Popping that Idea for New Year’s Eve

Photo by Martin Hauenstein from Pexels
Our family would often go to a hotel for New Year’s eve.  Not so much because we want to celebrate it there, but because my children developed allergies triggered by excessive smoke and dust early on, and so we had to protect them during this time when the air quality gets extra challenging at the turn of midnight. Most of our family gatherings on my side and my wife’s side happen on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We would often be all by ourselves as a core family during the New Year celebration unless we have guests staying with us. Interviewing my son and daughter, it is interesting to note what they liked about our past New Year’s celebrations:
  • Snuggling together as a family
  • Taking turns mentioning a thing or two which we thank God for the year
  • Eating ramen or pho and Chickenjoy
  • Watching fireworks from a distance, without having to smell the firecracker dust.
  • Cork-popping sparkling grape juice drink
  • Having a movie marathon, watching family shows, and just laughing out loud
  • Checking whether the sky would be clear blue on New Year’s Day
The best they like about this is that we are together as a family experiencing all these at the turn of the new year.  Together we snuggle, together we thank God, together we eat ramen, together we watch fireworks, together we pop corks, together we laugh over those family shows, and together we look at the New Year’s Day sky. TOGETHER! I am glad I have my family to experience this special celebration with. This is one practice of great value that I want to see passed on to many generations, at least in my family line.

You too can have a great New Year’s day family celebration! Here are some tips I have for you:  Come together. No matter how busy the season may be, show up to the most important gathering there can be – with your family!

  • Engage your family in meaningful conversation. Hear what they have to say about the outgoing year, what made it great for them, and what great thing are they expecting for the upcoming year. Share stories over your New Year’s eve meal or dessert.
  • Relax and enjoy the moment with your wife and your kids. A board game, UNO, or any simple family game can add up to the fun. But go beyond this by getting into each of your family member’s heart better and deeper in a light and fun way.
  • Thank God together. Share what you thank God for the year. Recall God’s wonderful promises for you and your family like Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 4:6-7, and Hebrews 13:5. Expound on it a little then conclude by telling God how much you appreciate Him for blessing each of you this year.

I realize that families are together only for a season. There will be a time when we will no longer be there to spend the New Year’s celebration with our children. In as much as we cherish our childhood merrymaking with our loved ones, I am sure our children will cherish their memories with us. They will most likely replicate to their future families celebrations that made an impact in their lives.

Oh, what joy it is to revel with the most important people in our lives — our family!

My kids may not have experienced reveling on the streets in polka-dot outfits, jumping up and down, and igniting firecrackers every turn of the year – not like what I was used to growing up – nonetheless, there is something special and more meaningful with the way we celebrate it  now that I appreciate the most — COMING TOGETHER as a FAMILY – ready to face the new year.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love .

1 Corinthians 13:13

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