New Year’s Eve is this Saturday! To celebrate it with the family and welcome the new year serenely, here are our ideas for outdoor outings and our activities to do at home in the warmth with the children.
In a few days, the year 2022 will be officially over. the New year’s eve, also called New Year’s Eve, closes the end-of-year celebration marathon. It is an event that is celebrated around the world. In general, for one evening, families and friends get together around yet another hearty meal to celebrate the start of the New Year at midnight sharp. Some take the opportunity to share their anecdotes from the past year, both good and bad, and make new resolutions. For children, it’s also a festive time when they can have fun for hours and stay up late, while dressing up in their most beautiful outfits. If you want to take full advantage of it, as a family, in several towns in France, exits and activities are scheduled for December 31 and accessible to children. At home too, you can organize fun activities to do together. Here are our ideas:
What outings are planned for families for December 31?
Some families want to take advantage of New Year’s Day to go outdoors and stretch their legs a bit before the evening feast. It could be a movie, a play, or a day at an amusement park. If this is your case, or if you simply want to occupy your children on D-Day, Here are the events that are planned all over France:
- The Lion King Musicalat the Théâtre Mogador in Paris: from 74 euros per ticket. More information on the Fnac ticket office.
- Disney on Ice Show – La Grande Aventure, at the Gayant Expo in Douai: from 36 euros per ticket. More details about the program at the Fnac ticket office.
- Fun and educational activities Cité des Enfants 2-7 years oldat the City of Science and Industry in Paris. For information on the program and ticket prices, go to Fnac ticket office.
- Nutcracker Dance Balletat the Palais des Congrès in Paris: seat from 44 euros. More details on the Fnac ticket office.
- My first Swan Lakeat the Théâtre Mogador in Paris: from 25 euros per seat. To read the program, go to the Fnac ticket office.
- Lights in the Dark Dance Light Showat the Théâtre Libre de Paris: from 26 euros per seat. Reservation and program on the Fnac website.
- Special New Year’s Eve Cabaret of the Zèbre de BellevilleParis: show and meal package. More details on the website www.lezebre.com
- Equestrian show Les Folies Grussat the Gruss Boulogne-Billancourt circus: discover the information of the event on the official site of the circus Gruss.
What are the activities to do at home on December 31?
To occupy the whole tribe before celebrating the new year, you can plan family activities at home, without screen if possible. To tighten ties and have a good time surrounded by your loved ones, there is nothing like it. Here are some ideas for activities and games for young and old:
- An escape game : the escape-kit website offers turnkey kits to make at home with everything you need. For New Year, several themes are available (The adventure to the 4 corners of the world, The bewitched school, The key to wonders, etc.)
- A musical blind test
- A game of board game (Uno, Good Pay, Jungle Speed, Lynx etc)
- An XXL puzzle to build
- A photoshoot disguised
- A play to imagine
- puppet games
- A sweet recipe to share (crepes, pancakes, waffles)
- A photo album to be manufactured over the past year
- A family diary to be filled with all the highlights of the year
What day falls on December 31 this year?
This year, on the calendar, December 31 is a Saturday. It is customary to celebrate the New Year on the night of Saturday, December 31 to 1er January. New Year’s Day falls on Sunday 1er January 2023. It is also a public holiday. The people who celebrate it therefore have a whole day to recover from their excesses.
What’s the New Year’s story?
New Year’s Eve is a celebration that is not so new, it dates back to the time of Julius Caesar. At that time, in 46 BC, the famous Roman emperor decided to set the date of the New Year on January 1st. For him, it was the first day of the new year. The very believing Roman people then dedicated this day to Janus, God of renewal who had two faces, one turned forward, in other words the future, and the other backwards, the past. Even today, the New Year is for many synonymous with renewal. For the record, over the centuries, the New Year’s date has not been stopped, it has evolved : it was in turn celebrated on December 25, under Charlemagne, at Easter at the time of the Capetians, until the Edict of Roussillon of August 9, 1564 promulgated by Charles IX does not return to January 1. In 1622, the Holy See established that January 1 marks the first day of the year in Catholic countries.
What traditions at New Year?
New Year’s Eve is not without a table overflowing with food: oysters, caviar, foie gras, dates, honey bread, spices… Clothes must be gold or sequined, symbols of novelty. We won’t forget the champagne or the party favors. As for fireworks, they are intended to ward off evil spirits. The New Year’s Eve party has been modernized over the years: playlists or themed evenings such as disguise evenings, Black & White, trips to the past or to the future… have been very successful! In several countries, including France, traditions on New Year’s Day are legion. They vary according to the country: we will break plates in Denmark, we will swallow 12 grapes in 12 seconds in Spain or we will throw a coin into a river in Romania. In France, here are the traditions that are the most shared:
New Year countdown
Always keep an eye on your watch on New Year’s Eve. It’s not all about kissing at midnight, you still have to start the countdown during the last ten seconds… And when the clock indicates 0:00, everyone must in principle hasten to chant “Happy New Year, to your good health !”
New Year’s wishes
In the hours following the transition to the New Year, it is customary to grab your smartphone and frantically write messages of New Year’s wishes to uncertain fate – the network being of course saturated. The most traditional and vintage ones send a greeting card by La Poste. The inventor of the Christmas card, Sir Henry Cole certainly had no idea that this fantasy would become an institution. Saying New Year’s Greetings is today an act of politeness, not to present them… culpable negligence that can sometimes earn you reprimands from your loved ones. Here are our free printable New Year greeting card templates:
New Year’s bath
Straight from the Scandinavian countries, the tradition of bathing in ice water will thrill the less adventurous. Jumping into cold water after immersing yourself in a steam bath would have the virtue of strengthening the immune system. This tradition also corresponds to a rite of purification. And it is the Bretons, who are the most followers of this tradition!
Kisses under the mistletoe
Considered a sacred plant at the time of the Gauls, mistletoe was renowned for its medicinal and magical faculties. On New Year’s Eve, skissing under the mistletoe brings good luck and aims to summon prosperity and fertility to people.
On New Year’s Eve, we put on our 31! Here are our outfit ideas to shine for the New Year.
Why is the New Year also called New Year’s Eve?
December 31, New Year’s Day, is also known as New Year’s Eve. This denomination refers to the saint named Sylvester 1st, who was Pope of the Church of Rome during the reign of Constantine. He was honored by Catholics and is said to have died on December 31. Since then the name has remained and in France, New Year’s Eve became the last official day of the year, under the order of King Charles IX in 1564. This is why New Year’s Eve is celebrated.