New Year’s Day Can Be As Much Of A Party As New Year’s Eve

Diehard Partiers Cut Loose The Day After NYE With A More Casual Attitude

I love New Year’s Day almost as much as I do New Year’s Eve.

In fact, in some places, I like it even more than NYE.

Why? Because the pressure is off, lifted like the monkey off Steve Young’s back.

The pressure for what, you ask? The pressure to have a great time for New Year’s Eve, to do something memorable, be someplace special. I always find it amusing how much thought and planning go into what to do for New Year’s Eve without a thought given to what you’ll be doing on New Year’s Day.

But for us truly savvy partiers, New Year’s Day – and New Year’s Day night – is when to really bring it big style. Anyone you see out on New Year’s Day (or New Year’s night), you can be assured they are die-hard partiers, not one-night wonders.

After all anyone can party on New Year’s Eve. It’s Amateur Night, when people who only party once a year (or occasionally) goes out and wears up wearing a lampshade on their head. But it’s the true party people who can go big the next day (and/or night).

Everyone is also friendlier on New Year’s Day. Especially people who are working events, bars and clubs. They are under such pressure to get people in and put on an event, that they are frazzled in the days, weeks and even months leading up to NYE. Once it’s past them, then they kick back and take a huge “wheeeww” big sigh of relief.

Plus, they are ready to go out and rock it on New Year’s Day, which for them is their NYE.

This is especially true in Las Vegas, which puts a premium on club events, many with celebrities, in an effort to draw in the dollars. It’s Sin City’s biggest bar night of the year. Many of those bouncers and bartenders who can barely get their attention on New Year’s Eve are suddenly like your long lost fraternity brother on New Year’s Day. They are not turning you away, but are happy to see you.

All those places – even your neighborhood bar – charging $25-250 to get into are now swinging the doors open hoping you’ll come in, and often offering food and drink specials.

The same goes for the patrons. If they’ve paid $50, $100 or a lot more to go to a NYE party, then they are going to that party and might as well put a Do Not Disturb sign around their neck until they get to that party.  On New Year’s Day, with no plan or destination, they are  more open to spontaneity. And as I’ve discovered partying through the years, quite often the most fun you’ll ever have is when you’re least expecting it to happen.

You can also start drinking earlier on New Year’s Day than New Year’s Eve.  On NYE, you want to have your wits about you not just at midnight, but well past it.

On New Year’s Day, you may want to start off with brunch and a Bloody Mary. Or a champagne brunches at a bar or restaurant (or at the casino buffets in Vegas).

So when planning your New Year’s Eve, think about focusing not so much on the “big night” itself, but instead on New Year’s Day.

For a review of the Top Places To Party For New Year’s Eve, click here for a story on PubClub.com.