New Year's Eve
When I was a child, New Year’s Eve was a BIG deal!
We got to stay up really late...Mom would prepare the food all day...and Dad would do a huge round of fireworks.
Growing up, there were “rules” about meal times. When breakfast was ready, we all sat down and ate together. When lunch was ready, we all sat down and ate together. When dinner was ready, we all sat down and ate together.
We didn’t eat separately from each other...and you didn’t just eat whenever you wanted to. Of course there were snacks...but Mom would often sit the three of us down together for a snack.
BUT - on New Year’s Eve? Mom would prepare these amazing foods all day...she would set them up beautifully on the dining room table. And when everything was ready, she would make the announcement...and it began.
We were able to eat whatever we wanted, when we wanted, on-and-off for as long as we wanted.
There were finger sandwiches of every kind...deviled eggs...celery stuffed with pimento cheese...dips of all kinds...chips of all kinds...sausage balls...cheeses…crackers…pickles…
All of the food was served on special platters and plates. Everything was decorated perfectly. Even now I remember it with a sort of glow all around it like it was magical.
In the center of the table was a large punch bowl. Mom always made a HUGE batch of punch...”mock” champagne she called it...and it was delicious! And?! We could drink as much of it as we wanted...out of these little glass cups with embossed grapes on the sides.
To me, this was the most posh party ever thrown. And I loved it.
I remember one year, my younger brother went missing from the fireworks...he was found sitting in the middle of the table with his little legs wrapped around the punch bowl, drinking from the ladle! I remember that we all laughed and laughed.
The fireworks were an extravaganza. Dad would build a huge fire outside. If it was really cold out, we would all huddle around the fire...warm up just enough to run back and forth “helping” Dad light the fireworks. There were smoke bombs, and bottle rockets (remember those?)...and a few years later there were these bombs that could be lit and dropped down a tube - they would come flying out, high in the sky, and explode in the most wondrous colors and shapes. There were always “chasers” - these little things that once lit, would take off in random ways and run all over the ground. I am laughing now thinking of the number of them that would chase my Mom out of her seat and have her racing around outside while we all laughed.
I remember we would snack and watch something on television (we had 3 channels) or play a game until it got dark. Then the fireworks would start...and we would run back and forth between fireworks, the fire, and the snack table. And this would go on for hours...hours! There are years that I don’t remember going to bed, but I remember waking up in bed - knowing that Mom or Dad had found me asleep somewhere and carried me to bed and tucked me in.
To this very day, my parents do a version of this party every New Year’s Eve. It has been many years since I have been able to attend, but my kids and nieces and nephews have all had the pleasure of experiencing this party with my Mom and Dad.
There are many wonderful things that my parents did for us, but this is a legacy...something that my parents built for us, something that we would never forget. A true legacy...a time when the entire family was together. We were all sharing in the same activities...we were talking and laughing and spending that time together.
Many years later, I would have a similar tradition with my own children...and have extended it now with Luis and close friends. I call it “fabulous luscious-ness” and it doesn’t just happen on New Year’s Eve! It is basically the same format - minus the fireworks (although Luis and I have created some pretty amazing fireworks after a just-the-two-of-us “fabulous luscious-ness!”). There are meats and cheeses and dips and olives and pickles and breads and veggies and fruits...I learned as an adult about Charcuteri and Cheeseboards...and realized that my Mom was way ahead of her time!
We were pretty poor growing up. I remember some really rough times...but I also remember “garden” summers - where what we had to eat came from the garden that my father maintained on weekends and after he came home from a very long day at work. There was always food on the table...our basic needs were always met. In terms of love, we were rich. And the New Year’s Eve party was always the strongest evidence of my parents’ love and best wishes for us. It was decadent and over-the-top. These parties brought excitement and joy...a great way to start a new year. And I will never forget it.
Just sayin’
