Man, oh, man, hasn’t 2020 been an absolute wild card. Somehow, both the longest year, and also the fastest?! There’s no argument – 2020 really has been a year like no other.
This year, Australia saw the harshest bushfire season in history, and the world battled (and continues to battle) the worst health crisis in over a century.
2020 saw a global #BLM movement dominate social media and erupted in protests around the globe as we all demanded equality for both the black and transsexual communities.
This year the world watched on as America had one of the longest, and low-key dragged out, elections that we can remember.
Seriously 2020, you’ve been a hot minute.
With a lot of negativity surrounding the year, it’s no surprise that a lot of us want to kiss farewell to 2020, celebrate New Year’s Eve with those closest, reset the clock and start 2021 with a fresh slate.
We completely agree, however there’s just one hurdle standing in our way, the annual question of ‘What should we actually do for New Year 2020?’
With restrictions still largely in place around the country, national celebrations put on hold, or greatly played down, a lot of us are certainly wondering, ‘What can we do for New Year’s Eve, without heading out?’.
If you’re one of those people, you’re in the right spot, because we’re dishing out our stay-at-home New Year’s Eve alternatives.
1. BRING IN 2021 WITH A BACKYARD POOL PARTY!
Here in Australia, we’re truly blessed with our silly season being in the midst of summer. A backyard pool party is the perfect way to bring in the New Year – think inflatables, good tunes, a refreshing dip, your closest pals and tropical vibes. So say ‘sayonara’ to over-crowned bars, or battling for a spot to see the fireworks with the general public and instead say hello to bringing in 2021 balancing on a beach ball, sipping cocktails from plastic cups and kissing your closest pool-side when the clock strikes midnight, all from your private tropical oasis…can you tell we love a pool party?
PRO TIP: Have a bit of a squiz online, but if you live in a capital city, you may just find a hire-able floating projector screen that would take any pool party to the epic next level. Whether you’re projecting music videos through the decades or fireworks celebrations from around the world, a floating projector screen is always going to be a great idea. You can thank us later!
2. KICK IT RETRO THIS NEW YEARS EVE WITH A SILENT DISCO
We may be going into 2021, but hey, who says we can’t party like it’s 1994?!
Fun fact – silent discos were actually created by eco-activists in the early 1990s, who opted for utilizing headphones at outdoor parties to minimise noise pollution and disturbance to the local wildlife. Now days, we’re mostly using silent discos for the novelty factor, or for any apartment living readers, to keep our ever-close neighbours on-side…so I guess in a way we are still just trying to minimise disturbance to the local wildlife.
A silent disco is a fab way to bring in the New Year – it’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s social and you can bet, it’s got our seal of approval!
3. HIT THE ROAD JACK AND DON’T CHA’ COME BACK…UNTIL NEXT YEAR OF COURSE!
We know, we know, this article is about alternatives to heading out this New Years Eve, but hey, that doesn’t mean you need to stay at your place specifically.
2020 has been a year of wildcards, last-minute changes and uncertainty, so why not do something a little different this year? Why not get the friend gang together, jump in the car and book a house in a town none of you have ever been before? We’re talking a New Year’s Eve filled with road trip vibes, snacks galore, house party atmosphere, your closets pals and a bloody good time!
Not only is this a super fun way to celebrate New Year’s Eve, you’ll also be helping out the economy of local towns who have really done it tough this year, which is reason enough to get away this New Years Eve!
Whatever you get up to this New Year’s Eve, we hope you have the most incredible time, filled with fab friends, terrific tunes and virtuous vibes!
We’d love to see what you guys get up to on socials, so don’t forget to tag us in #SmyleeSnaps & @smylee_official!