4 Festive Ways to Ring in the New Year

Whether you’ll be staying up until the clock strikes 12 or counting sheep as we head into 2017, here are some ways to celebrate the New Year with family and friends.

Host a Times Square ball drop watch party. Who says you have to go out to enjoy the holiday? Invite those near and dear to watch the ball drop at your house! Before there was a ball in Times Square, the New Year’s celebration ended with a fireworks display. You can light up sparklers outside for a bright start to 2017.
Cook up some Hoppin’ John for good luck. This one-pot meal of black-eyed peas, ham and rice is said to bring prosperity in the New Year. If you’re not superstitious, it’s still a great meal! Click here for a recipe from Food & Wine.
Pucker up for a New Year’s kiss. The midnight kiss on New Year’s Eve with your special someone has a long history. The tradition is believed to come from German and English folklore. As USA Today explains, “it was believed that the first person you encountered at the start of the new year could determine whether you had good or bad fortune in the year ahead.”
Down a dozen grapes. It’s supposed to bring good luck, but you may want to practice this Spanish tradition before the countdown starts. As bells ring 12 times to signal the New Year, a grape is eaten with each toll. Check out this story from NPR to learn more about this tradition that’s believed to be more than a century old.