https://www.blackenterprise.com/low-key-farewell-to-2023/

Originally Published Jan. 4, 2016

Happy New Year! Can you believe 2024 is here already? How did you bid farewell to 2022 this past New Year’s Eve? Were you turned up at the club or hanging out with friends and family? Even though I had some traveling to do, I was sure to find time to spend with family and friends. It was low-key, but cherished nonetheless.

Some of my friends and colleagues also kept it low-key. Here’s how they chose to ring in the new year.

A Dinner Party

A dinner party for close friends or relatives is at the top of the low-key list for ringing in the New Year right. The secret to pulling off a stress-free, memorable event is to enlist the help of a professional! I know folks who hooked up with celebrity chefs to create festive menus that allowed them to indulge in their favorite foods one last time before the ball dropped for 2023. (I went to one where Chef J.R. Robinson provided the eats.) Be sure to decide how many people you want to invite, your budget and your theme, if you pick one.

A Pajama Jam

There’s nothing more low-key than putting on your most comfortable PJs for an adult pajama party. Since you’re going to be up anyway, why not be comfortable all night? The key to a successful pajama jam is to invite people who will actually participate. Folks who show up “dressed to the nines” or in street clothes—and they haven’t brought PJs to change into—are just killjoys. Specify what passes for pajamas so no one feels uncomfortable or sticks out like a sore thumb.

Play a Game—Other than Spades

As New Year celebrations go, playing a few games is decidedly low-key. But why not pull out something other than the usual deck of cards? Some of my friends celebrated American Black culture with a hidden treasure called Black Card Revoked. This game will have you debating like crazy, going back and forth about who’s wrong and who’s right. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone broke out with a song from The Five Heartbeats while answering some of these questions. The game is family-friendly—up to six can play at a time.

However you choose to bring in 2024, I hope it is meaningful. Here’s to a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.

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