New Clichés Eve- New Years is just another night

 With less than a month to go until we wave goodbye to 2024, New Year’s Eve plans are well and truly underway. The invites are going out, the outfits are being planned and the beginning of the end (of the year) is now firmly on the horizon. But spare just a moment of your party planning, because I think it's about time we appreciated a few home truths about New Year’s because let’s face it…it’s just another night.

New Year’s is a strange night of the year, because, from my experience, New Year’s is either the best way to begin a new year, or a depressing reminder of where you stand on the social ladder. New Year’s is marked either by a big house party, or perhaps a night out on the town, furiously checking the time to make sure you don’t miss the countdown and joining in jubilantly as it approaches…or laying in bed watching everyone else do it through the ‘miracles’ of Snapchat and Instagram.

New Year’s can be a fantastic evening, but it can also be a difficult one, depending on your circumstances. Join in the festivities, often without truly wanting to if we’re being realistic, or be forced to watch it all the next morning. Not a fantastic choice for ‘the best night of the year’.

In recent years, I’ve been lucky enough to spend New Year’s in, what I believe, is the best way possible – a chilled house party, watching the fireworks over the Thames on TV, and chatting, before everyone slowly disappears to sleep one by one. For me, this is simply unbeatable. Ringing the year in with those you love, but without the pressure of drinking an ungodly amount and getting cold somewhere on West Street, the night-in for New Year’s is a much more enjoyable way to wave goodbye to the year that’s been – by reminiscing with those that made it so wonderful.

But before you go to get lost in the festivities, we must all remember a few important things. Firstly, New Year’s is just another night. Yes, this year’s will be the first moments of 2025, the end of 2024 and the chance to start anew. But it is still a night like any other at the end of the day, and if you don’t enjoy a night out as it is, don’t feel pressured to join in just because it is New Year’s – you should be allowed to enjoy it in your own way.

But even more importantly, remember to keep in mind those who may struggle with the annual festivity. New Year’s by yourself or inside without company can be extremely isolating, even at student age. So check in with your quiet friends, offer them plans if they wish to take them, and don’t forget those who may not have been immediately obvious. Everyone should be able to ring in the New Year how they so wish – make sure everyone has  chance to celebrate, rather than make New Year’s another night to forget,