New Year's Eve means glitz and glam — and sure enough, the countdown to a new year is guaranteed to be a big deal; doesn't matter if you're in Canada, the U.S. or India.
Growing up, I, too celebrated New Year's Eve in splendour — but without alcohol (legal drinking age in India is 21.)
My friends and I gathered together, usually starting our parties at 7 p.m. after the sun went down (In South India, where I come from, the sun sets year-round about 6 p.m.)
We would rehearse our dance sets for the night-long dance parties, and our families and non-dancer friends would come out and cheer us on. We used to feast on scrumptious Indian meals — the whole range from Indian street food to deliciously hot desserts like gulab jamuns with ice cream.
When the clock struck midnight, we would welcome the new year with all our hearts.
These traditions changed when I grew up, but New Year's Eve parties were always spent with friends and family.
My move to Canada saw me ditching glitzy New Year's Eve celebrations for house parties with my best friends, and for the time being, as I prepare to spend the ball drop alone, I'm looking for ways to escape the dreaded fear of missing out and get the best out of the evening.
This list is for everyone like me in Burnaby — whether you're spending it alone, miles away from your friends and family or just aren't up for a glitzy NYE.
Start your new year on the right foot
If you can't go to a party, bring the party home.
Curate a party hit playlist with your favourite songs on repeat and groove to the music in your room.
Maybe if your friends can join virtually, it'll be icing on the cake. Hit the party supply shops in Burnaby like Iparty Dollar Store and Michaels first to transform your mundane room to a low-key rave.
Dance like no one is watching — because no one is.
Go on a drive — and maybe, a winter hike?
Before the age of parties, singing loudly to your favourite tracks as you drive along the empty streets was a memorable way to mark the end of a year and the beginning of the next; bring back those times with a long drive and welcome the new year with the best company you can get — yourself.
We even created a long-drive-worthy playlist featuring some Burnaby artists.
If the old new year's resolution to get fit is in the cards for you, go on a wintry stroll on Burnaby Mountain, along the Velodrome Trail. Expect to climb over 500 stairs (approx. 2.9 kms in length and 233m in elevation) to the top of the mountain, where you’ll be welcomed by a stunning view.
Treat yourself — bath, body, bubbles and Bublé
A budget-friendly treat when you want nothing but the best — the four Bs that can help you welcome new year with a new zen, all in your own bathroom.
Burnaby-based Healing Bees Natural Skincare has a range of organic products that will help you get the night started. They have bath bombs for as low as $5 with a wide range of scents. They are made with essential oils, honey and Epsom salts, and come in rose, citrus, lavender, and 'breathe' scents — the latter specially formulated to open your sinuses.
Pair the warm bath with some Michael Bublé tunes in the background and a bottle from Canada's first garage winery, New West-based Pacific Breeze Urban Winery, for an ultimate relaxation experience to ring in the new year.
Create your new holiday tradition
We all know being grown up can be tough — and can sometimes mean spending holidays and birthdays alone.
Instead of swimming in nostalgia and remembering the good old days, why not bring new traditions for celebrating your life?
Enjoying your own company can't be bad, as much as social media makes it out to be.
Read a book. Watch a movie. Watch a rerun of your favourite TV show. Visit your neighbourhood spots — Burnaby Village Museum (before 9 p.m.) for a last glimpse of Christmas town (and it is free). Thank your neighbours and maybe, if you would like, your neighbourhood reporters. Make a memory box with all the memories from the year for you to look back on. Enjoy some DIY cocktails and ease the night out. Most importantly, do what your heart wants. And if after all of this you want to have a good cry, happily cry your heart out (it is cathartic!)
Cry — but not without ice cream
If you've decided to cry (like I did), make sure you get your hands on a tub of ice cream beforehand.
We all deserve a treat, even in the midst of a breakdown and in the middle of winter. Here's our list of Burnaby spots for you to get your ice cream fix.
