SINGING IN THE NEW YEAR
How I celebrated NYE 2025.
New Year's Eve is not my favorite holiday.* I just don't care for it. Even as a kid, I would try to sit through the NYE programs on TV, but would quickly get bored and retreat to my room to do something else. I'm also not the biggest fan of fireworks. Detested them as a child, and as an adult, watching them for 30 seconds from my living room window and/or balcony is enough. I'm fine if the world suddenly did away with fireworks.
*My least favorite holiday is the 4th of July.
The most exciting New Year's Eve was probably 1999, when rumors of Y2K were all the rage. I remember running around the house, wondering if all of our computers would suddenly malfunction. It was both a relief and disappointment when nothing of the sort happened. But we had entered the millennium, and to witness the turn of the century at 12 years old was exciting enough.
However, I was ready for 2025 to go away, and was still riding my wave of realization that I enjoy celebrating things. So I got my most silvery items, added them to the Christmas decor, and I did something that I haven't done in years on NYE: Change out of my pajamas.
I finally figured out how to take those Gen Z long-arm selfies.
For dinner, we had hot pot because it was tasty and low-effort. I thought about making a "traditional" NYE dinner or practicing traditions from around the world, like eating 12 grapes at midnight, but this was my first time "hosting" a celebration so I wanted to go easy on myself.
Probably the most meat I've had all year. My digestive system did not like it.
We've been inviting my sister to our fancy dinners. (She's on the iPad.)
After dinner, my sister and I gave each other tarot readings. I can't remember the last time we truly bonded over an activity.† I'm really happy with how our relationship has evolved over the years. ♥︎
† The last time was probably when we were kids and attempted the entire choreography from the musical, Cats.
I would never have imagined that THIS would be our sibling bonding activity someday.
Then we chatted for a bit, drinking moscato and eating the sesame white chocolate chip cookies I had baked earlier.
Redeemed myself from my Xmas grinch cookies.
Karaoke time
If you know me, then you know that I LOVE karaoke. I bought myself a karaoke mic last January and have karaoke sessions at least once a month by myself, either in the living room or office, depending on which room Daniel uses. (I'm banished to the vacant one.)
During the NYEs of the past, we're in our pjs all day and watch videos on YouTube. Which is a totally valid way to spend NYE, if you so choose to do. However, I wanted to change it up this time. So I had an idea: Why not karaoke?
In Switzerland, you're not supposed to make loud noises after 22:00, but since it's NYE, people are usually lighting fireworks into the wee hours. It's the PERFECT time to sing as loudly as possible and get away with it!
Daniel usually doesn't partake in my sessions but he made an exception that night. I sang my usuals, and I learned that he really likes Kid Cudi's latest album. (When he got tired of singing, he made me sing the songs to hear "my version.") That's also one of the reasons why I love it; I always discover new music via others.
We sang until about 2:00, for 2 hours, which is the perfect karaoke/time ratio.‡ I didn't think much about the changing of the year, but this smells like a new tradition to me.