New Year's Eve Tradition Ideas

FAMILY TIME CAPSULE ~
Create a time capsule to be opened the following year...
- Set goals
- New Ideas for your family
- Invite a neighbor family to join in the idea
- Start a new tradition of a new out look for the new year.
- State a mission statement for that year for your family
- Make it a party enjoying each others goals and ideas.

NEW YEAR'S TREE ~
New Years Eve we take down the Christmas Ornaments on the tree and decorate the tree for New Years, complete with hats, horns, confetti etc. it makes a fun, colorful tree and then each person in the family puts their resolutions on a paper roll it up and put it on the tree as a decoration. On New Years we take them off the tree, read them and guess who wrote them!!

GOALS AND LOVE ~
We celebrate the New Year by enjoying special drinks and popcorn by candlelight as we
1. Tell what we felt was the highlight of the past year
2. Set our goals for the new year
3. Express our love and appreciation for each other
One year we even made a "time capsule" of sorts in a canning jar. We wrote our predictions and hopes for the new year and opened them the next New Year to see how well we did.

FAMILY PRAYER ~
One tradition we've had ever since we've lived in the islands is that of gathering for family prayer shortly after midnight with my husband's parents. No matter what activities we attend on New Year's Eve, we rush to Mom and Dad's house for prayer about midnight. Prayer used to be followed by homemade donuts and cocoa, but now that they've grown older, we just visit for a few minutes and head home. But my children always remember going to Grandma's for the first family prayer of the New Year.

FAMILY LIGHT ~
We all stay up till midnight, then we toast to the new year with sparkling apple cider. Then Mom hands a votive candle to each of us and we gather in a circle. In the middle of the circle is a table with a glass plate in the center. One by one we place our candle on the plate, light it, then tell the family what our goal for the coming year is. After we each share our goals, Mom has us hold hands, then she tells us to look at the light of the candles. Each light represents a family member, and alone the light was dim, but as we added our light to the plate the light was able to penetrate the dark room. So it is with families. When we work together to help one another, we are able to accomplish our goals and reach further than we can alone.

HOMEMADE DECORATIONS ~
New Years is a time to celebrate! We love to make all the decorations with the kids. Pull out all the markers and paper and get to work. Be creative and let the kids go to town with their ideas. Have them make the streamers and shakers and confetti. Put up the signs everywhere! Add a few balloons for fun. On a big poster, make a wish list for the family to do that year together and sign it that day! ....and don't forget the food. Have everyone prepare there favorite dish to share. The combination might not always be balanced but being together is what it is all about. Play games and dance to the tunes you all love. Roll out the sleeping bags for the little ones that just might drop off a little early.