New Year’s Eve is coming up.  Plan ahead to make December 31 a fun and memorable occasion.

Have a Safe New Year

Sometimes people get carried away with festivities, and that can cause problems.  You can prevent most mishaps and misunderstandings by making prior arrangements.

• Serve something other than alcohol as a celebratory beverage.  You can have a “dry” party with no alcohol whatsoever, but even if you serve the traditional champagne, make sure you offer nonalcoholic options too.  If you and your guests enjoy mixing drinks, try Italian sodas instead of liquor!  Flavored coffees can also be fun.
• If you serve alcohol, make sure that nobody drives while drunk.  Make sure everyone has a designated driver (or other travel arrangements) and collect car keys from everyone who will be drinking alcohol before they have their first drink.
• The safest New Year’s Eve parties are those that begin before dark and last overnight, so that your guests will be leaving the next morning.  This avoids the hours during which other idiots are most likely to drive drunk.
• Depending on the kind of friends and party you have, a discreet dish of condoms in the bathroom or guest rooms may be a valuable safety precaution.
• Keep an eye on the weather.  Winter storms can be nasty.  Have extra crash space and bedding available in case folks have to spend the night unexpectedly.

Have a Green New Year

Parties can be a little hard on the environment.  Some cities have special celebrations.  Here are some things you can do to avoid mashing cute li’l 2010 under your giant carbon footprint.

• Encourage your guests to carpool.  This saves gasoline and cuts down on emissions.
• Choose reusable party supplies if you have enough plates, silverware, etc. to go around.  If you don’t have enough, supplement those with biodegradable party supplies.
• Decorations can also be reusable from one year to another, especially if you reserve the year number for consumables (i.e. write it on the cake).  Wooden plates enameled in gold or silver foil are popular, and can be used for any festive occasion.  Garlands of gold or silver stars can be coiled up and saved for reuse.  And don’t forget the nifty new LED holiday lights, now on sale after Christmas!  They use much less power than the old holiday lights.
• Instead of plastic confetti, go outside and throw birdseed (weather permitting).  Indoors, paper confetti is acceptable; it can be vacuumed up and composted.
• Serve wholesome food, preferably organic and locally grown.  If you’re serving alcohol, try to obtain it from a local brewer.  Don’t overstuff your guests, though — that makes it hard to stay awake.  Offer a light supper followed by snack trays with dried or fresh fruits, nuts, cheeses, sandwich meats, bread, and a few sweets such as cookies or fudge.
• After midnight, invite your guests to talk about what they want to do in the new year.  It doesn’t have to be as formal as resolutions, which people usually break; informal goals or ideals have a better success rate.  You go first, and make yours something Earth-friendly; this sets a good example.

What are some of your plans for New Year’s Eve?