New Year’s Eve is notoriously known for being the biggest drinking holiday of the season. In fact, most overindulge while at a New Year’s Eve party, restaurant, or event. Even though it is a time-honored ritual to bring in the New Year with a toast, it doesn’t have to be your thing if you’re sober and in recovery.
Every New Year’s Eve, throngs of people use poor judgement and drink too much. Sadly, the holiday has become synonymous with high incidences of drunk driving accidents, and an even higher rate of arrests for driving while intoxicated.
Here are our top five ideas for sober fun on New Year’s Eve:
Go to a Community Event. Most towns sponsor some type of NYE celebration. A community style event is typically geared for families where there are activities to keep people busy. Alcohol is typically not promoted or emphasized.
Stay at home. If everyone is going out, then you will have the house to yourself. Alone time is often undervalued. Good time to binge watch a movie series you’ve been wanting to see. Order delivery from your favorite pizza or takeout place.
Host a party. When you host a party, you choose who to invite and lay down the ground rules. Invite your sober friends and family for an evening of games and fun. Ask your guests to bring their favorite mocktails, along with a potluck dish.
Go to the Movies. Go see that holiday blockbuster movie without having to fight the crowds. The movies will give you something to do and almost no one power drinks at the theater.
Celebrate New Year’s Day instead. Sometimes it’s best to bypass NYE and Celebrate the next day. (Especially the newly sober). Be a trend-setter and start a new tradition that blazes a trail beyond alcohol-filled NYE to a sober New Year’s Day. It can be a brunch gathering or a focus on the college football bowl games. The fact is people love to get together and booze is not as important as it was hours earlier.
By attending community events, hosting your own, or finding things to do that won’t be focused on drinking, you will improve your odds chances of having a safe, sober NYE holiday. Think on the progress you have made this year. You are responsible for your sobriety and need to make choices that support that. Besides, New Year’s Day is a ton more fun without a hangover!
About the Author
Matthew Koenig is the principal of Last Call Marketing, which devotes their efforts to Digital Marketing, Content Marketing, Website Design and SEO, primarily in healthcare and tourism concerns. Mr. Koenig is based out of South Florida. His sober date is June 10, 2013.