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This New Year’s Eve, many say they will skip the club and celebrate at home. The “sober curious” movement, COVID-19, seasonal depression, and refusal to pay exuberant cover charges are among the many reasons. For many others, it follows a long history of tradition. In fact, for generations, Haitians and Black Americans have commemorated the New Year at home and other places of sanctuary, through a practice of prayer that is often followed by cooking sacred recipes.

Today, counting down to midnight is a time-honored feature at New Year’s Eve gatherings. It’s usually a happy occasion, with revelers excited for a fresh start in the new year. But this light-hearted tradition is thought to have originated during a dark period, during the Cold War. As the threat of atomic bombs was top of mind for many Americans, who expected nuclear war to break out at any time, the hope for peace and harmony in the new year was real. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The first NYE countdown can arguably be traced to the final seconds of 1957, when prominent radio correspondent Ben Grauer counted down the New Year’s Eve ball drop in New York City’s Times Square, according to Alexis McCrossen, a professor of history at Southern Methodist University. “’58 is on its way, 5-4-3-2-1,” Grauer said.

If you want to boost your well-being in 2025, skip the New Year’s resolutions and set some boundaries instead. That means being clear about your wants, needs, and deal-breakers—and in the process, improving every aspect of your life. There are a few types of boundaries, says Juliane Taylor Shore, a therapist in Austin and author of Setting Boundaries That Stick.

Dear Eric: For about 20 years, my husband and I and our two boys, when they were younger, plus a dog, traveled usually by car to visit my sisters. They never visited us. The drive to their state was 14 hours long and was not fun or cheap, but we did it mostly because of my elderly mother who couldn’t travel (lived with one sister).

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 31, the 366th and final day of 2024. This is New Year’s Eve. Today in history: On Dec. 31, 1879, Thomas Edison first demonstrated his electric incandescent lights for the public by illuminating some 100 bulbs in and around his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. Also on this date: In 1904, New York’s Times Square saw its first New Year’s Eve celebration, with an estimated 200,000 people in attendance. Related Articles Today in History: December 30, Saddam Hussein executed Today in History: December 29, the Wounded Knee Massacre Today in History: December 28, grand jury declines to indict police officers in Tamir Rice killing Today in History: December 27, Benazir Bhutto assassinated Today in History: December 26, massive earthquake triggers devastating tsunami In 1972, Major League baseball player Roberto Clemente, 38, was killed when a plane he had chartered and was traveling on to bring relief supplies to earthquake-devastated Nicaragua crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Rico. In 1985, singer Rick Nelson, 45, and six others were killed when fire broke out aboard a plane that was taking the group to a New Year’s Eve performance in Dallas. In 1995, the syndicated comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes,” created by Bill Watterson, came to an end after a 10-year run. In 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned, making Prime Minister Vladimir Putin acting president. In 2019, the health commission in the central Chinese city of Wuhan announced that experts were investigating an outbreak of respiratory illness and that most of the victims had visited a seafood market in the city; the statement said 27 people had become ill with a strain of viral pneumonia, which would eventually be known as COVID-19. In 2022, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who had become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign as pope, died at age 95. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Anthony Hopkins is 87. Rock musician Andy Summers (The Police) is 82. Actor Ben Kingsley is 81. Filmmaker Taylor Hackford is 80. Fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg is 78. Actor Tim Matheson is 77. Actor Bebe Neuwirth is 66. Actor Gong Li is 59. Author Nicholas Sparks is 59. Businessman Donald Trump Jr.

Moon Alert: Avoid important decisions and shopping after 10 p.m. PST. The Moon is in Capricorn. Happy New Year! Happy Birthday for Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024: You are a practical idealist. You are tenacious and set high standards for yourself. Others respect and admire you. This has been a year of service to others.