Life

This Is Proof That You're Not The Only One Staying In This NYE

by Eliza Castile
New Year’s Eve 2017 fireworks
David Cannon/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

Based on its hard-partying reputation, if New Year's Eve were a person, it would be perpetually loud and drunk, with a penchant for anything and everything glittery. Given the number of people who plan on staying in on New Year's Eve this year, though, NYE might actually be more of a bathrobe-wearing shut-in whose idea of a good time is speeding their way through Dark in the course of a single weekend. So... basically all of us, right?

My point is that while New Year's Eve is associated with champagne and shenanigans, not everyone ends their year with the bang of a firecracker. According to Hellogiggles, a survey conducted by alcohol delivery app Drizly in partnership with Netflix found that a full 69 percent of people plan on hosting a party at home or heading to a friend's house for New Year's Eve. I repeat: Nearly seven in ten people plan on parking themselves at their own home or a friend's to ring in the new year.

It's not like you can't have a wild night at a house party, but it does make you rethink the idea of New Year's Even as a glamorous night on the town. According to this survey, at least, most people's celebrations will look less like one of Truman Capote's famous blowouts and more like a regular Friday night. In fact, 15 percent of people told Drizly that they intended to stay in and watch Netflix on Jan. 31. Just 16 percent said they would go "out on the town" or get dinner with friends.

To be totally honest, that 15 percent might have the right idea. The cost of drinks can add up quickly, traffic is always bonkers on holidays, and New Year's Eve crowds are famously intense. According to CBS New York, one million people are anticipated to turn out for the ball drop at Times Square despite below freezing temperatures. Who wants to stand in line for hours to deal with a crowd that size when you could stay in and treat yourself to reruns of The Office from the comfort of your own couch? If you really want to take part in the ball drop, you can always watch it from your laptop or television. Just a thought.

Drizly's survey is far from the only one to find that people prefer to spend their New Year's Eve at home — their own or someone else's. According to The Sun, a poll suggested that nearly half of respondents in the UK are staying at home this year, and more than a third said they would probably be asleep by the time the clock strikes midnight. Hilariously, 24 percent said they had technically made plans, but they fully intended to come up with an excuse to get out of them. Meanwhile, dozens of articles have been published online advising readers on how to spend the last day of the year alone. The people have spoken: Staying in on New Year's Eve is the hottest trend to end 2017.

That being said, cities are preparing for the usual massive crowds on Jan. 31. Sydney, London, and New York City, among others, reportedly increased security for their New Year's celebrations; according to CBS New York, the NYPD estimated that it costs about $7.5 million to protect the ball drop in Times Square. So despite the Internet's penchant for spending the night at home, plenty of people are still going to ring in the new year the old-fashioned way: stuck in a crowd and wishing you could get a drink.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy yourself no matter how you're planning on spending your New Year's. Cheers to the end of 2017 — and let's hope 2018 is your best year yet.