The majority of people can’t get 2022 in their rearview mirror fast enough, if you believe a poll from market research firm OnePoll which found that only 1 in 3 Americans had a “great year.” The good news: more than half also think (pray) that 2023 will be better.
With COVID (and its restrictions) still messing with our lives, Russia invading Ukraine, inflation soaring, the red wave failing to materialize, the Dow sinking, and President Joe Biden making himself a one-man wrecking crew, it’s not surprising that so many people were not marking 2022 down as their favorite year.
While I’d like to predict that 2023 will indeed be an improvement, there are many reasons to think that there are still tough times ahead. There are multiple indicators that the economy is in serious trouble, Russian leader Vladimir Putin just delivered a combative, bellicose New Year’s speech, and Joe Biden will still be the president.
It’s New Year’s though, so let’s forget all that stuff and focus on what’s important. For instance, what time should you leave a New Year’s party? Americans have thought a lot about this, evidently, and the consensus is that you should leave within one hour of midnight:
While 48 percent think it’s rude to stay too late, another 45 percent think taking off before the ball drops is not cool either.
Here’s a weird one: nearly a third of respondents said they were going to throw a party for the big night. If that many people are hosting blowouts, are there enough people left to attend them all?
Meanwhile, 55 percent think that no one should spend the New Year alone. Surprisingly, 59 percent have spent at least one Champagne Eve by themselves, and most of them predictably reported feeling lonely.
What to bring to the party? Duh—booze, of course. Fifty-eight percent thought being a good guest meant bringing wine or spirits. This guy can live without the parties though:
New Year’s wouldn’t be New Year’s without resolutions that are extremely unlikely to succeed. But we need to keep trying, right? Thirty-six percent of people already have their resolutions planned out, with most respondents aiming to make “smaller, incremental changes” as opposed to massive transformations. That seems like a good plan to me—most of the huge commitments I’ve made didn’t age well.
There’s one thing that already makes 2023 better than 2022—the fact that we can actually have these parties. A year ago many people were housebound, celebrating the night with only close family because the evil Omicron was in the air. This year, even with COVID still lurking, people are getting together and partying and enjoying the social life that was so unceremoniously taken from us. Tonight, I will definitely toast Anthony Fauci’s retirement. I will also take a moment to pray the incoming Republican majority in the House won’t make too much of a mess of things in the new year, but I’m probably hoping for too much there.
In the meantime, I’m going to have fun tonight, hug my family, and hope that the majority is correct—2023 will be better. Happy New Year to you and yours!