eve. What better way to celebrate the last 365 days we have gone through than with some yummy food.

I know being alone can be hard for some people, especially on a holiday like New Year’s Eve. So I am always an advocate for treating yourself to something you love, like your favorite meal.

Plus, spending time cooking a meal will make waiting until midnight a breeze! Cook something difficult and you might not be eating until midnight!

3. Movie Marathon of 2021 Film Releases

When I was a kid, and old enough that my parents let me stay up until midnight, the way that my sister and I would pass time is by watching movies on the Disney Channel.

Ever since then, the tradition stuck. Now I love spending time watching my favorite movies on New Year’s Eve. Just don’t tell anyone I fall asleep sometimes while waiting for midnight!

To make your movie marathon a little more exciting, fill it only with movies released this past year. Get a good mix of genres and enjoy what this year brought to the big, and little, screens!

4. Make a Vision Board for 2022

I love being crafty any time of year, but especially when my crafts can feel productive like during the new year.

The only way you will be successful with the resolutions that you are creating is if you know how to actually achieve them. Break your goals into smaller, more attainable chunks, and from there, we can all achieve our dreams one step at a time!

Well, don’t just put the smaller goals on just any old scrap paper. Make a vision board with cut-out letters, glitter, and magazine clippings. Remember creating these in elementary school?

Trust me, connecting with your inner child and having some fun will make working towards your New Year’s resolutions is way more fun! And pretty too!

There is a lot of information online about how to make a vision board!

5. Clean Your Home

Do you need a little more distraction from the festivities because being home on New Year’s Eve is the complete opposite of what you want to do? Then a great way to get your mind off your situation, while also staying productive, is preparing your home/living space for the new year!

I plan to walk into 2022 with my best foot forward. With all the goals I have for myself, I want to have the best chance possible at achieving them, and that includes having a clean space to work.

So during the day on New Year’s Eve, I plan to spend some time going through some of my old things and donating/tossing anything I don’t need so I can start 2022 off fresh.

Related: Things to Clean Before 2022

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Speaking of New Year’s resolutions, one of mine for 2022 is to make the best out of every situation I am given. Sometimes, we don’t have control over our life. We certainly don’t have control over COVID, so with so many people spending New Year’s in quarantine, it is important that we learn how to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home.

I hope everyone has a blast during these last couple of days in 2021, and I wish everyone luck on all of their goals and resolutions for the coming year!