Traditions are integral to marking the transition to a new year, whether they are full of celebration on New Year's Eve or reflection on New Year's Day. Here our team shares their favorite New Year's traditions. Find out which ones you share, or consider adopting for yourself.
New Year's Eve Traditions
Balloon Drop
The New Year's Eve party is one of my absolute favorites to host because it's something that everyone can get excited about. I like to go big with a home-made balloon drop. The record was over 700+ balloons, suspended from my ceiling, all to be dropped at the stroke of midnight! It's a labor of love where friends will gather the day before to help blow up balloons (I highly recommend an air compressor to help!).
Home Concert
Amber's family loves all things musical, and recently they've started holding concerts with her husband playing guitar for the neighborhood. No matter the weather, the music pumps out of the garage into the street to fill the night with cheer!
Game Night
Time spent around the dining table with a deck of cards and close family and friends is one of the best ways to usher in the New Year. Jen and her family play Spades, and the winners get rewarded with scratch offs and ice cream!
New Year's Pretzel
Kelly's mom is credited with starting their family tradition of buying the New Year's baked iced pretzel every year. Having a bite or two at midnight brings luck into the new year! Find a pretzel with this guide from Good Food Pittsburgh and set your self off to a good start!
New Year's Day Traditions
Walking Reflections
Kelly welcomes the new year by taking a long walk. It's a peaceful opportunity to reflect on the past year and look forward to what the new one may bring.
Setting Intentions
Last year my friend prompted me to assign a word as an intention for the year. I am continuing the tradition and picking a theme word for the year that helps me set the tone for how I want to show up for myself. What word would you choose for the year?
Journaling
Journaling always helps me clear my mind and work out thoughts and ideas. It can be especially nice to document your highlights of the past year and set goals, dreams, and intentions for the year to come. By having things written down it's fun and interesting to see what dreams came true from the past year! Check out our blog post about Journaling for many prompts to get your pen moving.