Quiet NYE for us – this is one holiday I prefer to celebrate at home. Will have a surf and turf dinner likely followed by some football and then Andy & Anderson with a bottle of champagne as midnight nears. We’ll be seeing a group of friends on New Years day.
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We used to always have a neighborhood party, kids in basement, parents upstairs and we would trade off hosting. As people moved away and kids got older, we stopped doing that. For many years now, dh and I have just stayed home. We always do “surf and turf” with steak and lobster. Tonight will be no different. We have lots of sweets in the house so not making a special dessert.
Dh usually goes to bed early and I stay up reading on front of fire until ball drops. Our kids usually aren’t here.
This year, our youngest is working until about 10pm. Our older son is here and his girlfriend is visiting. They planned to go out but our son’s friends decided not to go out anywhere so they will just hang out at home with us. I’m actually a bit happy about that b/c I hate any of my family being out on the road, even in an Uber, on NYE. If there are any football games on, I’m sure S23 and dh will be watching. At least this year I will have someone up with me at midnight!
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College aged D is going to a house party/sleepover. I am working in the office today. I will pick up Chinese on the way home and we will be lucky to have our eyes open at 10PM.
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We will eat pizzadillas (quesadilla of pizza related ingredients), watch the football game, channel surf for a while and then by 11:00 we’ll just admit we don’t want to stay up and go to bed.
S2 and DiL are hosting a few friends overnight. Everyone will observe the curious family custom of jumping off the furniture “into” the new year at midnight. Not sure when we started that, but it has stuck. S1 is covering the bowl game; FDiL is with her parents. But they promised S2 to jump off something if they are awake at midnight.
Tomorrow – pork and sauerkraut!!
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I grew up loving my family’s tradition of NYE junky hors d’oeuvres (deliberately mispronounced) and continued with my kids. I still do a scaled down version and planned to do that tonight while watching a Netflix movie - The Six Triple Eight - while DH watches sports. We usually make it to midnight with a champagne toast. However, our power just went out! For no obvious reason as it’s beautiful out. Estimate is that it will be back on by 6 pm and I’m hoping they’re right. I plan to make Hoppin John tomorrow for good luck in the New Year (a Southern thing). Then start taking down Christmas.
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I plan on taking down the tree tomorrow too. I’d do it today but it’s been raining so horribly all day it’s not the day to haul a real tree out of the house and into the car to dispose of it.
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My family pronounces it “horse ovaries.”
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I will go to the same party I’ve attended since I met my husband 24 years ago. Dear friends of ours host each year. The core group of 8 has stayed the same since even before I started attending and has never missed a year except for cases of illness. We only see each other once a year, but I have come to know these people so well that they feel like family. Each year there is a different makeup of additional guests. One year, anyone who has ever played in a band or performed with the host was invited, other years it’s been their college friends, last year was a small dinner for the core and then an open house with a lot of neighbors (or local musicians, I couldn’t tell as that is the type of town they live in). As the core group are all musicians who have played in the host’s band at one time or another, the guitars always come out after dinner. It’s a blast and usually the highlight of our year. It’s not often that you get a group of guys together that can play anything you throw at them. Newcomers are always impressed, although to the core wives, “it’s just another Tuesday”.
I can tell my husband is already excited as he’s tuned up one of his “special” guitars and has been wailing away for the last hour while I try to remember that what is currently getting on my nerves, most people would be enjoying.
Our host is a wonderful cook (often called on by caterers for certain dishes) and one of the few people I trust due to allergies as I react to cross-contamination. Most years it’s a lobster dinner, but some years it deviates (often based on the ability to guarantee a large enough number of lobsters for that night). This year it’s a non-traditional surf and turf of salmon and pork. I will bring a roasted potato salad (which I’m requested to bring to any gathering, ever. I think some people invite me just for the potato salad) We start with a couple of hours of heavy appetizers. I will bring a gf/df tomato Boursin tarte and gf/df pigs in a blanket. My host makes wonderful gf/df desserts but if I have time I’ll probably whip up some brownies. One of the core group of friends has an adult son with autism who is attending. He is also GF and a bit leary of trying anything new. He loves my brownies so I know that will make him happy.
