As we get older, it becomes more and more difficult for us to awaken the magical spirit of the New Year. Remember the time when you were a child: you yourself wanted to decorate the Christmas tree, went to the New Year holidays, brought sweet gifts from there with true delight, put them under the Christmas tree and looked forward to the evening of December 31st to see what Santa Claus brought . To create a New Year’s mood, you need to become this child in your soul. Here are some obvious but powerful things to help you do just that.
Set up and decorate a Christmas tree
It’s time to get the main character of the New Year from the mezzanine / closet / balcony / garage and decorate it. Think about what color balls you will hang on it, what tinsel, garlands and a star. Create a tradition: before each New Year, buy at least one new Christmas decoration to welcome the coming year.
If you have small children or playful pets at home, you can decorate a small Christmas tree or hang Christmas tree garlands on the wall. Check out Pinterest or Tumblr for some great ideas for Christmas and New Years!
And if you have not yet decided whether to choose an artificial or live Christmas tree, then read ours on this topic.
Decorate the house
Don’t stop at one Christmas tree lest it be the black sheep in the room. Let the LED garland under the ceiling, decorate doors, cabinets, put New Year’s toys on the shelves, hang snowflakes, wrap yourself in a magical atmosphere!
As you know, helping others helps us too. Help your neighbors! Hang a Christmas ball on their door, preferably at night or early in the morning. They will definitely be delighted with such an unexpected surprise and will puzzle over who did it.
Turn on New Year and Christmas music
You can put it in the background while decorating your home, cooking, even work. Remember what New Year and Christmas songs you love: Frank Sinatra’s Let It Snow, Jingle Bells, or maybe Five Minutes by Lyudmila Gurchenko? You can even set one of them as an alarm clock! New Year’s mood from the very morning is provided to you.
Prepare cookies, New Year’s gingerbread …
…or any other truly New Year’s pastry! Cook using deer, tree, bell, cone molds and decorate with frosting, sweet multi-colored sprinkles and glitter. Add winter spices, including ginger, cloves, cardamom, and more, to your cookies, pies, and drinks. If you have kids, they will love this activity!
Go for gifts
Agree, gifts are nice not only to receive, but also to give. Make a list of friends, family and think about what you would like to give them for the New Year. It is not necessary to make expensive gifts, because the New Year is just an excuse to do something nice. Let it be warm gloves and socks, sweets, cute trinkets. In general, something that will make your loved ones smile. For shopping, head to malls that already have a festive atmosphere, but be sure to follow your list so you don’t oversell.
Host a New Year’s Movie Night
After decorating the house and making cookies, invite your family or friends (or both) to watch New Year and Christmas movies. Turn off the lights, turn on the LED garlands and turn on the atmospheric film: “Home Alone”, “The Grinch Stole Christmas”, “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka” or even “Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” (despite the fact that the latter will soon go on all channels).
Plan your holiday menu
It may not create a festive atmosphere, but it will certainly reduce the stress levels on December 31st. Think about what you would like to see on the New Year’s table? What outlandish dishes will surprise the household? Write a list of dishes and ingredients and go to the store for those that will definitely “survive” until the end of December. Feel free to buy canned corn, peas, chickpeas, beans, canned coconut milk, flour, cane sugar, chocolate (if you make your own dessert), and more.
Come up with contests for New Year’s Eve
Down with the boring feast! Do not think that contests are purely childish entertainment. Adults will love them too! Search the internet for different options and buy or make your own small prizes for the winners. Let it be the same sweets, toys, scarves, mittens or even notebooks with pens: it is not the prize itself that is important, but the joy of the winner. Thinking through such things in advance can create a New Year’s mood today.