Happy New Year

Instructions Step 1: Attend a singles event Attend the largest singles event you can find — most communities have them. Or head to Times Square in New York City; with one million revelers, surely you can find someone suitable to kiss at midnight. Other cities with big New Year’s Eve blowouts include Sydney, Rio de …

Instructions Step 1: Say it in French Say “Happy New Year” in French: Bonne Année! Step 2: Give the greeting in German Bestow New Year wishes in German: Gluckliches neues Jahr! Step 3: Say it in Chinese Say it in standard, or Mandarin, Chinese: Xin Nian Kuai Le TIP: The Chinese language has many dialects, …

Instructions Step 1: Kiss Kiss your lover at midnight. Among the most popular superstitions followed on New Year’s, this isn’t just a celebratory kiss. If you don’t kiss your significant other at the stroke of midnight, you risk losing their affection for the rest of the year. Step 2: Stock up and pay bills Stock …

Instructions Step 1: Get the details Find the next date of Chinese New Year, which changes with the lunar cycle. Learn which of the 12 zodiac animals is associated with that year’s celebration. Step 2: Clean up Before the Chinese New Year arrives, clean your house, and settle any outstanding debts with friends. According to …

Instructions Step 1: Sign a contract Help a resolution stick by creating a commitment contract: put aside some money with a trusted friend or relative, and resolve to make good on your promise within a set period. When the time’s up, if you haven’t kept your vow, the money goes to charity. People who used …

Instructions Step 1: Do what you like Throw out any preconceived ideas of what you “should” be doing on New Year’s Eve; there’s no law that says you have to drink champagne or watch the ball drop at midnight. Step 2: Splurge on a decadent meal Splurge on a decadent home-cooked meal: Even luxury foods …

Instructions Step 1: Sketch a design Using a pair of your own glasses, lay one of the earpieces flat on a 20-inch piece of sketch paper, and trace its outline. Then, tilt the glasses until the front of the lenses are resting on the paper, and trace the lens outline. Tilt again to trace the …

Instructions Step 1: Limit the bar Limit the bar to beer, wine, and one signature cocktail. Have just enough champagne for everyone to take a few sips at midnight. TIP: Serve Spanish Cava sparkling wine instead of champagne; it’s less expensive, but few will be able to tell the difference. Step 2: Use discounted paper …

Instructions Step 1: Get the word out Send an email to everyone in your address book asking if they know someone who might want to ring in the New Year with you, no strings attached. Step 2: Book a singles getaway Book a singles getaway sometime in mid-December. You’ll meet plenty of other people anxious …

Instructions Step 1: Invite guests Come up with a diverse guest list of fun people, then mail or email invitations at least four weeks in advance. TIP: To shake things up, choose a theme—like Breakfast at Tiffany’s or The Roaring Twenties—and instruct your guests to dress accordingly. Step 2: Plan a menu Plan a menu …

Instructions Step 1: Invite your guests a month in advance. Spare yourself from being inundated with calls by marking the invitation ‘Regrets Only.’ Step 2: Plan your menu. Because brunch is a meal that serves as both breakfast and lunch, it can be anything from a simple selection of breads and pastries to steak and …

Instructions Step 1: Decide what kind of party you’ll be throwing. You’ll need less alcohol for a lunch party than for a cocktail or dinner party. : Don’t drink unless you’re of legal age. Drink responsibly, and never drink and drive. Step 2: Make a guest list. Who and how many you invite will determine …

Instructions Step 1: Rent some videos Arrive at the video store five minutes before closing and agonize over the remaining DVDs: ‘Dora the Explorer’, ‘Bonanza’ and a German movie about people crying. Take all three — now is not the time to be proud. Step 2: Open the champagne Upon returning home, open the bottle …

Instructions Step 1: Find a table Find a sturdy, steady table on which you can build your fountain. Step 2: Crunch the numbers Figure out how many glasses you’ll need in order to both accommodate your guests and ensure that your tower doesn’t tumble. Each square layer must become proportionately smaller than the last, so …

Instructions Step 1: Start out small Choose attainable goals. Setting the bar too high only invites failure. Step 2: Write them down Write down what you hope to achieve. You may feel silly, but research shows that people who write down their resolutions are more likely to keep them. Step 3: Go public Tell everyone …