Jennifer Lambert

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You are here: Home / Family / How We Celebrate the New Year

How We Celebrate the New Year

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December 28, 2014 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Our family’s tradition for New Years Eve is simple and frugal. We rarely stay up to ring in the New Year since we have four kids and are exhausted parents. Keeping the kids and ourselves up makes for a rough New Year’s Day.

We try to make New Year’s Eve special for the kids.

We like to stay in together as a family and discuss the years past – with all of the blessings, and the new year to come – all the exciting things God has planned for us.

It’s a fun day to do crafts together and reminisce and plan.

How We Celebrate New Years Eve

Food

We have fun making “snackies” – as the kids call tapas or appetizers that we lay out on TV trays for all to share.

Some of our go-to NYE party foods:

  • pigs in blankets
  • BBQ mini meatballs
  • cheese and salami platter (charcuterie)
  • various nuts
  • mini pizzas or tortilla pizzas
  • spinach artichoke dip (hot or cold)
  • veggie and fruit trays
  • sweet and spicy or mochiko chicken nuggets
  • chicken wings
  • sushi or smoked salmon
  • a variety of crackers and chips

Having a variety means everyone is happy with picking and choosing and sometimes finding a new favorite!

Mocktails

We make a yummy frothy punch out of pineapple juice, ginger ale, and sherbet. The kids sometimes like to have fizzy grape juice.

We also make our own sweet and sour mix and add that to lemon lime soda or ginger ale with fruit for a fun sangria.

Pretty glasses are a must-have to make this special.

Memories

We discuss our favorite memories from the last year. I have these fun memories cards that help prompt the kids as we remember.

We discuss our goals for the next year as a family and homeschool. The kids love this and it offers me insight into what’s important to them.

I love seeing my kids grow up and update their values each year.

Movie

We always watch a Muppet movie. I never realized it had become a tradition until my eldest daughter reminded me we had to make sure we had the new Muppets Most Wanted movie for NYE.

We don’t venture outside at night because the fireworks are scary, loud, and dangerous. They’re illegal in Germany except for a few days a year and everyone thinks they’re a pro and it can get a little rowdy. It’s safer indoors.

How do you ring in the New Year?

New Year’s Day food is important too!

Peas or lentils represent coin money.

Pork is rich in fat and represents prosperity and also progress.

Leafy greens also represent money.

I grew up eating pork roast and black eyed peas. I make pork, peas, cornbread, and greens for my family for prosperity, coins, gold, and dollars.

In Germany and German-American homes, the tradition is pork and sauerkraut. Cabbage strands represent money.

Noodles represent longevity, prosperity, and luck.

Rice represents abundance.

Whole scaly fish represent abundance. Some people used to and maybe still do stow away a few scales in their purse or wallet to ensure good fortune.

Pomegranate seeds are associated with life and fertility.

Eating 12 grapes at midnight is a fun and sometimes hilarious superstition from Spain and Latin America. It should bring luck for all 12 months of the new year.

Oranges and honey represent a sweet golden new year in Asia.

Round cakes like Bundt represent the circle of life. In Greece, orange cake Vasilopita is popular. Kransekage or wreath cake is popular in Scandinavia.

Glücksschwein or marzipan pigs are popular in Germany and Austria.

Happy New Year!

Check out my New Year Pinterest board:
Follow Jennifer Lambert’s board New Year on Pinterest.


Filed Under: Family Tagged With: New Year

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jenalambert

INTJ. Only child. Military Wife. Homeschool Mom. Geek. Naturalist. Traveler. Questioning authority since 1976.

I get home after errands and our AC is out but I s I get home after errands and our AC is out but I still made this gorgeous yellowfin tuna, jasmine rice, and sauteed veg, including some fun Japanese eggplant.
What's really devastating is that my parents have What's really devastating is that my parents have these annual agendas they used as journals and they recorded absolutely everything about their daily lives. My father mainly recorded his meals, digestion, sleep schedule, weather, finances, and medical appointments. So I get a glimpse into what my mother 's daily schedule, medical history, meals, thoughts, and feelings were for the past decade and it's glaringly obvious how little she thought of me and my children.I was barely on the checklist. I'm not sure at what point or even how to reconcile this and I just feel very alone.
Since my son has a baseball game tonight right in Since my son has a baseball game tonight right in the middle of dinner time. Southern bento box: salmon patties with remoulade, Cole slaw, Publix tater salad, fried corn. Gonna bring a cup of cherry limeade.
Smoothie time in the garden Smoothie time in the garden
My peonies are happy this year My peonies are happy this year
A month ago we had a belated celebration dinner an A month ago we had a belated celebration dinner and it was delightful.
Omg zaatar sumac lemon roasted chicken and potatoe Omg zaatar sumac lemon roasted chicken and potatoes with green beans almondine and sauteed zucchini and garlic bread with the pan juice. Yes.
Made a fun olive oil rosemary lemon cake for my #3 Made a fun olive oil rosemary lemon cake for my #3 turning 18 and graduating from our homeschool. I always love the unique cake flavors they request!
My rose is having a moment. My rose is having a moment.
Hopes & Dreams Hopes & Dreams
So, real issues now when Kerrygold butter is out o So, real issues now when Kerrygold butter is out of stock at Sam's.I bought the entire shelf of Kerrygold at our military commissary. But there's no good jasmine rice at the commissary and fewer breakfast sausage and lots of empty shelves where international foods should be stocked.I love how no one understands or cares how tariffs work.
Good heavens, this roasted garlic bread from Publi Good heavens, this roasted garlic bread from Publix and organic rosé wine (the Natura Pinot noir is good too) from Chile is absolutely amazing. I love Publix so much y'all. The subs, the potato salad, the salmon dinners, the cake! How friendly and helpful everyone is. I'm so excited that I have one only an hour and a half away now. I bought my wedding cake from Publix in 2005.
Alone for the first time in months it seems Alone for the first time in months it seems
75⁰ calls for a Hefeweizen. 75⁰ calls for a Hefeweizen.
Sign of spring Sign of spring
Trying to clear out my parents' house in a week. S Trying to clear out my parents' house in a week. Surrounded by trash, donations, boxes, junk, antiques. So much stuff.
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We're ready for spring and we're going to have wor We're ready for spring and we're going to have words with that groundhog if he doesn't do what I want.
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