New Year, Different New Year's Plans

By Caitlin Bootsma

Like so many other holidays this year, New Year's Eve is bound to look different than it has in previous years. While gathering for a party with a large group of people isn't a safe bet, there are still plenty of ways to say farewell to 2020.

Here's just a few suggestions to consider for New Year's Eve:

1. Spend some time in reflection and prayer: How have you grown spiritually this year? How have you suffered? What is your prayer for the New Year?
2. Bless others through giving: End this year with generosity. Donate to a nearby charity, pregnancy center or homeless shelter.
3. Keep your traditions: Even though the party may be smaller and only with your own household, you can still have the food, the beverage of choice, the noise makers, and, of course, sparklers!
4. Coordinate with your neighbors: Do something special this year in your neighborhood, such as lighting luminaries or starting a sing-along at midnight from your respective porches.
5. Tell people what they've meant to you this year: Video chat, call, or write a good old-fashioned letter to people who have made an impact on you this year. Encourage the kids in your care to do the same.
6. Play board games: If you like to play long games like Monopoly, Risk, Settlers of Catan or other strategic games, but never feel like you have the time, this is your night! Countdown to midnight with a board game.
7. Get into nature: End the year by going somewhere new, or exploring in a new way. Take a walk or a drive to somewhere nearby you've never really explored—a river, a bridge, or a hike in the woods.
8. Resolutions, goals, word of the year…: Did you choose any of these for 2020? Take some time or share with family or friends how these aspirations went. And, of course, pick new ones for 2021!

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