23 Fun and Relaxing Ways to Celebrate New Year's Eve at Home This Year

Celebrating at home means you won't have to wait in line for an overpriced drink (a major win)! Instead, stock up on all your favorite spirits, beer, wine, and mixers so you'll have plenty of options when the day rolls around. Then whip up some festive cocktails (this Sparkling Christmas Party Punch looks so good!) or mix your go-to drink. If you aren't drinking, make a tasty mocktail instead. Bottom line: always have a delicious drink on hand for the night.

Tasty food is a must on New Year's Eve, even if you aren't cooking for a lot of people. Make these party appetizers to last all night or serve holiday appetizers for two. One thing you can never go wrong with? A charcuterie board, either sweet or savory. Or do TikTok-themed snacks, featuring a butter board and a tinned fish sampler.

Your home is now your runway. If you feel better in sweatpants, go for it! But if you want to get in the holiday spirit, you can't go wrong with a sparkly new outfit. Who cares if you're alone? Your party selfies are forever, you know! While you're at it, get a New Year's Eve party crown or poppers to really get in the spirit.

An at-home New Year's Eve celebration is not complete without board games. Everything from Monopoly to Medium to Twister should be on the table here. Nothing is too childish, too silly, or too long to play on New Year's Eve. Plus, it's the fastest way to get the laughs rolling with your roommates or partner.

Watching funny movies or TV shows is one of the best ways to spend New Year's Eve. Laughter is the best medicine, and the voices of your favorite characters from classics like "Friends", "Sister, Sister", "The Office", or "Girlfriends" will keep you company long into the night.

Missing loved ones this time of year? Use Netflix's Teleparty to watch something with faraway friends or family. Yes, this is a COVID-era innovation, but hear us out: Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) is a Google Chrome extension that will allow you to watch Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Disney+ together with friends who also have an account. It synchronizes the video playback for you, allows you to chat, and makes it easy to watch shows and movies together even when you're apart. Whether you're still wary of crowded parties or you simply have long-distance friends you've love to ring in the new year with, Teleparty closes the gap in a fun, convenient way.

Turn up the music, turn down the lights, and have a dance party right in your living room! Sure, it's not like a club, but you have space to have fun, let loose, and sing at the top of your lungs with no one or just your closest friends around to care. It's fun, and it relieves stress, so there's no excuse not to do it!

OK, this one might require some explaining, but if you get it, you get it. First, in some cultures, cleaning one's house is a traditional New Year activity — what better way to usher in a fresh slate than by cleansing one's most private place? Second, cleaning can be fun! Scroll through some Clean Tok videos on TikTok ahead of the big day, order some fresh new cleaning supplies and organizational tools, and use what you've learned to scrub every last bit of dust and grime out of your corners. We promise, you'll feel bright and light and free going into 2023.

Mario Kart and Among Us might be the only video games you're good at, but that's OK! Challenging your partner or your friends virtually to a video game will be your new favorite tradition. There are plenty of options on your phone or laptop if you don't have a game console. The night will go by in a flash.

Invite over a few friends, look up a murder mystery dinner script (or make up your own), and have fun trying to determine who "killed" the victim. You can even all dress up as your characters for extra fun. Hope you find the murderer before midnight!

Whether you've had an amazing or challenging year (or more likely a combination of both), it's no small feat that you made it through the year. Celebrate it! Spend some quiet time this New Year's Eve journaling, meditating, and reflecting on all that happened in 2022. It's therapeutic, plus it'll be a good way to keep a record for you to look back on someday.

Set your resolutions, goals, or intentions for 2023. Yes, it's cheesy. But planning ahead is also motivating, and clarifying. It's a time to reflect on your values and your actions, to make sure you're living the life you want. Sometimes, it feels good to do cliché things.

Start off 2023 right by donating to a cause you're passionate about. It's a good way to help those in need and feel good about the new year.

Baking sweets can make everything better, so spend some time on New Year's Eve trying out a new recipe for cookies, brownies, pie, or cake. Then decorate it and eat it! It's calming, fun, and totally delicious.

There's a reason TikTok is so popular — it's fun! Even if you usually only watch videos instead of making them, why not spend your night inside trying something new? Do your own spin on a recent trend, or tell a story that only you could tell. Who knows, maybe this next year is your year to shine.

You may not be at a glamorous hotel this New Year's Eve, but you can still sleep somewhere new. Bring all your coziest pillows and blankets to the living room to have a sleepover with your roommates, partner, besties, or pets. You can stay up late watching a movie and drinking, then simply pass out wherever you are. Or, if you're really feeling adventurous, set up camp in the backyard. (Make sure you have warm-weather gear, though!)

Every New Year's Eve, there are celebrations around the world, but one major celebration worth tuning into is seeing the Times Square ball drop. You'll feel pretty warm and cozy as you're snuggled up inside watching the revelers on TV endure the chilly temps, and you'll get a closer view of the exciting performances.

When the clock strikes midnight, it's time to get kissing! Slather on some lipstick and paint your loved ones' faces with smooches. If you're flying solo, send your faces kissy face emojis. It's a tradition that can't — and shouldn't! — be skipped.

The beginning of a new year is definitely a cause for celebration! Make sure you have at least one bottle of Champagne or the sparkling non-alcoholic drink of your choice on hand to pop at midnight. Even if you're celebrating solo, the bubbles tickling your throat always feels like a festive way to cap off a night.

You know all those photos you take and promptly forget about? Give them the display they deserve by creating a scrapbook to commemorate your year. You'll be amazed how good you feel seeing all the highlights of your 2022 spread out in front of you; plus, this is a fun, creative project that will have you feeling inspired and is so fun to do with a few friends.

The new year is always an important time of self reflection. See how far you've come and how your life has changed and evolved over the last year by taking the time to read through your journals. This isn't a time to judge your past self, but rather to appreciate how every small step you took over the course of the year led you to where you are.

Few things are as wonderfully relaxing as a long, hot bath. Sync your music to a Bluetooth speaker, add a few drops of your favorite essential oils, and, of course, don't forget the bubbles! Allow yourself to leave the stress of 2022 in the past as you relax your way into the new year.

The best part about celebrating New Year's Eve at home is that there's no end time. Want to go to sleep at 12:01 a.m.? Go for it! Want to stay up drinking, playing games, and watching movies until 5 a.m.? Totally OK, too! No matter how late you stay up, you can sleep in, then make yourself pancakes for brunch the next morning (and maybe some mimosas, too?). It's cozy, with no frenzied Uber rides to have to worry about. Happy New Year!