The holidays are a whirlwind, we swear the time between Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas is getting shorter! New Year's however is a holiday that can be spent doing EXACTLY what YOU want! Here are some suggestions and traditions from our agents on celebrating New Year’s Day and Eve and actually enjoying it.
Jeanne Whipple | A dinner around the world
Rob and I love to head to Reading Terminal Market and stroll the shops. We pick out all sorts of oddball, exotic, and decadent items to bring home and prepare a New Year’s Eve feast with friends. Seafood is always a favorite, like the giant snow crabs or giant prawns. Anything to make it a sumptuous meal that feels special and elevated that brings the year to a close.
Kate Shlomo | The biggest holiday of the year!
New year’s is the biggest holiday for Russians. We have a New Year’s tree and, like a Christmas tree, we decorate it and everything. When I was younger we would get dressed up and celebrate at a family friend's house, all get together, and have a big meal then the parents would mingle and the kids would play.
Now we have our own celebration. Since 2019, we go to FL with my parents and brother. My son and I help my mom decorate our New Year's tree. On the big night of New Year’s Eve, we usually go to a Russian store and buy a lot of side dishes and salads and my mom and I will make a bunch of food. We get dressed up, take pictures, and around 11pm we eat together. We put on one of the channels on TV with performances and listen to music until we countdown to the New Year. At midnight we exchange gifts and then finally we go to bed.
Melissa LeGaspi | Planting (sneaky style)
When we moved into a condo we learned the hard way that according to association rules, you can’t have a cut tree. From there on out we buy a potted tree for the holidays. On the first of the year, we pack up our little shovel, gardening gloves, and our dog Olive. We head to the Wissahickon and find a spot for our little tree and replant it. We then go to visit it throughout the year to make sure it’s surviving and is now a little happy tree (the pic above shows one of our past babies thriving!).
Kate Kyle | It’s all about friends
After visiting with family over Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Year’s is all about our friends and community. After we’ve recovered from my bestie’s NYE party, (who lives only two doors down!) we head over to Two Street with neighbors and our dogs to check out the scene. It's a fun day that has zero pressure, surrounded by friends, which is a perfect way to start off the new year!
Leslie Knepp | Letting go
I put together a Dim Sum dinner every year. I make them from scratch, and even though it takes all day, preparing the meal is one of my favorite parts of the day. After we eat the delicious feast we have a ritual where we light tea lights with the intention of things we want to let go. We blow them out and let the smoke carry them away.
Bonnie Wisnowski | A lek in the lakror
This one goes back to my childhood. My stepdad at the time was Albanian and his family had great big gatherings that were full of warmth, the best feta, and my favorite cookies. Another dish that took center stage was Lakror a savory pie and on the first of the year, they bake one with a coin (a Lek) into it. Whoever gets the piece with the coin will have a good year. I remember getting it once and only once. Doesn’t stop me from trying every year.
Carmine Simmons | Open the sash
At midnight my husband and I open the windows to let the old year out and the new year in. We have a dinner with a southern flavor, featuring country ham, collard greens, and a big bowl of black-eyed peas, along with my famous banana pudding.
Sara Smith | Country feast
We also have a Southern feast! Black-eyed peas, butter beans, collard greens, and of course the ham is the centerpiece. We invite family and friends to enjoy. After dinner, we set our resolutions for the year. My husband and I are welcoming our daughter this spring and I can’t wait to introduce her to our traditions next holiday season!
Erin Larkin | Play Freebird!
A group of us head down to NYC every New Year to go to the annual Phish concert. We stay over in Manhattan and catch up with friends we see at the shows. This has been going on for over 15 years now! This will be Phish’s 17th New Year’s Eve concert at Madison Square Garden.
Peter Brooks | Chinatown recovery mode
After a night of NYE celebrations, we join my brother and his fam for a recovery day in Chinatown. First stop is Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House- the peanut noodles and scallion pancakes are a must. Then we head over to Mayflower Bakery to get almond butter buns. This year will be our 7th annual trip!
Rita Greiman | Happy birthday New Year!
Our family likes to bake a birthday cake for the new year! It’s a simple kickoff to the year complete with sprinkles. Baking and eating it together has become our tradition and it’s here to stay. Happy birthday 2025!
Rachel Shaw | Plan a trip
Nothing motivates me more than the start of a new year. On New Year’s Day, we’ll take the opportunity to put a trip abroad or weekend away on the calendar. We look ahead with friends to the spring or fall. Planning in advance allows us to pick the best dates without having to work around a full calendar.
As you can see, New Years Eve and Day is all about ringing in the new year how you like. No pressure and full of a fresh start. If buying your first home or moving up is on your resolution list let us help you manifest that dream!
