And to me the NEW YEAR means only a few real things:
Starting at $0 on every medical insurance deductible in my safely net
Almost nothing of interest will be open on this holiday dominated by 2 stupid activities (see Note 2)
Gyms and weight loss meetings become (briefly) zealously crowded - OK, that hasn't mattered to me for years now
Bakeries become (briefly) lightly and/or guiltily frequented
Another year we will likely suffer under Individual 1 without a break or blessed surcease
Everything else seems either contrived or non-existent. Thus I get no thrill out of a new year (except the fresh calendar, of course) and a fair amount of annoyance. However, if it is not too inclement I plan to observe folks in town participating in a "polar plunge" in the Willamette river. I caught this event a few years ago by accident and was transfixed by the level of enthusiasm to suffer, the will to be silly, and a palpable sense of goodwill. It raised my spirits quite a bit for a measurable time span! (see Note 3) Not bad for a stupid holiday in the dead of winter (see Note 4)
Note 1: My 2018 Calendar pictured above from "MegaCalendars"
Note 2: Hangover recovery and televised bowl games
Note 3: 2019 Polar Plunge is scheduled for 02/09/2019. Dang
Note 4: I will have to self-raise my spirits 01/01/2019 by practicing "2019" for the rare manual checks I will still write.