The Last Supper (of the year)

There are many traditions and foods considered lucky for the last supper of the year, including hoppin’ John, pork and sauerkraut, salt cod, and greens to name just a few. Many people will head out for a night of revelry and drunkenness, but we will stay home. My daughter and I always spend New Year’s Eve together, though I suspect we’re nearing the end of this tradition as she gets older. In Philadelphia there are two fireworks scheduled, one at 6:00 and another at midnight, and we can walk to them. My daughter has invited a friend over this year, and though I offered to go watch the midnight fireworks, she said she prefers the 6:00 show, and to spend the rest of the evening at home.

Maybe we’ll watch some movies, or they will, and I’ll just do my thing, happy to have them here, having fun. Naturally for us, the menu has been a topic of discussion for a few weeks. I’ll need to show some restraint, as it will just be the three of us, but it will need to be festive! And I doubt it will involve any items from the above list.

Over the years I’ve spent New Year’s Eve in all kinds of ways. As a kid my parents would go out, leaving us with a babysitter and loads of goodies like smoked salmon, and bagels. As I got older I started babysitting, as New Year’s Eve was always a lucrative gig, I think I’d get $75 for the night, sometimes with an additional tip! This may not seem like much, but the going rate in those days was $1.00 per hour. As I got older I attended or hosted parties. And then in college, when I was at NYU, my boyfriend and I went to Times Square, a once in a lifetime event (or at least I hoped so, as I never wanted to return to that madness).

New Year’s in Times Square has always been a mob scene, but what you see today is much more managed and choreographed than it was in 1978, when it was pretty much just a crowd of drunken ‘bridge and tunnel’ people. My boyfriend was very tall, I am not, so he had a fine view, and stood mostly above the crowd. I was stepped on, elbowed and  at the moment the ball dropped had someone’s arm in my face, and missed the whole thing. Not that I’m bitter. Anyway as soon it was over the real madness began as thousands of people were on a mission to either start drinking in earnest, or get the hell out of Dodge. I think we ended up walking home, on that cold night. I wish it could have been romantic, but it wasn’t at all. We got home feeling cold, tired and cranky.

These are my gripes with New Year’s Eve: too much pressure, too many drunk people, too much forced festivity. For a long time I thought it was just because I’m not a particularly fun or festive person, but that’s not it at all. I like a good party at least as much as anyone! I have nothing against some festive drinking (as long as no one pukes on my shoes) and I certainly enjoy the party food. There is the midnight kiss… or not, but it is the sheer competitiveness of drinking and idiocy I can’t stand! Add to that the danger of getting in a car on a night filled with drunk and semi-drunk drivers, and we stay home, bah humbug!

Before you start feeling sorry for us, trust me, we’re going to have a lovely New Year’s Eve, and if you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by! We’ll be having smoked salmon on cocktail rye with capers, mushroom turnovers, a cheese platter with olives and nuts, Champagne, something sweet (to be determined) and beignets for breakfast. We’ll probably watch something like Love Actually, or the girls will watch some Zombie crap that scares me…

No matter what you’re doing, or where you’re enjoying your last supper of 2014, I hope you’ll be doing it with people you love, and who will help you get 2015 off to a great (and delicious) start!