An explosion of cheers followed by the traditional New Year’s Eve kiss sweeps across the room, a room that just welcomed a new 365-day cycle.
This year, while I will be heavily participating in the cheering, the partying, and the glitzy outfits, I have decided to opt out of the traditional New Year’s Eve kiss.
I want to start the new year off with the only strong and independent person I need for 2017, which is myself.
Gasp you might think. What a party pooper. Is this girl for real?
Mock me if you may, but just to clear things up, I’m not writing this article because I’m Ms. Chastity here to reprimand you for your celebratory lip action. I think it’s a great idea if you’re involved with someone.
Go ahead. Kiss your girlfriend. Kiss your boyfriend. Kiss your Star Wars action figurine. Kiss your Grandma. It’s freaking New Year’s Eve, baby! Start it off with a loved one.
Who this article is targeted towards is all the singles in the room, myself included, who might feel the need to find a cutie before the clock strikes 12.
I get it, you’re probably a bit tipsy, suited up in your most sparkliest/flashiest/exotic New Year’s attire and the fact that a bunch of your friends have a significant other to get all romantic with when the ball drops can be a little depressing.
According to legend, tradition (or maybe just someone really horny), you’re supposed to kiss someone at midnight for good luck throughout the New Year.
But here’s the thing, this isn’t a fairy tale and you don’t need a magical kiss at midnight. If you don’t already have a special someone walking into the party, that doesn’t mean your mission of the night (and maybe of the year) is to find one to kiss at midnight.
Don't just kiss someone to kiss someone.
Most likely, you’re in a room full of high-spirited drunks, binge eating on lots of bite-sized appetizers, grooving to some tunes and you’re watching Ryan Seacrest on TV. Or better yet, you’re in Times Square and you’re watching Ryan Seacrest live (I might be obsessed with Ryan Seacrest, but we’ll save that for another article).
Either way, you’re not in a magical castle and you do not need to find a Prince Charming or a Cinderella before the clock strikes 12.
The ball is going to drop in Times Square. A new year will begin regardless. People are going to kiss and then seconds later, it will be over. Someone will start cheering, or making chaos with those obnoxious noise makers (don't get me started on those), or start pouring another glass of bubbly and no one will notice that you didn’t have a New Year’s Eve kiss.
I’m not kissing anyone on midnight this New Year’s Eve because the only person I need to make extraordinary things happen for in the new year is myself. Me and only me. I do not need good luck from someone that isn’t a loved one.
Also, I don’t need to lock lips with a friend to ring in 2017, and I definitely don’t need to start the year off kissing some stranger just because it’s New Year’s Eve and just because I’ll probably have had one too many glasses of wine so I’m allowed to do something silly, right? NO.
I don’t need someone else’s kiss to validate my new year or to validate me. And if I have to be the awkward girl staring at her phone for 10 seconds while everyone plants a smooch on each other, then so be it.
This New Year’s Eve if “To Kiss or Not to Kiss?” is in your thoughts, choose who you want to start the new year off with.
Your strong independent self? Or the lips of another person who you may or may not know so well?
