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For the gifted socialites among us, New Year’s Eve is a night to dress to the nines, attend some elegant party (or maybe even a gala), knock back a few glasses of champagne, and bring in the new year with a bang. However, for those of us who are less socially inclined, dressing up and spending the night in a room full of acquaintances is the worst scenario we could possibly imagine.
So, if you’ve finally given in to the fact that you’re an introvert and the fact that you’ll be spending New Year’s Eve in your slippers and a hoodie, we’re going to talk about a few ways that you can still be festive without leaving the comfort of your own home. After all, even if you don’t want to go out, it’s worth planning some sort of celebration to help you roll into 2023 with some momentum.
Whether you’ll be spending New Year’s Eve at home with yourself, inviting your inner circle over, or just chilling with your immediate family, here are 7 New Year’s Eve ideas that don’t involve going out.
1. Midnight Brunch
Personally, I hate champagne unless it’s in a glass that’s half-filled with orange juice. And, when it comes to mimosas, what do most people think of? Brunch! So, why not use those bottles of bubbly you bought to have a midnight brunch at your home with your closest friends? Make some French toast and hashbrowns and keep the mimosas flowing.
There are about a million ideas for brunch foods on websites like Food Network or Southern Living. So, get online and start planning your midnight brunch. Can you imagine a better way to bring in the new year than with a champagne flute full of mimosa and a plate full of waffles?
2. Best Movie of the Year
This one is for all of the film buffs out there. If your ideal evening involves curling up under a blanket and watching a movie, then invite your friends over to watch the best movie of the year. How do you decide what the best movie of the year is? Well, I’d recommend asking each one of your guests to write their favorite movie from 2022 down on a piece of paper. Then, put all of their choices into a hat and have someone reach in blindly to decide which of those movies you’ll be watching.
If you’re spending New Year’s Eve by yourself, then there’s no need to draw from a hat. The decision for the best movie of the year is yours and yours alone. Regardless of how many people will be watching your movie, I’d highly recommend getting your comfiest blanket and an ample supply of snacks.
3. Karaoke It Up
Here’s another great New Year’s Eve activity to do with your closest friends: set up karaoke and bring in the new year by jamming out to your favorite songs. Can’t sing? Even better! Singing karaoke is a great way to learn to take yourself less seriously and get out of your comfort zone.
You can go all-out and buy a karaoke machine for the occasion (if you don’t already own one). Or, if you’re on a budget, there are karaoke apps that you can download for free through The App Store or Google Play Store. You can also just search for the name of your favorite song along with the words “karaoke version” on YouTube. Whatever your chosen method is, don’t worry about belting too loud for your neighbors. New Year’s Eve is pretty much the only night of the year when it’s socially acceptable to make a ruckus past midnight.
4. Make Intention Boards
For a lot of people, New Year’s Eve represents an opportunity for a fresh start. It’s a time to leave behind the unhealthy habits of 2022 and start the journey toward becoming the best versions of ourselves. Unfortunately, for most people, the intentions that we set for the new year tend to fade by the end of January. One of the best ways to ensure that you stick to your New Year’s resolution is to make an intention board.
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Get a large poster-sized piece of paper and paste pictures and words on it that represent what you want to accomplish in 2023. Then, you can put your intention board by your bed and wake up every morning with a reminder of what you’re striving to accomplish. On New Year’s Eve, have all of your friends come over to your house and create their own intention boards. Then, you can share your intentions with one another and support each other in your goals throughout the year.
5. Around-The-World Potluck
If you’re anything like me, then eating is pretty much the greatest joy in life. So, there’s no better way to bring in the new year than by sharing an incredible meal with your best friends and family. And, to spice things up a bit, you could turn your New Year’s Eve get-together into an around-the-world potluck.
Call up your friends and family and assign a different country’s cuisine to each one of them. Tell your uncle to bring a traditional Greek dish, tell your best friend to come with something from Ethiopia, and tell your coworker that they’ve been assigned to the country of Italy. Then, when everyone gathers together, your tastebuds can take a trip around the world.
6. Story Time
While New Year’s Eve is usually about looking toward the future, there’s nothing wrong with looking to the past too. For some lucky people, 2022 was full of great moments and events that deserved to be remembered. And, even if 2022 wasn’t the best year of your life, I’m sure you could find something to laugh about.
When you’re inviting your friends or family over for New Year’s Eve, ask everyone to write down one or two of their favorite stories from 2022. Then, when everyone comes over, you can sit in a circle and take turns sharing your stories. This is a great way to get people laughing and talking freely, and it’ll surely set the tone for a great rest of the evening. If you have a fireplace, make sure to light a fire. There’s something about a fire that just makes every story more dramatic.
7. Deep Clean Your House
If you’re spending New Year’s Eve alone, with a roommate, or with your significant other, you could spend your evening cleaning every inch of your house. And, while cleaning may not sound like the most fun activity, just think about how amazing you’ll feel when you wake up on the first day of 2023 in a sparkling clean home.
If you want to make your cleaning experience a bit more fun, why not get some cocktails and music involved? Unwrap that Bluetooth speaker that your mom got you for Christmas, connect your phone, and start playing some upbeat jams. Mix you and whoever else you’re cleaning with a couple of festive cocktails and get scrubbing. Personally, I believe that cleaning can be a blast if you have the right attitude. And coming into the new year with a clean home and a clear mind is a great way to set yourself up for success.
