10 faux pas to avoid for your New Year's Eve party planning
From dietary restrictions to New Year's Day celebrations, don't let this hosting error happen
I was ecstatic when I won free tickets for a New Year’s Eve party from my favorite talk radio station. It seemed like a perfect way for news-savvy singles to mingle, eat hors d’oeuvres and enjoy plenty of Merlot. Judging from the shows I regularly listened to, it would also be a diverse crowd.
I invited a co-worker of mine after we agreed to see “Hidden Figures.” We strolled over to the bocci-and-bowling location when the movie was over, ready to enjoy a different kind of party than I would usually go to for New Year’s Eve. (I often opted for parties with people who knew what twerking was long before Miley Cyrus, who could croon the chorus of Do or Die’s “PoPimp” and who snuck fireworks in from Indiana.)
These AM radio tickets were also a perfect way to get my mind off of distancing myself from a childhood sweetheart that I was smitten over the way Sally liked Linus — and I kept talking him on the way and during the NYE party.
So what could go wrong? My co-worker and I walked in the entrance door, and the entire crowd was made up of couples. Even when we tried bowling or checked out the storytelling room, people were cuddling.
I shrugged. I was already there. I was going to help myself to all the red wine, cheese cubes, crackers and fruit. But after I was full, this party felt like the two of us showed up in Chicago Bears attire to a Green Bay Packers party. It was awkward, and I was trying to clear my head of “Linus,” who had previously emailed me to give him a second chance. Absolutely not!
The only people who wanted to chat with us was a friendly LGBTQ+ couple who was confused when me and my co-worker confirmed we were not a couple. Even those two women looked at us like “Why are you here?” When the fireworks show started at midnight, I went in one direction and she went in another. And then we left.
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If I was warned ahead of time about what the energy would be like at this party, I’d have gone to a house party or visited Chicago’s Navy Pier where singles, married couples, families and everybody in between hung out. This was one of 10 faux paus for New Year’s Eve party planning that hosts should avoid.
Faux Pas No. 1: Don’t let single guests know that this is a majority-couples’ party.
If your single friends and family still choose to attend a largely couples’ event, consider inviting some other singles so they have people to hang out with — even if it’s not the kind of magic to make them kiss at 12 a.m. Or, allow the couples to bring a plus one. There is no better time to play matchmaker than bringing in the new year.
Faux Pas No. 2: Don’t plan any big celebration to do at midnight.
Years ago, I attended a house party with no fireworks, no questionable “fireworks” in the backyard, no big toast and no party favors. Although there were at least 20 people in attendance, the host just turned on the television and told his wife to come out of the kitchen around midnight. In one of the most lackluster ways to bring in the new year, my first thought was, “We don’t even have those goofy glasses to wear, the New Year’s Eve fortune cookies or the blowers.”
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Faux Pas No. 3: Make lots of smelly food and dishes with an aftertaste.
As thoughtful as it is to have Tofurky Italian Sausage and hot dog buns for your vegetarian guests, those sausages have a very distinct smell once fried. Prepare them ahead of time, and air the kitchen out — even if it’s cold outside. Same with any kind of seafood or an ethnic menu item with a pungent smell. If a guest enters your home and asks, “What’s that smell?” like you just made chitterlings, this party is going in the wrong direction already.
Faux Pas No. 4: Treat the New Year’s Eve menu like Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving dinner may require a kids’ table. Your vintage Pyrex casserole dishes, roasting pans and expensive drinking glasses make sense too. But at a party where people are walking, talking, dancing, singing and mingling, consider an easy-to-serve dish. Put something in a slow cooker so people can serve themselves from a Crock-Pot without hot food getting cold. Keep a cooler so cold items stay cold too. Don’t end up being the server all night or having guests opening tops to random pots and pans to figure out what everything is.
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Faux Pas No. 5: Serve food and drinks close to midnight.
