Another Christmas has come and gone at the speed of light and New Year’s Eve is upon us.
Although Christmas carries a deep symbolic meaning to me, I have never really understood or had a sense of appreciation for New Year’s Eve. It seems to be the party that concludes all other parties associated with this time of year. To tell you the truth, I think I’ve always been partied out by the time New Year’s Eve comes along.
kAmx F?56CDE2?5 E96 >62?:?8 @7 E96 52J E@ 36 E96 4=@DFC6 @7 E96 A2DE J62C] p?5 2D H:E9 E96 D62D@? @7 DAC:?8[ 2== ?6H E9:?8D >2J AC@DA6C H:E9 5:=:86?E 2EE6>AED 3J 6249 :?5:G:5F2= E@ 3C:?8 7@CE9 DF3DE2?E:G6[ A@D:E:G6 492?86D :? E96:C @H? =:G6D]k^Am
kAmx 2AAC64:2E6 E92E D6?E:>6?E 2?5 92G6 2EE6>AE65 E@ FE:=:K6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 5@ D@ :? E96 A2DE] w@H6G6C[ 2D :D E96 42D6 H:E9 >2?J[ x 92G6 >@DE=J 72:=65 E@ FA9@=5 E9@D6 AC@>:D6D E@ >JD6=7]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ x’> D66:?8 E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ :? 2 5:776C6?E =:89E] x’> A=2??:?8 E@ >2<6 2 492?86 E92E x 9@A6 H:== 27764E ?@E @?=J >JD6=7[ 3FE E9@D6 2C@F?5 >6 2D H6==]k^Am
kAmq6:?8 2E 9@>6 @G6C E96 A2DE E9C66 >@?E9D 92D 277@C565 >6 E:>6 E@ H2E49 E6=6G:D:@?] x 86?6C2==J >2<6 E:>6 E@ E2<6 :? E96 ?6HD 2?5 A6C92AD 2 D9@H @C EH@ E92E C62==J 86ED >J 2EE6?E:@? 3FE @E96CH:D6[ x 7:?5 >JD6=7 @FE @7 E@F49 H:E9 E96 >2:?DEC62> AC@8C2>D E92E >J 7C:6?5D 5:D4FDD H:E9 H:=5 27764E:@?]k^Am
kAm“w@?6J q@@\q@@” :D 2 D9@H 23@FE 2 =:EE=6 8:C= H9@ 2DA:C6D E@ 36 2 A2862?E BF66?[ J6E 92D ?@ >2??6CD[ 6E:BF6EE6 @C AC@A6C 8F:52?46 7C@> E96 25F=ED W:7 E92E’D H92E J@F 42? 42== E96>X :? 96C =:76] x 2EE6>AE65 E@ AFE >J 7:?86C @? E96 5C2H @7 E92E D9@H 3FE :?DE625[ 7@F?5 >JD6=7 @? E96 6586 @7 >J D62E H:E9 2 566A 56D:C6 E@ 42== D@>6 5:G:D:@? @7 72>:=J D6CG:46D E@ :?E6CG6?6 @? E9:D AC64:@FD 49:=5’D 3692=7]k^Am
kAm}6IE FA H2D “%@55=6CD 2?5 %:2C2D]” p=E9@F89 E96D6 J@F?8DE6CD 2C6 4@24965 E@ 36 A@:D65[ E96:C A2C6?ED 5:DA=2J :?2AAC@AC:2E6 3692G:@C 2?5 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD E92E AFED E9:D 7@@E32== >@> E@ D92>6] %96D6 A6@A=6 DA6?5 E9@FD2?5D FA@? E9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD @? 4@DEF>6D[ EC2G6= 2?5 4@249:?8 7@C E96:C 49:=5C6? H9@ 2C6 :?6G:E23=J C6H2C565 H:E9 2 >F=E:EF56 @7 4C@H?D 2?5 E:E=6D] qFE H92E 5@ E9@D6 E:E=6D >62?n %96 @?=J E9:?8 x 4@F=5 7:?5 H2D “>J <:5 :D 36EE6C E92? J@FCD] w2P” %FC? E96 492??6=[ A=62D6]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96? E96C6 H2D “$:IE66? 2?5 !C68?2?E]” x 2DDF>6 E92E E96 AFCA@D6 @7 E9:D D9@H :D E@ E9H2CE E66?D 7C@> 364@>:?8 AC68?2?E] %92E’D 2 8C62E E9@F89E[ 3FE E96 8=2>@C:K2E:@? 2?5 “DE2C\BF2=:EJ” E92E E96 AC@5F46CD F=E:>2E6=J 36DE@H FA@? E96D6 8:C=D 46CE2:?=J 42??@E 24E 2D 2 56E6CC6?E] xE 2AA62C65 2D E9@F89 E96 J@F?8 =25:6D H6C6 7:89E:?8 7@C 42>6C2 E:>6 32D65 @? E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ 4C62E6 >@C6 5C2>2 7@C E96>D6=G6D] }6IEPk^Am
