Do you feel like New Year's celebrations are dying out in the UK? What's changed since 2016?"

Posted by Educational_Jello666@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 16 comments

Posting this on New Year's Day and genuinely wondering if anyone else has noticed the shift. The pubs seem quieter, fewer street parties, less hype on social media compared to 10 years ago. Or is that just me getting older? What's your experience? Has New Year's celebration changed in your area, or is it still the same vibe as it was back in 2016?

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16 Comments

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Jolly-Minimum-6641@reddit

It's been roughly ten years since I last went properly "out" for New Year.

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According-Field-3159@reddit

If they're dying, a lot of it is due to the attitudes that are commonly expressed on Reddit. I'm not quite sure how to express it but there seems to be a broad rejection of traditions. And I agree tradition for traditions sake makes no sense. However, at some point you've stripped everything away and there's no common joy left. Often I see the argument that new year is just any other night, while true this applies to every event ever, and serves to suck the life out of everything. I've done something with friends every new year for nearly 3 decades now and we still love. While once it was a night out in a club it's now drinks at someone's house but we still all get together and celebrate and I think that's important. I hate the cynicism that's crept in.

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Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit

You're older. At some point most people realise you're paying to enter a pub you've drank in all year and the prices behind the bar are more than normal. NYE was massive to me when I was 17-19, and again in my early mid 30s. Its a huge waste of time, effort for the opportunity to drink with every empty head and thier coked up missus.

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StormeeSkyes@reddit

NYE was just as shit a night out in the 90's as it is now. Queueing at the bar, cost of a taxi home, everywhere rammed, people out in town just because they thought they had to be out in town. Did it back then maybe 3 times, learnt my lesson. Always did - and still do - like a good big night out in town (to the same clubs and bars - they may have changed names a few times though!)- but not on NYE.

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SuffolkYourself@reddit

I used to go out religiously on NYE, and would mostly pub crawl. Then pubs started charging entry so that put an end to that, and I had a few years of quiet(er) NYE nights. Now I’m older I tend to go away, either abroad or somewhere in UK if there is something that appeals to me

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rougepot@reddit

The pub/club scene has changed so much. Back in the hay day of going out, NYE was a big deal. Clubs have died. It’s so sad. But will caveat that with I’m nearly 50 now, so happy sat in the sofa with crackers and cheese.

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National-Pay-8911@reddit

I think part of the problem is you can’t just go to the pub on NYE without having to buy a ticket

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SeaweedClean5087@reddit

Prices.

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cvslfc123@reddit

You're a decade older

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salahiswashed@reddit

Harambe died

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Dimac99@reddit

It's still New Year's Eve in the UK for another 2 hours and 15 minutes. Not sure if you're time travelling or what. You're 10 years older, you're probably looking at different media/advertisements for a start. I'm sure there's just as much hype, just not necessarily where you're looking. Perhaps more importantly, the cost of living has increased enormously in the last 10 years, especially for younger folk who have probably always been the main drivers of parties and noise. Lots of people are probably looking at their bank balances after Christmas and deciding they can't afford a big night out, so they'll stay home with family/friends. Frankly, it's also warmer indoors. Sometimes the weather is appalling and things get cancelled because of high winds etc, and sometimes, like this year possibly, people cancel for themselves when the temps are minus figures and slipping and falling are big dangers, along with hypothermia. Nobody wants to spend the first days of the new year in hospital in a silver foil blanket or having their femur reset in surgery. Or maybe that's just me watching too many surgeries on tv.

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anonymouse39993@reddit

New years is just a bit crap it always has been. It’s no different from the change of any month into another month.

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xsorr@reddit

Dont think its dying. Trends change, not everyone is about going out and getting pissed anymore Intimate, small gatherings are also more financially friendly during these times

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Mean-Singer-3557@reddit

As a young person, my friends and I don’t hang out at pubs anymore. Pre-covid, it would always be a big deal to go out for a birthday, Xmas eve, NYE, etc. Now there are more people my age who don’t drink, we prefer to stay in or do other, smaller things. Of course money is a massive issue. I think of all the things I can do or buy instead of going out for a night. Price of a taxi = bottle of olive oil. Six pints = petrol budget for the week. Club entry = coffee and a cake at a nice cafe instead, where I don’t have to deal with a hangover or losing my wallet.

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VividNeonOnyx@reddit

Yeah, I don’t think it’s just you. It definitely feels quieter than it did around 2015–2016. A big part of it is cost - NYE used to feel like a big night worth the money, now it’s £7 pints, ticketed pubs, mad taxi prices and queues everywhere. A lot of people seem to have decided it’s just not worth the hassle anymore. I also think COVID changed habits more than we realise. People got used to staying in, doing smaller house gatherings, or just calling it a night after midnight, and that’s kind of stuck. There’s less pressure now to go out because it’s New Year. Social media plays into it as well. Back then everyone posted everything. Now people either don’t bother or keep it to private group chats, so it looks quieter even if people are still doing stuff. And yeah, age probably factors in too - more kids, early shifts, less appetite for feeling rough on New Year’s Day. NYE doesn’t feel like the big cultural reset it used to. So I don’t think celebrations are gone, they’re just smaller, more private, and less hyped than they were 10 years ago. The “whole town out on the piss” vibe definitely feels like it’s faded.

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