While staying safe on the road must be a high priority for New Year’s Eve revelers, it’s certainly not the only safety issue that you may confront as you ring in the New Year.
However, with a little care and foresight, you can protect yourself from some of the more common New Year’s risks. Follow the tips below, and your biggest challenge on New Year’s Eve may be remembering all the words to “Auld Lang Syne.”
And to be sure you are prepared for that portion too… did you know? In 1788 the Robert Burns sent the poem ‘Auld Lang Syne’ to the Scots Musical Museum, indicating that it was an ancient song but that he’d been the first to record it on paper. The phrase ‘auld lang syne’ roughly translates as ‘for old times’ sake’, and the song is all about preserving old friendships and looking back over the events of the year.
Most know the first verse and the chorus but if you don’t, here’s the modern English-translated version
Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And days of long ago!
Chorus:
For times gone by, my dear
For times gone by,
We will take a cup of kindness yet
For times gone by.
We two have run about the hillsides
And pulled the daisies fine,
But we have wandered many a weary foot
For times gone by.
We two have paddled (waded) in the stream
From noon until dinner time,
But seas between us broad have roared
Since times gone by.
And there is a hand, my trusty friend,
And give us a hand of yours,
And we will take a goodwill drink (of ale)
For times gone by!
And surely you will pay for your pint,
And surely, I will pay for mine!
And we will take a cup of kindness yet
For times gone by!
If partying, ensure you have a designated driver for the night . . . even better, make arrangements to stay where you are celebrating New Year’s Eve. You may be in fine condition, but you don’t know about the driver next to you or around the corner.
And for those potentially high velocity champagne corks – You can avoid eye injuries and broken windows if you follow the advice of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and remember the rules of 45.
- Chill your champagne to at least 45°F, this will make the cork less likely to pop out unexpectedly.
- Hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle, pointing it away from yourself and others.
Then, after removing the wire hood, place a towel over the top of the bottle and grasp the cork. With the bottle in one hand, slowly twist the cork, applying gentle upward pressure. When you feel the cork about to pop out, reverse pressure to a slight downward tilt. If all goes well, you’ll have a cork in one hand, a full bottle in the other, and no injuries in sight.
Fireworks – When it comes to explosives, follow the same rules on New Year’s Eve that you would any other time of the year: Leave it to the experts. The best way to enjoy fireworks is to watch a public exhibition from a safe distance. If you feel you must light your own fireworks never allow children to handle or light any kind of fireworks.
Firearms – It is a tradition for some to shoot firearms up in the air. This is a very bad idea, especially in populated areas as what goes up, must come down.
Remember the song, remember the tips and Have a Safe New Year!