Planning for the same auld New Year's traditions this year? Here's what JOE will be getting up to
New Year's Eve dinner
having already stuffed yourself at Christmas with turkey, and in the days since turkey sandwiches, turkey curry, turkey pie, turkey pasta, turkey stuffed with turkey and all sorts of desserts, it's time for a nice dinner that features something else other than poultry. Be it roast beef, some form of casserole or whatever, the whole family enjoys a bottle of wine, a bit to eat and a good aul chinwag about the year gone by before the sherry kicks in and the abuse gets handed out.
A look back at your complaints from the year just gone
Each year, after the excitement, merriment and general joyfulness of the Christmas season has simmered down, the family readies themselves for the final fun tradition of the year.
Forget birthdays, banquets and Bar Mitzvahs, this is the event that really matters.
It is, of course, the annual New Year's Eve 'Here Are The Five Most Annoying Things My Family Did To Me This Year, Please Don't Do Any Of These Things Again Next Year.'
Catchy title, eh?
From your little brother breaking your precious piggy bank open and stealing your hard-earned €4.78 to go and buy himself the latest Beano Annual back in July, to your mam and dad being angry at you for "crashing their car into their house." Sheesh, some people.
This New Year's Eve tradition may be a little bit unorthodox but there is no arguing with the fact that it is the perfect opportunity for everybody in the family to air their grievances and to ring in the upcoming New Year with a brand new shiny clean slate... and probably a black eye.
A tipple of sherry
Let’s face it, a tipple or two is a huge part of New Year’s Eve. And as it is the one night of the year where everyone likes a bit of fizz, and we don’t mean Club orange either. Make a night of it and get some bubbly in. You don’t have to splash out on Cristal (hey, we’re all still broke) but some decent Prosecco won’t cripple your wallet and nobody will notice anyway.
It’ll set you up for a great night, but don’t go too mad, you have to make it to 12 o’clock after all. Just make sure that the bubbles don't go to your head (as usual) and you end up having a blazing row with your aunt who has been in the house for seven hours and won't stop giving out to you about how many different ways your life has gone wrong.
Watching the Hootenanny with Jools Holland
It’s a well-known fact that they record it sometime in mid-August (OK, OK, a couple of weeks before the actual New Year) but there’s nothing quite like the comforting sights and sounds of Jools Holland’s Hootenanny to ring in the New Year from the comfort of your own couch.
Without fail, Jools always manages to secure the finest of musical entertainment and can always rely on a few celebrity guests to turn up and enjoy the fun, which is no doubt helped by the ample supply of beer and champagne all around.
It’s the kind of party we can envisage ourselves throwing if we were as famous, important and talented Jools and his guests are, but we’ll just have to settle for a bag o’cans and Oasis songs on an out-of-tune guitar at 3 in the morning. Again.
However, if you don't fancy reliving the mild horror of all of these New Year's traditions all over again, then this year, to save you from tears, why not head along to see the brilliant Madness as they headline the Three NYE event in Dublin this New Year's Eve? We promise you'll have a much better time than you would at home, trying to avoid falling asleep before midnight with a party popper in your hand and a noise maker upside down in your pint glass.
Celebrate the last few hours of 2013 at the Three NYE Dublin Countdown Concert – the biggest street party of the year!
Featuring the legendary Madness, pop sensations MKS (Mutya/Keisha/Siobhan), and home grown talent Ryan Sheridan, The Strypes and Seo Linn, it’s the only place to ring in 2014. For more info and tickets visit http://www.3nyedublin.ie/
