On New Year's Eve it has become a custom to pop fireworks, especially at the midnight hour. Jon and I had great intentions to do this. We went to the firework stand and bought all the things we loved popping as a kid. I think it made Jon feel like a kid again as he was picking out what fireworks he wanted. We had plans to come home to our house after dinner and a few drinks and ring in the new year acting as children again, all giddy, popping fireworks...that didn't happen. Instead we lost track of time visiting with friends and realized it was 11:55 when they were passing out champagne where we were. Oh well, I told Jon that maybe we could just save the fireworks for July 4th and relive our childhood then.
Another tradition is to make a toast at midnight and drink champagne...we did partake in this. We were at Vintage Wine Bar hanging out with friends and just before midnight they passed out complimentary champagne. I do have to admit that it was pretty tasty (usually free champagne is super cheap and nasty!)
According to Wikipedia, failing to kiss someone at the stroke of midnight ensures a year of loneliness. I don't actually believe in this superstition, but I did get a kiss at the stroke of midnight from none other than my wonderful husband! Guess we have another year of not being lonely! ;)
On New Year's Day it has become a practice for people to have ham, black eyed peas, and cabbage for their meal. The ham is to represent positive motion, because pigs root forward when foraging. The cabbage symbolizes money, and the peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity. I also know that some people believe that you are to leave 3 peas on your plate in order to have good luck in the new year. I will probably be broke, fail in numerous things, and move backward in 2012, because my New Year's Day meal consisted of a cheeseburger from Wendys. Maybe the lettuce can replace the cabbage, the burger patty replace the ham, and the bread replace the peas (bread probably swells in my stomach after eating it?!)
People always seem to make New Year's resolutions. I know that I have in the past and I can not recall one resolution that I stuck with throughout the year. The new year gives people a sense of hope and new beginnings, therefore giving them the motivation to start doing something good or quitting something bad. Although I never stick with these resolutions, I always seem to make them. This year I only have two that I can come up with that I really want to be effective. First I want to learn to set a budget and live on it. I was never raised to set budgets, much less live on one. Money was definitely not in abundance growing up, but my parents never (that I know of) made out a budget and stuck with it. I know what I make and what I can spend, but I feel there is more to it than that. Jon and I are really wanting to start paying off some of this debt we have ourselves in, and if we don't limit our spending, then we will never be able to get these balances to zero. My second resolution is to grow in my faith and develop a closer relationship with God. I pray often and I give Him credit for this wonderful life that He has blessed me with. I want to go to church weekly without it being an option. I want Jon and I to become active in the church and meet new people who will help us to grow in our relationship and faith. I will continue to pray, and will start to pray more because I am a firm believer in the power of prayer!
I hope that all of you had a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve, maybe some of you even practiced some of these traditions! Here are a few pictures from our New Year's Eve...
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| *We joined some friends for dinner at Sushi Gen* |
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| *Micaela, Jennifer, and Me* |
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| *Me and the hubs ringing in 2012* |
Here's to 2012...
1 comment:
I love the Wendy's comment
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