New Year's Eve Parties...Viewed Through Time !

At what stage are you ?

The whole world celebrates New Year's Eve and somehow we all wish, imagine and hope that the following year will be better than the last one. Most likely you have also been enthralled
( or maybe not ) since before you could walk properly. I find that there are different takes on this mega Party, depending on what stage of your life you are at.

1. Between the ages of 0 - 11, we just float along with our parental take off this party. More often than not, we don't even get to see in the New Year, as it is way past our bedtime and endurance. Yet we think that it all is so cool. Some of you will have sneaked a sip of punch or Champagne...and not liked it very much !
2. Of course from age 12 - 18, it all changes. Being stuck at your parents
   party is rather " uncool ", and we all tried to pretend to our friends that we either were not going or that we didn't enjoy it ( even though we did ). Libations would have been sneaked by the glass and also liked a whole lot better than previously.
3. It all starts to happen at age 19 - 30. This is the time of independence and ultra coolness. New Year's Eve parties at that stage in our life start more often than not already at Christmas. In fact it becomes a slightly blurry memory of a lot of days of having fun. As you have guessed, drinks are much liked by now, and many new friends made due to the fact of just inviting anyone we come across ! Not being at a party would be unthinkable.
4. From 31 - 40 we start to slow down. Spending it with your spouse and close family is far more fun, than doing the rounds chatting to acquaintances. Don't let me get started on this Kissing Custom. Its useful, when you fancy someone, but when you settled, you don't want to smooch a hundred lips at midnight. This is also the start of inventing excuses why you can't attend.
5. The ' Roaring Forties ' is not always an accurate description, as most of us do want to take it easy and relax. We are grown up enough, to decline some invites and there is sometimes nothing nicer than watching the various programs on TV - those we used to scoff at when we were younger. This is also the stage in your life, where you don't feel so bad, if you don't make it past 10 o'clock.
   The next morning you gleefully congratulate yourself on feeling good and wonder how you managed those " hangover " mornings in your twenties...

Biggi