How to celebrate New Year’s Eve in COVID times
New Year has always been a way to see out the old and bring in the new. I reached out to my UK Money Group and friends to ask what they are doing this New Year. We may be unable to meet with each other. I have listed out 25 ways in which to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Covid times.
Let me know in the comments below what you are up to on NYE?
25 ways and ideas to celebrate New Year’s Eve
Wondering what to do for this New Year’s Eve? I asked UK Money Bloggers and friends what they will be doing to share some inspiring ideas with you all. We might not be able to celebrate in the usual way. There are lots of ways in which we can still make this special and stay connected with each other.
1. Hedkandi New Year Party
“We have a rather amazing Livestream on YouTube that absolutely everyone can enjoy. It’s your own private Hedkandi house party.”
Mark Doyle, Hedkandi
Live Streaming Comedy Extravaganza
2. In response to venues being closed on New Year’s Eve – Working From Home: Good Riddance 2020 from Just The Tonic has been announced featuring some of the best comedians in the UK including Romesh Ranganathan, Al Murra & John Thompson. For this one-off special event, they are taking over one of the Ed Fringe Festival Just The Tonic venue – The Caves, moving out of the spare room ‘studio’, and into a more atmospheric space. The show will be live-streamed from 8 pm – 1 am, with intro music from 7.15 pm (to give you time to get logged on, hit your laptop, shout at the internet then realise you haven’t done it all correctly!). Buy Tickets
3. Alternatively, you can join Nice N’ Spiky New Year’s Eve 2020 Comedy Party with Sindhu Vee, Stephen Bailey, Nathan Caton, Tom Ward, Marky Dawson & host Sion James. You can celebrate with friends across the country (or even the world!) and enjoy the magical experience of a live comedy club direct to your sofas via Zoom! Buy Tickets.
How will other bloggers be spending New Year’s Eve?
4. “I’ll be spending NYE planning our first trip away in over a year. I don’t know where we will be going, or even WHEN we will be going but I do know I want to plan it to the ‘nth’ degree to make sure that is perfect. I hope to have a few of these holidays documented so that when all *THIS* is behind us, I know exactly what where I want to go and what I want to do. Planning a holiday or break doesn’t mean I need to book it. But I do want to think about the great things I will do when this time has passed.”
The Reverend
5. “I’ll be spending it with my family, playing board games, having our last buffet pig out of the year (before January diets), and drinking the rest of the Christmas alcohol – just for my January diet purposes….honestly! At 12 we shall go out the front and bang our saucepans to celebrate in the new year and hope for a better 2021”
Claire Roach, MoneySavingCentral
6. “Well, Leisa and I hate fireworks so we’ll be asleep long before the fireworks begin. Before that though, we reflect on the things we achieved during the year (good and bad bits). We then have a look at our plans for the future and pray for ourselves and others that things will go well.”
Joleisha
7. “We will be continuing to hibernate with the kids and will be showing them the best of arcade games from the 80s on the mini Commodore 64 (my childhood!) and comparing it to the games on Apple Arcade – they have a free 3 month trial on at the moment!”
Jodie, Maidenhead Mum
Many people will be staying in watching TV (myself included), as well as phoning or zooming loved ones. Those who have kids will stay in, watch a movie, eat popcorn and play games (thanks Bruce). I can’t think of anything more special. If you are lucky enough to be living with your partner, spending NYE together sounds a great option “Staying in with the BF, we will start binge-watching Cobra Kai as soon as it drops at midnight 
“. Not all of us can see partners on NYE.
Zoom seems to be a really popular choice for connecting on NYE!
8. “I’ll be taking part in a Zoom quiz with the five other families we’d normally see on New Year’s Eve. Each family is setting the questions for one round. I am rubbish at quizzes but will be wonderful to see everyone even if only on screen. Will blame the wine I’ll be drinking before dry January.”
Much More With Less
9. “We’re ‘meeting’ some friends on Zoom and trying out a board game called Confident? which says it works well virtually, hopefully, it does! Added some Cava to the shopping list too, because I’m sure we can think of something to celebrate!”