kAm“y6CD6J $9@C6]” (92E :D E96 2AA62= 96C6n $6G6C2= a_:D9 J@F?8DE6CD A2CEJ:?8[ D=66A:?8 H:E9 6249 @E96C 2?5 A6@A=6 E96J 5@?’E <?@H H:E9@FE >62?:?8[ C9J>6 @C C62D@?] (9J :D E9:D 8C@FA D6E FA E@ 36 C@=6 >@56=D 7@C @FC <:5Dn %96:C AC@5F46CD H@F=5 D2J E92E E96J 2C6 ?@E C@=6 >@56=D 2?5 D9@F=5 ?@E 36 =@@<65 FA@? 2D DF49] (6==[ H92E :D E96:C AFCA@D6n (9J 5@6D :E D6==n (9J :D E9:D AC@8C2> >2C<6E23=6 2?5 H9J 5@ H6 4@?E:?F6 E@ 2==@H :E E@ 36nk^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 >2?J >@C6 AC@8C2>D E92E x 7@F?5 E@ 36 6BF2==J 5:DEFC3:?8i “$:? r:EJ[” DE2CC:?8 @=5 =25:6D 7:89E:?8] “|J q:8 u2E p>6C:42? vJADJ (655:?8[” DE2CC:?8 >:55=6 2865 2?5 J@F?8 EC2G6=6CD 7:89E:?8 23@FE 86EE:?8 >2CC:65 H:E9 E96 >@DE 3=:?8] “q25 v:C=D r=F3[” H:E9 H@>6? 86EE:?8 5CF?< 2?5 7:89E:?8 E@ 36 E96 >62?6DE 8:C= @? E96 3=@4<]k^Am
kAmu:89E:?8[ 5C:?<:?8[ 92G:?8 323:6D[ =:G:?8 >62?:?8=6DD =:G6D 2?5 6?4@FC28:?8 @E96CD E@ 5@ E96 D2>6] $@F?5D =:<6 @FC H@C=5 C:89E ?@H[ 5@6D?’E :Enk^Am
kAmw@H >2?J E:>6D 5@ H6 962C A6@A=6 D2J[ “(92E :D @FC H@C=5 4@>:?8 E@n” w@H >2?J E:>6D @G6C E96 A2DE J62C 92G6 H2E4965 :? 9@CC@C 2D G:4E:>D 72== AC6J E@ 56C2?865[ 2EE6?E:@? D66<:?8 D@4:@A2E9D 2?5 H6 2D<[ “w@H 4@F=5 E9:D 92AA6?n”k^Am
kAm|J BF6DE:@? :D[ H9J 5@ H6 H@?56Cnk^Am
kAmw@H >2?J G:@=6?E 2?5 AC@>:D4F@FD G:56@ 82>6D 5@ H6 4@?E:?F6 E@ AFC492D6 7@C @FC 49:=5C6?n w@H @7E6? 5@ H6 H2=< 2H2J 7C@> E96 E6=6G:D:@?[ =62G:?8 E96D6 J@F?8[ :>AC6DD:@?23=6 >:?5D E@ 36 A6C>2?6?E=J :>AC6DD65 3J F8=:?6DDnk^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ x H:== >2<6 2 4@>>:E>6?E E@ >JD6=7 7@C }6H *62C’D tG6] xE H:== :?G@=G6 D92C:?8 H:E9 @E96CD 9@H H6 42? 2?5 >FDE >2<6 2 5:776C6?46 :? @FC @H? 9@>6D] x H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ BF6DE:@? >JD6=7 2?5 @E96CD C682C5:?8 E96 >62?:?8 @7 E96 E9:?8D H6 2==@H @FCD6=G6D E@ 23D@C3 E9C@F89 E6=6G:D:@?[ >@G:6D[ 82>6D[ >65:2 2?5 D@4:2= ?6EH@C<:?8]k^Am
kAm&?56C286 5C:?<:?8[ 5CF8 FD6 2?5 AC68?2?4:6D D9@F=5 ?@ =@?86C 36 4@?D:56C65 “E96 ?6H ?@C>2=]” %96J >FDE 36 C6A=2465 H:E9 =@G6[ =62C?:?8[ 2AAC@AC:2E6 A=2J 2?5 J6D[ v@5]k^Am
kAmx’> 8@:?8 E@ 9@=5 @?E@ “sF4< sJ?2DEJ[” E9@F89] x =:<6 E92E D9@H] %96J H@C<[ =@G6[ =2F89[ E6249 E96:C 49:=5C6? 8@@5 >@C2=D 2?5 AC2J 367@C6 6249 >62=] %96J 2C6 E96 8@@5 8FJD] p?5 E96 8@@5 8FJD 2=H2JD H:?]k^Am
kAmw2AAJ[ 92AAJ[ 92AAJ }6H *62CP k^Am