No one wants to be standing in a line for food, searching for utensils, or trying to hurry up and eat at 11:30 p.m. They have barely danced, made their introductions or even chatted with the host. Make sure guests arrive in the evening so they have a chance to eat and drink, chill, play a few games (if applicable), and are ready for something else exciting to happen when the clock hits that magical number.
Faux Pas No. 6: Overlook non-alcoholic refreshments.
Some people find nothing amusing about being drunk. Others may be struggling with alcoholism. A few more guests will walk in your home shouting “Where’s the liquor?” It is up to the host to decide what type of liquor will be served at the bar. Hennessy and Crown Royal is going to get a different kind of reaction than Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
While the host is not required to avoid serving liquor because of people’s personal vices, it helps to have filtered water (avoid unnecessary plastic bottles), sparkling water, lemonade, iced tea, or drink variations that may taste like wine. If necessary, hire a bartender or a family volunteer to serve all of the above. (The lone single guest may happily volunteer for this role.) No matter what, having liquor liability insurance may stop the host from legal consequences if a drunk guest leaves the New Year’s Eve party and gets a DUI, causes injury or creates property damage. Protect your home, not just the furniture.
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Faux Pas No. 7: Don’t add space to the room or remove breakable items.
While your tchotchkes are conversation starters for a one-on-one event, they’re at risk of being broken or tossed to the side in a crowded room. Do you really need all those throw pillows? Can the ceramic Chess set be moved to an empty room? Do you have to have all of those shelves in the hallway by the bathroom? Are you willing to clean the cigarette smell or marijuana seeds (if both are allowed in your home) out of the dog couch? Create open areas to drink, dance, watch movies, sit and lean. Move anything that is too easy to trip over, and find a dog sitter.
Recommended Read: “10 faux pas to avoid for your New Year's Eve party planning with pets ~ From fear of fireworks to antisocial dogs, here's how to make a dog-friendly party a success while bringing in the new year”
Faux Pas No. 8: Don’t clean the bathroom or stock up on toiletries.
In addition to allowing your guests to have a clean restroom to use as needed, think like your guests. While you may be Team Bidet, that doesn’t mean your guests want to figure out how to operate a non-electric or electric bidet. That doesn’t mean you have to remove a bidet that is already installed, but you should generally treat your bathroom the same way you would if you were renting it out as an Airbnb. Stock up on liquid soap, toilet paper, facial tissue and paper towels. Leave one extra role in plain sight, and fill the liquid soap dispenser to the top. Keep a small garbage can nearby for sanitary items. And always have a plunger in the bathroom for people to resolve any potential plumbing issues before the next person enters the bathroom.
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Faux Pas No. 9: Rely on music and movies as the sole source of entertainment.
You shouldn’t want a party full of people staring at TesterUp or taking selfies the entire night. You should want people to have entertainment options besides their smartphones. Some may want to learn the “Boots on the Ground” dance and hear music from the designated deejay. Others may be invested in a movie or TV show. But what about the third group? Give them games that break the ice — without pressure to participate. You don’t have to create the kind of board game night that Questlove does, but a couple of card games usually work out well. Make sure to have a folding card table and chairs or a spotless dining room table so they can play without having to move centerpieces.
Faux Pas No. 10: Play whatever is on the radio or too much slow music.
Is Tonio Armani’s song “Help Me Find My Drawls” hilarious? Yes — and soulful too. But if the only people who are enjoying it is the PDA-grinding couple in the corner, it’s time to play something else. You also don’t want a radio host or podcast host to do more talking about news and politics than playing music. It’ll bum the whole group out more than the 2024 Election Day results.
Have a solid playlist of jazz, R&B, hip-hop and dance music that fits the crowd in attendance. And if somebody wants to show off their original choreography to the latter half of Cowboy Carter’s “Sweet Honey Buckiin,” even better. Make sure the guests can’t kick over any tables while they’re trying to show off their moves on TikTok. If you, the host, want to join in, even better. Make your New Year’s Eve party is as fun for you as it is your guests.
Happy (early) New Year! Here’s hoping 2026 treats you even better than 2025.
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