THIRD STREET PROMENADE — The new year is quickly approaching and that means many people are scrambling to find the best way to celebrate.
For some that entails shelling out hundreds of dollars to get into the hottest clubs and dance and drink the night away, while others believe the best way to ring in the new year is to stay home, watch Dick Clark and leave the liquor alone.
“I hate New Year’s,” said Phil Weglarz, 31, who pans to spend the night with family at a Moroccan restaurant. “I hate the fact that you can’t find a table at your favorite restaurant or bar and if you do, the prices are three to four times what they normally would be. I’d rather just keep it quiet. New Year’s is really just a pain in the ass.”
Frank Benavidez doesn’t think so. The 21-year-old plans to tear up Las Vegas with 12 of his good friends. Cost is not a concern for the crew living large off of Christmas cash.
“We’re going to max out the credit cards,” said Benavidez, who could barely contain his excitement. “You have to go all out on New Year’s. That’s what it’s all about, partying, bars and women.”
The pressure to party and find a special someone to share a kiss at the stroke of midnight can be very stressful for many, as can finding the ultimate bash. In the end, many enter 2007 depressed and disappointed because they are unable to match their own expectations.
“There is a lot of pressure,” said Joanne Steitz, a single mother who plans to spend the night with her daughter watching the ball drop in Times Square.“You build this up for weeks and weeks, making all these plans, and really, it never turns out the way you want it to. Something either goes wrong or you just build it up so much that you can never reach that ideal. I gave up a long time ago.”
New Year’s Eve is without a doubt the biggest combined party in the world. It starts around Sydney and travels time zone by time zone around the globe like some sort of well-coordinated, pre-planned pyrotechnic explosion. With so many people celebrating together, it’s hard not to want to join in on the fun. People have been doing it for centuries.
“It’s not a modern holiday, it goes back to the Roman Empire,” said Anthony Aveni, author of “The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays.”
Marking the end of the year “is an age-old custom that applies across cultures,” said Aveni, a Colgate University professor of astronomy and anthropology. “It’s what you do when you see the salt running out of your timer.”
Massive parties were how peoples such as the Romans, Aztecs and Mayans spent the last of their annual lucre, Aveni added.
“It’s also a time to spend the last of our emotional resources, looking forward to a better time,” she said.
New Year’s is big business. It is the fourth most popular day for bars and restaurants, according to the California Restaurant Association. Only birthdays, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day top it.
“Close to five million Americans are going to eat at a restaurant for New Year’s Eve,” said Jordan Traverso, communications director for the CRA. “it’s one of the most important times of the year.”
It isn’t uncommon for restaurants to offer special menus and double,sometimes triple the cost. The same goes for nightclubs and pubs.
In Santa Monica revelers are in luck. With a wide array of options, those looking to venture out into the night have the choice of spending $12 to gain access to the dive bar 14 Below and listen to a Grateful Dead cover band, or go regal and shell out nearly $100 for pumpkin ravioli, Chilean sea bass and a chocolate soufflé at the Punch Grill while a jazz band plays in the background.
Then there’s always the low-key house party.
“I’m just going to see where the night takes me,” said Jenny Merva. “I don’t really have any plans and I’m not really sure I care. New Year’s is just one night after all.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 29, 2006. Read the original PDF.