We are officially in the height of cuffing season, with the shimmering glow of New Year’s Eve on the horizon. Maybe you have begun a flirtation with a friend of a friend, or perhaps you find you keep picking up your phone to look up that number a particularly lovely conversationalist gave you after a party a few weeks ago. Maybe you’ve been so busy, you forgot it’s nearly the end of December. Whatever the case, it has probably crossed your mind: is New Year’s Eve the perfect excuse to reach out and go on that first date? New Year’s Eve is a night when, traditionally, all kinds of sparks fly. But is a first date on New Year’s Eve the right call? Let’s weigh some pros and cons.
New Year’s Eve is Designed for Lovers
Whether it’s getting glammed up for a night on the town or heading to a dear friend’s house party, you’ll have no problem finding the perfect backdrop for a first date on New Year’s Eve. Upscale restaurants feature sumptuous menus served over candlelight, clubs and music venues keep the show going well past 12am, and even parks are crowded with bundled-up revelers, sipping cocoa while waiting for the midnight sky to blossom with fireworks. If you’re someone who likes to put on their best outfit and mingle, this night is for you: you’ll rarely be accused of being overdressed, and an extra flirtatious attitude is just befitting the season.
No matter where you and your date decide to go, ensure it’s an activity you will both enjoy, so you can each put your best foot forward (and really be true to yourself: if you’re not a fan of large crowds, it’s OK to tell your date you’d prefer an evening in rather than battle the waves of people at Times Square). There are so many things to do and places to go, this shouldn’t be a problem. By all accounts, New Year’s Eve has all the trappings for an excellent first date. But this is a double-edged sword…
It Puts Some Pressure on Your First Meeting
New Year’s Eve is for friends and lovers… but what if you’d prefer your newly-met date be a friend instead of a lover (such as what happened to Minda Honey in 2016)?
Even here at Tawkify, it usually takes a few meet-ups with a few different folks before we find a homerun match. We are pros at anticipating the human magic that is chemistry, but it’s still impossible to predict success ahead of time, 100% of the time.
So let’s say it’s 10 seconds to midnight, and you sense your first date is eager to share that traditional midnight kiss. If things are going well for this New Year’s Eve first date, what a wonderful excuse – lean in and pucker up! However, if things aren’t going so well – you shouldn’t kiss a frog, no matter what disco balls are dropping out of the sky.
If you’re going to have a first date on New Year’s Eve, it’s best to at least be fairly certain this is someone you want to snuggle up close to. And if you’re normally too shy to admit such things, that’s another perk about this once-in-a-year night…
You Have an Excuse to Be Gutsy
If you, or your date, tend to be on the shy side, this is a perfect excuse to reach out and get the ball rolling on your courtship. We all get a bit nervous before asking someone out, but for some of us, these nerves can drag on for weeks (even months) past politeness. Entire courtships can perish before they have even begun, because of a fear of rejection.
New Year’s Eve is the perfect first date, because everyone is already going out. In such an environment, it becomes much less frightening to ask: “Why don’t we go out, too?” Whether things work out between this particular date, by initiating or accepting a first date on New Year’s Eve, you are showing yourself, and the world, that you are committed to finding a quality partner this year. That’s a resolution worth cheering for. With this vibrant energy in place, however, keep an eye out, because…
You Might Not Entirely Be Yourself
We aren’t referring to the chance that you (and everyone around you) will be tempted to sip a few extra glasses of champagne than normal – they don’t call New Year’s Day “National Hangover Day” for nothing. There’s also the reality that on a holiday like New Year’s Eve, similar to Halloween, society behaves a little differently. It’s a liminal night where people put on different personas. While this can be extremely fun, a high quality relationship is usually born when two people come together as they honestly are in the normal day-to-day, and discover they vibe well. This only works if each person is self-aware and honest about who they are and what they want out of a partnership.
Ask yourself if you’re trying to live up to an invisible (and unfair) expectation that society puts on us to be coupled up on December 31st. If you’re eagerly searching for a first date for New Year’s Eve, and really only New Year’s Eve, it might mean you’re just looking for someone to party with on the dance floor, or to share a one night fling. To be clear: that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something to keep in mind as you make your plans. Unless of course, you know you are looking for a long-term partner who can keep up with your adventurous, explorative energy. After all…
It’s a Night Where Extroverts Shine, but Introverts May Be at a Disadvantage
Your date might be a charming catch – someone who has your same life goals, same vision for a partnership, a compatible sense of humor and politics – but unfortunately clams up in big crowds. If New Year’s Eve is your first date, this otherwise fantastic match might come off as one big dud, with little to no time to redeem themselves before 12am.
On the other hand, if you know beyond a shadow of a doubt you want someone who thrives at big parties, someone who can command a room and shines in the spotlight – maybe New Year’s Eve is the perfect test to see who can keep up with you. Even suggesting the idea of a first date on New Year’s Eve will weed out the unadventurous!
It comes down ultimately to being true to who you are, and finding someone who shares your idea of what constitutes a great night out on New Year’s Eve. This alone can be something fun and explorative to chat about over the phone, in order to get to know each other better before you meet up in person.
If you really know you are looking for someone extroverted, who thrives at a party and wants to be your fellow sovereign of the night – a first date on New Year’s Eve might be Cupid’s own gift to you. But if you prefer to keep things mellow, or find yourself attracted to people who shine better one-on-one, it might be better to stick to a more intimate event, or wait until after New Year’s Eve to plan your first date.
December 31st can make for a magical first encounter, but it’s also an equally wonderful opportunity to spend the night clinking glasses with friends and spending quality time with family. Your first date will still be something bright to look forward to in the new year.
