This year has been one of the strangest ever, but one thing is for sure — it is almost over. While the end of 2020 will not bring an end to everything we have had to endure this year, it may be the fresh start many people need. The new year is an opportunity to start cleaning up the mess that was made in 2020 and move forward. The end of December is the time to celebrate this opportunity, to start fresh and turn over a new leaf, and what better way to do that than to have a smooth entrance into 2021? Here is your guide to starting the year off right with Meredith-friendly, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebrations that also follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.
A New Year’s Night In
If you want to have a fun and relaxing night, you could have a solo night in or hang out with those who already live with you (fuzzy friends included). The benefit of having a night in by yourself or even spending New Year’s Eve with roommates is that there is no pressure to dress up, cook, bake, buy a bunch of decorations or plan any sort of elaborate party. In this scenario, watching High School Musical or another New Year’s Eve movie, having a spa night with Welch’s sparkling juices, ciders or mocktails or watching Ryan Seacrest’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve are all great options. For those who want to dress up or decorate, you still can! Take self-timer photos of your outfit, bake cookies for yourself or make cute crafts and decorations with your roommates.
Zoom Party
For those who want to catch up with larger groups of family or friends, a great option would be to have a party via Zoom. If you want to catch up and have an interesting conversation, you could each go through your New Year’s resolutions, talk about the best and worst of 2020, say your favorite and least favorite trends from the previous decade (or the 2000s, because there is a lot to work with there) or discuss your favorite and least favorite songs from 2020. If you are looking to do a creative activity, you could complete a craft together, bedazzle your masks, have a sip of Welch’s sparkling grape juice while you paint on mini canvases, or cook or bake together while talking on Zoom — check out The Herald’s recipe column for inspiration — or make mocktails together. Another idea involving mocktails could be for each person on the Zoom call to make a mocktail based on a place they wish they could have visited in 2020.
Small, Socially Distanced Gathering
If you have a small group of people, you could hang out six feet apart with masks. There are a lot of activities you could do while sitting in a circle where you are all six feet apart. Even just catching up and talking about how 2020 went could be cathartic. You could take Buzzfeed quizzes together, do karaoke with masks (Taylor Swift’s new album might be fun!) or do arts and crafts together. Another idea could be to order gifts online, mail them to each other before New Year’s Eve (secret Santa style), then open them on New Year’s Eve and guess who gave you your gift.
However you decide to celebrate the end of 2020, remember to do it safely, take precautions against COVID-19 and still have fun.
By Mia Shelton, Staff Writer
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