10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Sitting in front of a TV and watching an oversized, glitzy ball drop in Times Square on December 31 has always been the norm for me. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t amidst familiar faces in a living room wearing the same childish “Happy New Year” tiara with a sparkly blowout in one hand and a big glass of Coca-Cola in the other.

To be fair, my definition of New Year's Eve aligns with many Americans across the United States. We like to countdown from ten and welcome the New Year with friends, family, and food.

Now for a change, I didn’t celebrate my traditional American New Year this year. As I spent my winter break in Bangladesh, I got to welcome the New Year on the East Side of the globe. Initially, I thought that the people of Bangladesh would be more inclined to celebrate amidst their loved ones and eat unhealthy, traditional Bengali cuisine.

However, I was actually surprised by the wrong Western ideology that many Bangladeshis have adopted in order to celebrate the New Year. Little kids were “picnicking” outside their homes, teens and young adults were partying until 2 a.m., and parents were celebrating with their adult friends. Ironically, Bangladeshis celebrate New Year's Eve in bunches of people segregated by age rather than with their respective families or loved ones.

Now, this is the scenario in Dhaka, the capital of the country. I’m pretty sure most individuals outside of the city life, unfortunately, aren’t aware of New Year's Eve nor adhere to the traditions of the holiday. As the country itself celebrates its own New Year in April known as "Pohela Boishak," there's no need to make too big of a fuss about January 1 from what I've observed.

I guess my New Years Eve experience was interesting in that it wasn't celebrated in my standard American way; however, it also broke many stereotypes I had about the Bengali culture's holiday celebrations.

Nonetheless, as 2017 has turned into 2018, it's a New Year, which means you just hit the restart button to start afresh. Good luck!