The Real Reason Why People Kiss At Midnight On New Year’s Eve
Svitlana Sokolova | Shutterstock New Year's Eve is the last hurrah of the year. It's the final event in a holiday binge of eating and celebrating. It's a time to don glitzy outfits, reflect on the past, and ponder future resolutions ... and then there's the New Year's kiss at the stroke of midnight.
Whether you ring in the new year by watching the Times Square ball drop from your living room TV or toasting champagne at an upscale nightclub, tradition makes a case for celebrating the new year with someone who makes you excited to embrace the age-old tradition of sharing a New Year's kiss.
Why do people kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve?
If you have ever wondered why people kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve, the reasons have ancient roots. According to English and German folklore, the first person you encounter in a new year, and the nature of this encounter, sets the tone for the rest of the year. A kiss is about strengthening ties you wish to maintain in the future. If a couple that celebrates together doesn't take the time to lock lips, legend holds that it doesn't bode well for the relationship.
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New Year's Kiss Superstitions
For single people, there's a superstition that not kissing anyone portends a year of loneliness … and probably a lot of bad online dating. (OK, I made that last part up.)
This may arise from the Scottish tradition of Hogmanay, their traditional word for the last day of the year. During a Hogmanay party, it's customary to try kissing everyone in the room as the bells ring at the stroke of midnight. Others believe this harkens back to the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, a winter solstice celebration that it would be hard to fathom didn't involve quite a bit of kissing.
Then again, kissing someone random who may or may not have a girlfriend is definitely worse than kissing no one at all. And of course, making sure both parties are fully consenting far outweighs the concerns any one of us should have about possibly missing out on a New Year's kiss.
The ideal of a passionate New Year's kiss also features prominently in modern popular culture
In "Bridget Jones's Diary," for example, a New Year's Eve kiss brings Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy back together.
"The Godfather: Part II" also features an emotional New Year's Eve kiss, but this one's not about romance. Instead, Michael Corleone gives his brother Fredo a furious kiss of death after being betrayed.
The New Year's Eve kiss at the end of "When Harry Met Sally" is the beginning of a happily-ever-after for estranged friends Sally Albright and Harry Burns. It's arguably just as memorable as the scene at the deli.
"It's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible," he says.
Sally's shocked response: "You see. That is just like you, Harry. You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you."
Too bad we can't all have what she's having.
Expectations vs. Reality When it Comes to the New Year's Kiss
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Like any other holiday, New Year's Eve can put a great deal of stress on those of us without plus-ones. Last year, Mary, 40, of Brooklyn, NY, ditched New Year's plans she'd made with friends because she didn't want to be the only single person in the group. Mary stayed at home, where a New Year's kiss wasn't a possibility or a threat, and she ended up regretting the decision.
Jason, 34, of New York City, keeps the reveling low-key if he finds himself single come December.
"I'm not going to go out stag with some vague hope of meeting someone to end the night with a kiss or more," he says. "It never happens. It just leads to drunken disappointment and a hangover, which is a terrible way to start a new year."
But even having a significant other doesn't guarantee a romantic smooch at midnight, though many couples aren't even bothered by it. Take Jennifer, 44, of Oklahoma City. She and her husband replace a romantic night out on the town with a family-friendly community event with their three children.
"Who has time for New Year's Eve kisses or money for a babysitter?" she says. "My husband says the New Year's Eve kiss is passé because we're too tired to stay up that late."
Jennifer intends to share a New Year's kiss with all four loves of her life, even if it doesn't happen when the clock strikes 12. This relaxed, flexible approach seems to be the key to enjoying New Year's Eve, whatever your relationship status.
Celebrate with loved ones in an environment that makes you feel safe and comfortable.
The midnight New Year's kiss isn't so different from a New Year's resolution. Despite your best intentions, you probably won't pull it off perfectly, if at all.
Christine Clifford, the President and CEO of Divorcing Divas, a Minneapolis-based organization dedicated to supporting women as they transition through divorce, spent her first post-divorce New Year's Eve with one of her best girlfriends. The two women rented a limo, ate dinner at a fancy restaurant, and kissed each other on the cheek at midnight.
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Besides kissing friends, Christine has other suggestions for those of us who are single and not quite ready to mingle.
"Close your eyes at midnight and remember your favorite kiss," Christine says. "Or get a big bowl of Hershey's Kisses, and eat a dozen of them at midnight."
If you want to be really cheesy and aren't worried about embarrassing yourself in public, make a photocopy of your dream New Year's Eve date and give it a big smack. Or take it from another highly romanticized piece of popular culture and remember, "A kiss is just a kiss."
Amanda Green is a writer with experience in copywriting, branded content, social media, and editorial.
