What's with New Year's Eve?

I was talking to one of my friends about this recently, what has become of New Year's Eve? In the run up to the Christmas period and the week or so after the return to work you constantly face the question of what you did on New Year's Eve. It's become this big event and if you're not at some suitably big and hip party with a ton of booze you're considered to have failed in some way.

As far as I'm concerned New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are just ordinary days, a fine time for quiet reflection and contemplation, a time to look to the year ahead, review the year that has gone, but I don't see why we all need to try and force ourselves to have fun in the company of as many people and alcoholic beverages as possible. Not to mention the fireworks.

There used to be a time when fireworks were only used on Bonfire Night (5th November for those from outside the UK), now they seem to go off a week before, a week after and especially on New Year's Eve. I'm not sure why we've suddenly introduced them on New Year's Eve. We seem to be making the festivities of all of the 'holidays' bigger and bigger. I read somewhere the other day that spending on Halloween has increased ten-fold in the last five years, from £12 million to £120 million. In the UK, Halloween was a relatively small affair, overshadowed by Bonfire Night. Now it is much bigger and has taken much from how the US celebrates it. Likewise Valentines Day has increased in stature. I'd suggest this was probably down to a lot of marketing work done by companies who profit from them.

I remember a much simpler time when all the kids were sat in bed with mum and dad and we watched and end of the year show on TV. Typically it was hosted by Clive James, but certainly a comedian, and it was a humorous look back at the events of the previous 12 months. Again this year the TV schedule is sadly lacking. While I may no longer wish to crawl into bed with my parents, a funny review of the year wouldn't go amiss.

Anyway, remember folks, you don't need to rush out and party hard in order to have a good year, spend time with friends and family and shun the media programming that makes you think you have to. Or decide I'm talking out of my arse and do what you want.