Happy New Year's Eve!

As I spent much of my life far from home on New Year's Eve, it never was a favourite holiday of mine. Today I was thinking once again about the wonderful way that free games on Facebook like Farmville and Fantasy Kingdoms allow people who otherwise may not have enjoyed the holidays because of their situations can interact with others and enter into the festive mood of the season wherever they may be.

In Farmville, players are celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas with a special item every day to be shared with friends and neighbours. Other activities for the New Year's celebration include a New Year's Eve celebration, complete with a ball that drops at midnight, in a special Party Barn (on the farm, of course) and building a Snowman.

Fantasy Kingdoms has released a new Spell to create special fireworks for the New Year. Gorgeous Winter Solstice and Christmas decorations have been released throughout the holiday season.

In both games, there are special fantasy crops to be grown. Pointsettias, White Pointsettias and Balloons can be grown in Farmville. Holiday Candy and Ornaments can be grown in Fantasy Kingdoms.

Our own family tradition through the years has included Christmas and New Year episodes of various comedies. I uploaded a few clips from my absolute favourite, 'Mother and Son', last year. This year, I thought of sharing Mr. Bean and Absolutely Fabulous... To my delight, I discovered that some one else has done the work of uploading them to YouTube.

Although I posted the clips from 'Mother and Son' last year, the show still deserves first place here:



Here are a couple of our favourite New Year's Eve episodes:

Do It Yourself, Mr. Bean:





Absolutely Fabulous, New Year's Eve:







Only Fools and Horses released a Christmas special every year for decades, I think, and many of them are posted on YouTube. Vicar of Dibley and Father Ted have hilarious holiday episodes as well.

From Vicar of Dibley:











Even if you plan to attend a New Year's Eve party somewhere, these marvelous comedies should make the evening more festive.

Ringing in the New Year

I wrote my first post for this site almost a year ago. I had no expectations at that time in terms of the site. A Christmas season later, I am rather surprised by the sheer quantity of words I have sent into cyberspace.

Last year, on New Year's Eve, I published a list of favourite holiday programmes we watched each Christmas season on Christmas and New Year's Eve. In our family, Christmas extends through the New Year to Epiphany on the 6th of January. We therefore happily would continue to watch films and episodes about Christmas on New Year's Eve.

For those who are looking for superior entertainment, I am copying the list again here:

2 episodes of 'Vicar of Dibley' (Christmas Pageant and Christmas Dinners)
1 episode of 'Rising Damp' (Christmas)
2 episodes of 'Are you Being Served?' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Mother and Son' (Christmas, my absolute favourite, apart from Mr. Bean)
2 episodes of 'Mr. Bean' (Christmas and New Year's Eve)
1 episode of 'Father Ted' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Britta's Empire'
3 episodes of 'Only Fools and Horses' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Keeping Up Appearances' (Christmas)
1 episode of 'Absolutely Fabulous' (New Year's Eve)

In terms of full-length films, there are a few favourites that may or may not include actual references to Yule or the New Year but which in their own ways, I always found apt:

For spiritual inspiration, great beauty, laughter and tears:
'Lord of the Rings' (The Trilogy)
For hilarity:
'The Court Jester'
For general inspiration and determination in the face of poverty, any and all tribulations:
'Gone with the Wind'

It is New Year's Eve once again. Even when I lived in cities, I did not fancy the idea of joining crowds in public squares to celebrate. I did it once or twice, but always preferred a more personal celebration.

Drums, noisemakers and firecrackers always were associated with the power to drive out evil and bad spirits. Banging pots and pans fulfils the same purpose. Fire has the power both to create and destroy, to protect and to threaten. Fire ultimately is a form of Light and the New Year represents a turning point from darkness to light.

The old must be consumed in order to make room for the new. Sweeping is an old tradition found in many cultures.

Last year, I joined the animals in my village in Animal Crossing to watch the countdown to the New Year and enjoy a fabulous display of virtual fireworks. Not having visited my village for some time, I am not certain if my appearance this New Year's Eve would be welcomed...

Perhaps I will content myself with 'Mr. Bean' tonight, as he rings in the New Year with Teddy, Rupert and Hubert.