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Something sort of cool that this thread reminded me of. When I was in high school there was a boy who had a formal party every year. We would wear fancy dresses and the boys would rent tuxes and we’d all drink too much and sleep on the floor. It was the kind of thing that one did in 1993 when you were 17.
In any case, I haven’t lived in the city I grew up in in decades but it is my understanding that, despite all of us being nearly 50yrs old, this guy STILL has this same party every year! It’s a rotating cast of characters to be sure, but there’s still a general rule that if you’re in town, go to T’s house on NYE. I wonder if anyone sleeps on the floor. 
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We are going to a party at the home of friends. Everyone brings an appetizer or dessert to share. I’m taking the above.
Dh has already made it clear we will not be staying until midnight. I’m starting Dry January at midnight as well, so I’ll be happy to come home and have one last glass of Pennsylvania Dutch eggnog before the bell tolls.
Tomorrow we’ll have ribs, black-eyed peas, Collard greens, and cornbread.
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Just logged back in to CC since Christmas Eve. The holidays are nice but really glad when it’s over and I can get my house back in order (didn’t say clean, just picked up!) DH and I are going to meet his dad and his wife for her birthday dinner and then coming home to watch something. I just noticed a 2nd season of Darby and Joan has loaded so I’ll probably watch one episode and try to stretch it across the spring as they release them. Stay up until midnight to ring in the new year (or be woken up on the couch to ring it in) and sleep late, like 7:30 a.m. so I can walk the first day of the new year with my neighbor!
I wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2025!
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When my kids were maybe 10, we started having a NYE sleepover party with the specific goal of making it such a tradition that when they were all old enough to get in trouble, they’d want to be here. It worked better than we hoped, so for many many years we had 10-15 teenage boys for NYE. DH and I would disappear and leave them alone, and in the morning I fed them these enormous epic breakfasts. When they had steady girlfriends, they were allowed to visit 11:30-12:30 but didn’t stay the night.
The hardest part of the empty nest is waking up Jan 1 with clear floors and tidy rooms. I really miss stepping over all the sleeping bags, and the boys helping wash breakfast dishes. Good times!
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H took advantage of the one dry day this week and headed over to our second home with a shelving unit in the bed of the truck. He will be doing some indoor and outdoor maintenance stuff over there before the rain hits tonight. Since I’m meeting a friend on that side of the Sound on Friday, I’m staying home with a pile of books, a tbd cocktail or two, and my own to-do list.
Tomorrow I’m going to make this soup and maybe hit the Y.
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We went out a few nights ago for fondue so will stay at home. We’re making Duck Jubilee with a side of long grain/wild rice. Husband made a chicken liver mousse and will attempt Grand Mariner soufflés (we’ve done all this before).
Breaking out an old bottle of Prosecco and if it’s no good, we have a second old bottle to try. We have to observe NYC ball drop (husband grew up on east coast), Chicago midnight (from our 40 years there), and west coast midnight. Hopefully the rain will hold off in Seattle so we can watch the Space Needle show online along with son. He’ll go across the street early to see the crowds and pick up any swag Alaska Airlines might be giving out (first year as sponsor). Then back to his apartment with the perfect view.
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Share some of the fortune message with us!
I am having hot pot with my family. It is a tradition to have it on a cold winter night, especially for new year. We will have oysters and champagne beforehand.
My mom will be here, so it will be an early night.
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Sounds way more than simple to me. Yum!
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I would love this - what do you use for the hot pot vessel(s)??? And what are your fav dippers?
Will you share roasted potato salad recipe? I have never made it, but there is one I particularly like (from a restaurant). If it’s not too difficult I may try to make it. Thanks