New Year’s Eve

Other than the same old tired resolutions, any new New Year’s Eve traditions out there? Here are some of my favorites.

Happy Noon Year parties celebrate the New Year at noon instead of midnight. This works well for toddlers and people that have trouble staying awake until the ball drops (me) and I also enjoy an apple juice toast before naptime. I love that they are doing one of these at the zoo this year so kids can celebrate the New Year with a bunch of party animals.

Eating black eyed peas is also one of my favorite traditions, because I like black eyed peas (the band with Will.i.am too) but I am confused about whether you eat them on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. My solution is to eat them on both days. I like them in a recipe I keep on my fridge called Redneck Caviar which, when you combine black eyed peas, corn, pepper, onions, a can of hot Ro*tel, and Italian salad dressing and refrigerate, makes a delicious dip for tortilla chips and fakes the kids into eating black eyed peas (something they usually turn their noses up at) for the New Year.

This last one is one that my husband has had us doing every year since it was his family’s tradition. We light a bayberry candle on New Year’s Eve and if it remains lit through until New Year’s Day it portends good fortune in the New Year. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind if you want to adopt this tradition. Don’t light your candle under the ceiling fan. Plan to light it close enough to midnight so it won’t be completely burned out before the ball drops. Bayberry candles aren't always the easiest to find so if you are lighting your last one (like I am this year), plan to start looking for next year’s early on (think like an after Christmas sale only after New Year’s Day). Guess I won’t need an excuse to take a trip to Cracker Barrel or the mall. There's no doubt, at least this year, there will be one bayberry candle welcoming the New Year on Andros Island. And in St. Marys there will be one blogger sipping apple juice and eating redneck caviar near a flickering bayberry scented candle too.