Ringing in the New Year with Joy

Be Prepared


Throughout the world, people observe the start of a new year in different ways. In some places, fireworks fill the air as the clock strikes midnight. In New York City, the festive time ball drops as people count down the final ten seconds of the year. The New York ball drop has inspired dropped items in other places. For example, in Boise, Idaho, crowds welcome the new year as a giant potato drops in the downtown area. Whether you are celebrating with an intimate gathering or shouting and singing with raucous crowds, you will want ample New Year’s Eve party supplies at the ready.

High Society Celebrations


New Year’s Eve celebrations are often associated with high society and royalty. This may be due to the images from movies in the 1930s which portrayed this kind of party with men in top hats and tuxedos and women in fancy gowns. Those in attendance often walked through the spacious rooms of a mansion with glasses of champagne. In the United Kingdom, crowns and tiaras are part of the standard costume. Some parties use masks to recreate the mystery of courtly masquerades. You will find that many New Year’s decorations use a color scheme of black, gold and silver, symbolic of wealth and sophistication. However, many celebrations make a mockery of high society with party goers only pretending to be fancy for the night.

Old World Traditions



Although ringing bells have long been a part of the New Year’s Eve soundscape, some of the other devices for making noise come out of ancient European traditions. The Swedish people used noisemakers around the beginning of the new year as a symbolic way to cast out the bad luck of the previous year. Blowing horns, ratchets and other loud sounds could scare away the bad spirits from homes and towns, opening up the way for a more pleasant year to come. Over time, as Swedes emigrated and brought their traditions to other parts of the world, the loud noises were adopted as standard pieces of New Year’s Eve party décor.

First Night Celebrations


In the United States and Canada, several cities hold First Night celebrations. These are family-friendly events that feature performances by local artists and food from local restaurants. The concerts often start in the early evening and are held in several venues. Participants walk from venue to venue where they can shop, craft, eat and take in a performance or two. Some of these events include parades and ice sculptures scattered around the town. As you go through the streets, you will encounter many vendors selling New Year’s Eve hats, silly glasses and other items to wear. In some towns in the UK, the evening begins with a bonfire in the town center. In the town of Stonehaven in Scotland, there is a procession that involves people swinging balls of fire about their heads as they make their way to the main celebration area.

Finding the Right Party Supplies


If you are hosting a party to welcome 2020, you must find the right supplies for your event. The items you need will depend on the type and size of party you are hosting. If you are decorating a venue for a First Night event, you may want to focus on balloons, streamers and decorations you can hang on the walls. If you want to hand out horns or other noisemaking items, you can easily find wholesale items online at an affordable price. Many of these retailers offer decorating kits that give you all the items you need to spice up a room.

The right decorations and supplies will make your event a party to remember. For the best results, start your planning early so everything will be ready on December 31. Then, as the host, you can celebrate New Year’s Eve in the warm company of friends and family