What are you doing New Year’s, New Year’s Eve?

Uncategorized Dec 28, 2021

Maybe it's much too early in the game

Ah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same

What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve? 

~Ella Fitzgerald

We just completed our Courageous Self-Care Year End Retrospective yesterday, and it was rich. One of the most important points that came out of it was the idea of how important it is to gather what’s happened and celebrate it, rather than just do and forget. 

I used to loathe New Years, mainly because I felt like it was supposed to be special, but the things I chose to do to ‘celebrate’ felt empty. 

That all changed when our family created a New Year’s Eve ritual. Now I love New Years because it does, indeed, feel special. 

Paul, Zoe, Oakley and I have a few traditions that I would love to share with you. Feel free to take/adapt any part of our celebration that feels good to you.

First, we have a special dinner. Some years we make it ourselves. One memorable year we had breakfast for dinner. Yum! Other years we go out; it depends on how we’re feeling. The point is that we decide together and go with the flow. One time we ended up eating at about 3:30pm because that’s the only time that was available for our last minute decision. It was so fun to eat with all the seniors! 

Next, we reflect on the year by looking at photos, going through our Jar of Awesome (where we write on little pieces of paper awesome things that happen throughout the year) and perusing our daytimers. 

After that, we tear up paper and write things on the pieces that we’re ready to release and let go. We don’t tell each other what we write and that way we don’t have to worry about what anyone else will think. We also write out our intentions for the next year and our biggest wishes. 

Then we go out into the winter and make a fire somewhere. Sometimes it’s in a bowl, other times it’s in a firepit. Really, it depends on the temperature and how long we want to be outside. (Or more truthfully, how long I want to be outside.)

We take all the scraps of paper - the Jar of Awesome bits, the Intention bits, and the Letting Go bits and release them into the fire, one by one. We ask the fire to transform our wishes into reality and to help us let go of what no longer serves us. 

Sometimes we dance around the fire because it’s pretty epic to cavort around the flames, bathed in starlight. We also bring some flour and throw it into the fire periodically because it makes a big flash and we feel like powerful magicians.

Then we come home and do something fun like play Guesstures (a hilarious Charades-type game that’s enhanced by time pressure), drink upleveled hot chocolate or watch a movie. At midnight, we do our own countdown and welcome in the New Year.

We’ve found our ritual to be very connecting, fun and miraculous. I’ve had so many things that I’ve released into the fire come true (the wishes and intentions) or be much easier to release.

If your New Year’s Eve tends to feel a little hollow, I invite you to adopt some of our rituals, or create your own. You’ll find that your next year has fresher energy and it will be easier to manifest your wishes and intentions. 

I’m so excited for 2022 and I hope you are too. I’m planning on the best year yet!

With spacious love and epic courage,

Christina

*Creator of Courageous Self-Care

*Superfood Hot Chocolate Magician

*Lover of Conscious Celebrations

PS - Should you wish to join us for our Conscious New Year’s Celebration so you don’t have to plan one yourself, we’d love to have you! It’s a morning affair on Friday the 31st (for people in North America, at least) so you can still have all the fun you like in the evening. Click here to learn more.

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