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Plenty of us are more than ready to say goodbye to 2020. But with the pandemic still in play, and spiking in some places, what’s the best way to do so safely? The typical New Year’s Eve party — inside, with cocktails, finger food, and lots of kisses at midnight — is a superspreader event waiting to happen. And most big New Year’s Eve events are being cancelled, anyway. So you just have to get a little creative.
Ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve with kids
As anyone who’s a parent can attest, as soon as you have a baby, your New Year’s Eve plans already change completely. Who can stay up until midnight with a newborn or toddler, anyway?
Little kids make celebrating New Year’s Eve at home a no-brainer. And with the pandemic in play, there’s no FOMO. We’re all at home this year. You can still make it fun, though.
1. Watch the ball drop
This year, the ball drop in Times Square is still happening, just virtually and without the crowds. If you’re on the West Coast, you have the benefit of watching it happen at 9 p.m. Pacific. And remember, you can always fake it.
2. Be festive
I know no one is looking, but this is about making memories. Get dressed up. Pour fancy cocktails. Make (or order!) a glorious New Year’s Eve dinner, served on silver, and with the good china. Wear the silly 2021 hats. And take all the pictures.
3. Honor all the traditions
You can still make resolutions. You can still sing Auld Lang Syne. You can toast champagne or Martinelli’s, and eat all the traditional good luck food. And everyone gets a kiss at “midnight” (whenever that is).
4. Or don’t
“I will celebrate by sleeping through it,” Wendy Bryan, a mother of three in San Bernardino, California, told mom.com
Ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve without kids
If you are lucky enough to be able to leave your children in the care of someone for the evening, there’s still the issue of what’s open — and then, of course, what’s safe?
As with any other date night, your best options are masked, socially distanced, and outdoors — which, in winter, can be a bit hard. In one New York Times article on dates during a pandemic, top choices included walks, picnics, or a drink at a restaurant with outdoor seating. Those are all fine ideas, depending on where you live. But they might not feel special enough for New Year’s Eve.
What else can you do?
5. Rent a car
If you’ve been cooped up for nearly 300 days, it can be refreshing just to hit the road and see the sights. Renting a car is reasonably low risk, according to experts. If you already have a car but are feeling fancy, splurge on a luxury model. And if you’re feeling really fancy, try a boat.
6. Get a room
A change of scenery is everything right now. And what better way to close out the kind of stressful year we’ve than to slip away someplace serene and pretend it all never happened. By and large, it’s safe to stay in hotels now, as long as you take certain precautions.
Ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve with family or friends
Social distancing is still the keyword this holiday season. With surging virus numbers being attributed in part to small gatherings, the CDC is recommending that you celebrate only with those in your household.
That said, some people have figured out ways to be with their people. There are safe ways to see friends during a pandemic — although the dead of winter makes it a bit harder than it was when the sun was out.
7. The "quaranteam" vacation
Some families — with a few, trusted members — get tested, or travel, test and quarantine for a short period, in order to spend more extended time together, sans masks. This may be tricky, and will require a lot of important discussions beforehand. “Friends should certainly have discussions from the get-go about boundaries, priorities and the issues that could arise,” psychologist and friendship expert Marisa G. Franco told the New York Times. “It may feel awkward, but it will feel way more awkward if your friend shows up and she’s not wearing a mask.”
8. The extended getaway
Even safer, a small family vacation might be exactly what 2020 ordered. Just hurry, options are going fast.
"Even though people are feeling more comfortable traveling, we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, so it’s important to plan ahead and book early—especially with the current popularity of vacation rentals,” Josh Viner, travel expert for Vacasa, told Mom.com. “Over the summer, we saw travelers opt for remote destinations that were conducive to road tripping and social distancing, and it’s trending that way for fall and winter, too. Compared to this same time last year, searches for cabins have more than doubled.”
9. A virtual gathering
There's always Zoom. And in these precarious times, celebrating from a distance is a small price to pay to keep everyone safe.
10. The meaningful text
If travel of any sort isn’t in the cards for you, because you or someone in your home is high risk or just the stress isn’t worth it, guess what? You don’t have to do anything this year. Sometimes, the best part of a holiday — be it Mother’s Day or Christmas or my birthday — are the flood of texts from people I love affirming that they love me back. In a year as crazy as this one, it can be as simple as that.
