A New Year to Celebrate

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

One of the things I like best about New Year’s is the sense of fresh possibility. It’s like we get to start all over again. Even more of a new start than a new day, a whole new year is like a life reborn again.

Then again, sometimes that’s just a whole lotta pressure … and when it comes to resolutions, I’m just not much for ‘em. I am, however, one of those “set goals” and “make a plan to make ‘em happen” types of folks. And what better way than to keep those goals happening than to have the joined force and energy of lots of people to boost your dreams and hopes and to help wishes come into being. And that’s what I love about New Year’s celebrations.

Whether your family routinely heads for the festivities or stays in, another super thing about New Year’s is that there are many ways to make your celebration more of what you want—and less of what you don’t. And isn’t that the best way to begin a whole new chapter?

Some folks like to be in the center of the hub-bub and make plans to be in the Big Apple for the big ball drop. Others are all about a quiet evening in. Depending upon the personalities of all involved, maybe bringing New Year's festivities into the living room would be in order.

Which brings to mind the family parties of my youth. Never one to let a good time (or a milestone) pass by, my mom was the ultimate party planner. And it just so happened that the whole family got into the swing of things for New Year’s. This is how it went: everyone brought snacks and munchies and a favorite game (or two). Then we all convened in one central location—in most cases, my Grandma’s house, where each room was ready and waiting with card tables and chairs. When everyone was in attendance and all snacks and trays of cookies accounted for, we divided up in teams by counting off, with 4-6 people at each table.

That’s when the games began. After half an hour at each table, we moved to another table, round-robin style—and if I recall correctly, some people stayed and others moved, so that a variety of folks got to play with a forever new and differing variety of partygoers. Thus, the evening flew by—with different games and a delightfully wide array of cookies, treats and salty munchies that made the time even more enjoyable. At the end of the night—or when it was time to welcome the New Year officially, we called it quits. It was then time for everyone to reconvene in the main room to tally up the totals and collect a few goofy prizes that some organized soul had remembered—along with a booby prize or two, for laughs.

Thus concluded another fun night of family games—and another great year. Here’s hoping that you find a way to welcome the new year that brings together all your hopes and dreams and wishes for the coming year.

Here’s a family favorite—an easy yet delicious punch recipe that makes a perfect complement to any party menu.

Serves/Makes: 18

• 2 bottles (2-liter size) lemon-lime soda or ginger ale, chilled
• 1/2 gallon sherbet, any flavor