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An almost practical guide to New Year's Eve 2020

The end of the year is inexorably approaching and we are going to celebrate a decidedly strange New Year. How we are supposed to party in such a particular situation?

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that there are two types of people in the world: those who live for the New Year's Eve and those who can't wait for it to be all over.

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)

In the first category we can observe some peculiar creatures, that at the start of December (if not earlier), appear in our notifications with New Year's WhatsApp groups, full of lists of party locations, some quite weird, shopping lists of possible menus, with carefully selected ingredients, created taking into account everything, even the allergies of the cousin of that friend, of a friend that you don't know that well. They just need to celebrate and it is IMPOSSIBLE to escape.

The creatures in the second category are much harder to spot. Just hearing the word "New Year's Eve" push them to hide away, far from the crowd: they consider time like a social construct and the mere idea of  ending up in a big party with a random group of people make them flee to the moon.

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Bella 🦋 (@bellahadid)

But this is a decidedly bizarre year. The two extremes of the spectrum are united by the fact that this year there isn't a choice: for the first time we all agree that it will be an weird New Year's Eve.

It seems that the general situation is improving and if it was initially decided to ban travelling between different cities on 25th, 26th December and 1st January, we are (maybe) getting some freedom of movement. But of course, caution must win, to avoid a third wave. So, we can forget   dance club, crowded restaurant and looking at fireworks from big squares.

So what? How to celebrate, in a year with a very few happy moments and in a moment like this, with a desperate need for lightness?

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus)

Perhaps the only solution between the two extremes of New Year's love-hate is to adopt an approach that falls in the middle and takes a bit of inspiration from one side and a bit from the other. So, we understood that we will probably stay at home, in the company of families, various and possible relatives, some friends (perhaps), basically the dream of those who hate the New Year's Eve. Instead of being sad, why not turn the house into a party castle, enjoying to the fullest homely and somewhat unsociable activities? We are in our homes, no one sees us, we can potentially do what we want.

Forget minimalism, let's take the most outrageous and amazing outfits in our wardrobe and let's get dressed up just to be on the sofa. Let's get a stable internet connection and organize a Zoom party with some friends, not too many, those people who make us feel 100% at ease. We can organize a marathon of films and series that we love and are never tired of bingewatch. Even if we don't like cooking, let's indulge in creating fabulous and elaborate menus. The party is just for us and after a year like this, we deserve to celebrate.

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)

Precisely for this reason it is necessary to take some of the enthusiasm of the New Year's Eve lovers: we are in desperate need of enthusiasm. At different levels it has been a tough, incomprehensible and difficult year for everyone. In this period, that should be festive, perhaps we feel tired and worn, after long months spent in anxiety. Then perhaps it would be natural to think that there is very little to celebrate, that it's useless. But instead we desperately need to experience a sense of hope, to celebrate something that maybe is a social convention, but it's a ritual to close a difficult year and to get a fresh start, a rebirth, a new spirit and buds that will finally bloom.

 

Wishing for a kinder 2021.

 

 

Image: Photo by DESIGNECOLOGIST on Unsplash