New Year”s Eve has had the reputation of being the time of year where dating is under the microscope. Valentine”s Day might be the most conventional romantic holiday, but New Year”s Eve has also come to be a time when relationships are celebrated and glorified. New Year”s Eve has turned from a celebration of another year into a holiday that is all about finding, or having, someone to kiss when the ball drops. People forget that New Year”s Eve has a special meaning other than being in a relationship – it”s about surviving another year. Whether you”re single or not, New Year”s Eve should be about reflection.
It”s not about pageantry or getting wasted, it”s about celebrating the potential that a fresh set of 365 days holds. New Year”s Eve is also a great time to evaluate the year that has passed, to appreciate the good times, and let go of the bad ones.
While New Year”s Eve might be about ringing in the new year, it can be tricky for people to ignore how relationship-centric the holiday has become. However, not all hope is lost. Here are some tips for navigating New Year”s Eve while single – first, think about the friends and family that are important to you and are living well. Think about those who are struggling right now to make it past 2015 and into 2016. They”re the ones who you should think about and find a way to comfort them. Thinking about your loved ones or those less fortunate than you and working to help others have the best holiday possible is a good way to forget that there”s no one to kiss at midnight.
It”s also important to remember that being single isn”t the end of the world. You don”t need to have a date to enjoy the final day of the year. In fact, dating on this particular day is overrated. It”s possible to have a good time with friends and family alone, and there”s no need to rush into a relationship or try to find a last-minute date to conform to the social pressures of kissing someone at midnight.
One last thing to remember is don”t let not having a date on New Year”s Eve ruin your memories surrounding the last day of the year. You don”t want to be like Lieutenant Dan looking lonely and miserable when everyone else is blissfully celebrating.
You should be celebrating with the people that truly matter – with friends, family and other loved ones. When you”re hanging out with them and perhaps having a drink, have fun and stay safe. Don”t dwell on not being in a relationship, represent the single life with pride.
As a matter of fact, New Year”s Eve is the worst time to get into a relationship because there”s a possibility 2015 will end on a sour note. End the year on a great note, don”t let something like having a date dwell on you. It”s not worth getting drunk or lashing out on someone who didn”t do anything. Dating isn”t what New Year”s Eve is about. A time of reflection and celebrating the new year is what makes the final day of the calendar monumental.
Luis Torres can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @TheLTFiles