Miss Manypennies
10. “We’re playing a murder mystery game via Zoom with two other households. I’m sure we’ll forget we’re sat at the dinner table when we get into it!”.
Naomi, Skint Dad
11. “We’re doing Mischief Theatre (the folks behind the Play that goes Wrong) online improv movie night. We did one already and it was so good we decided to sign up for the NY special as well! Basically, they take ideas for a film from the audience on Twitter and do an improvised play around it. They’re so good I’ve seen plenty of non-improvised films that made less sense.”
The Financial Wilderness
12. “We’re looking forward to food and games with just the four of us. We’ll be doing an online escape room and some board games with the kids and at midnight we’ll be popping party poppers out front with the neighbours (socially distanced of course). Then off to bed to pray that 2021 will be better than 2020
Money Savvy Mum UK.”
.”13. “The five of us are having a mini party, bit of music, food, games, followed by last year’s firework display on YouTube like we do each year before the kids go to bed at usual ish time. They’re too young to last ’til midnight. When they’re asleep, maybe a film and a rum and coke.”
The Moneypot Locations
Stuck for ideas on what to cook / eat / drink this NYE?
14. “This year I will be sat sipping champagne, toasting out a challenging year. Both of my siblings kindly bought me champagne for Christmas, I’d never usually buy that for myself, so I intend to enjoy an indulgent glass or two on the 31st December. I’ll also spend some time thinking about the things I will be able to do in 2021, rather than the things that covid may stop.”
Stapo’s Thrifty Life Hacks
15. “This year I’ve turned into a domestic goddess and am now the proud owner of a Ninja multicooker! I will be spending however the rest of 2020 and the whole of 2021 learning how to use it!”
Lady Janey
16. “We’ll be spending it cooking! We use New Year as an excuse to cook something new and usually pretty luxurious to start the year off the right way – this year we’re doing a beef Wellington.”
Dan, The Financial Wilderness
17. “We’re having a European themed dinner as it’s the last night before the Brexit transition period ends! We thought it would be a fun way to make an otherwise uneventful new year more entertaining”.
The Twenty Percent
18. “My wife, Rashi and I will be spending it together preparing a nice meal, as it’s going to be a very different new year’s eve maybe for the first time ever (for most, I can imagine). Usually, we take a trip to our families back in India or spend some excellent “us” time overseas at this time of the year. This year, we might do that in our little nest or maybe take a nice walk around just to be.”
Comparism
What’s going on around the world:
19. Sydney Fireworks: Nick says that he will be watching the Sydney fireworks, but due to the limited public viewing spaces, it will be liking having his own private display!
20. The Time Square Ball Drop: I have always wanted to see this ever since I watched the film New Year’s Eve! Jonathan Bennett will host for the live-stream (FREE) and Gloria Gaynor will send us out of 2020 by singing ‘I Will Survive’ which couldn’t be more apt right now!
21. Edinburgh Hogmanay: Scotland’s biggest NYE celebration is Hogmanay, which has now gone virtual. You can watch from 7 pm on YouTube. #FareWell
22. Tomorrowland: A few years ago I saw David Guetta on Copacabana Beach, Brazil on NYE. My all-time favourites will be playing…Major Lazer, Duck Sauce, and of course David Guetta! Buy Tickets
Other ways to spend New Year:
23. Go for a walk! Yes really. I am not alone when I wanted to have a walk.
24. Decorating: Anne-Marie will be decorating on NYE! One way to make 2021 and the year ahead very special.
25. Watching TV: I am going to be seeing in the New Year with my housemates, Jools Holland, Graham Norton and Alicia Keys. Alternatively, you can see the New Year in with YouTube. We might not be able to see the fireworks, but it’s more important this year to stay in and be safe.
To all of those people working on NYE – Thank you xx
Paul, Dave and Craig all told me that they will be working on New Year’s Eve. My heart goes out to everyone who will be caring for people whether at home, in a care home or hospital.
To those who are suffering from COVID and long COVID
We are all thinking of you. I have many friends who have been battling COVID over the Christmas break, and have been thinking about everyone at home or in hospital right now. A loving message from Sharon who has been struggling with long COVID, “tell those close you love them those you live with hug them spend time together make memories for tomorrow is never promised xx
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