For the majority of the world, it is meant to be the most celebrated night of the year. New Years Eve. But over the past few years, the anti-climax has begun to seep in and many people are now planning to spend their time and valuable money elsewhere this year - indoors.
New Years - the most overhyped night of the year?
Last year a whopping 83% of people around Britain were left disappointed on December 31st. After waiting in two - hour long queue's in the freezing cold to get into a bar or club before waiting in another stuffy hour long queue just to your put your coat into the cloakroom was the start of an uneventful night.
Only to wind up spending triple the amount of money on a drink and being squashed in crowds so small no one could swing a flea in.
New Years Eves disappointments have been so prominent that the build-up and hype is what turned out to be the best part of the night. Getting ready and having some drinks indoors before leaving the house. And now it appears that thousands of people are doing just that - apart from leaving the house.
And staying in doesn't have to mean sitting on the sofa feeling sorry for yourself doing nothing. There are plenty of things people have been planning for this year. Dinner parties, low-key drinks and of course the always eventful house Party.
A survey has shown that over two-thirds of Brits will either be holding a house party or going to one.
The cheaper alternative to having all the fun under one roof for the fraction of the price. Food, drink, music and no hassle of getting home are now taking over the idea of buying a ticket for a club you can go to any time of the year or paying an entrance fee for a bar that is usually free to get in.
The fun part about staying in is that you don't have to think about that dreaded journey home.
Partying until the early hours at a house party with no curfew and being able to fall asleep in the bath has outweighed the memories of no taxis between the hours of 2am - 5am because everyone else has got there before you. And remembering that year when you did eventually find a taxi, only to discover a 20-minute drive home had cost more than a flight to Spain has opened up the options to make different plans this year.
Time to say goodbye to a miserable year
Anyway, what IS there to celebrate? 2016 has been such a horrific year for so many of us around the world. Too many incredible talents have been taken from us through cancer. The terrifying ISIS attacks that have destroyed so many people's lives. The dreaded outcome of Brexit and of course the unfortunate news of Donald Trump and his plans to take over the world.
It looks like people all across the globe will be heading for their fridge's and front rooms to celebrate the end of what has been a pretty bleak year and look forward to a fresh new start in 2017.
Happy new year folks!
