Where to go on New Year’s Eve

“Despite hundreds of years of pathetic parties, ridiculous resolutions and hellacious hangovers, we still cling to the notion that it is possible to have fun going out on New Year’s Eve. It isn’t. There is too much pressure, too many people and too few bathrooms.”

-- Anderson Cooper

However you may feel about New Year’s Eve, it has been celebrated in one form or another for 4,000 years, making it, quite probably, the oldest holiday in the world. The earliest recorded party took place in Mesopotamia around 2,000 B.C. in mid March at the time of the vernal equinox and featured copious quantities of barley ale, grilled goat and roasted locusts.

The first time the New Year was celebrated on Jan. 1 was in Rome in 153 B.C. The Romans, whose reputation for great parties is legendary, consumed ostrich ragout, fattened dormice and the pièce de resistance, a wild sow with its belly full of live thrushes, washed down with golden goblets of honeyed wine.

In medieval Europe, the celebrations accompanying the New Year were considered pagan and, in 1567, the Council of Tours abolished Jan. 1 as the beginning of the year. It was then celebrated on various dates, including Christmas, Easter and March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation. Finally, in 1582, the reform of the Gregorian calendar restored Jan. 1 as New Year’s Day. Most Catholic countries adopted this calendar almost immediately, but Protestant countries were slower to come around. The British and their American colonies waited until 1752.

The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions dates back to early Babylonia. Nowadays, the most common resolutions include losing weight and quitting smoking, but in ancient Babylonia the most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment. Another tradition was begun in Greece about 600 B.C.: They paraded a baby in a basket to celebrate the annual rebirth of Dionysius, the god of wine and fertility, not dissimilar to what happens today.

Food is a symbolic part of New Year’s rituals worldwide, thought to bring good luck and prosperity. The Dutch eat doughnuts because they imply coming full circle. In the southern U.S., it is believed that eating black-eyed peas is lucky, and greens -- such as cabbage, collards, spinach and kale -- will bring greenbacks in the coming year. Rounding out this fortuitous and tasty meal is the hog, and thus its meat, symbolizing prosperity.

Eating pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year brings good luck in Poland, but in Germany it has to be consumed at the stroke of midnight. At the same moment in Japan, it’s noodles, and in Cuba, 12 grapes, one for each stroke. In the Philippines, at the aforementioned moment, the presence of food on the table ensures abundance throughout the year. The Danes treat themselves to boiled cod on that freezing night.

Since we never seem to learn from the previous year, eternally optimistic, we prepare once more to party hearty. If you haven’t made plans yet, and your idea of a fun New Year’s Eve is a nice dinner followed by a party, here are some suggestions for a night of revelry in our town.

The following are prices for the late seating and subsequent festivities.

Luckily, the Studio at the Montage is fully booked, thereby saving you $500 per person for dinner with wines. You can still go to the main ballroom for $295 per person and enjoy a cocktail reception, a four-course dinner, music, dancing and a champagne toast at midnight. More casual is the Loft at $140 per person, offering a five-course American menu with music, dancing, party favors and champagne. Call 715-6420 for reservations.

Hush is serving a four-course meal followed by a deejay and dancing, party favors, noise-makers and midnight champagne, all for $135. Reservations can be made at 497-3616.

French 75 is presenting a prix-fixe menu, priced at $160 with a live jazz duo and champagne. Dial 494-8444.

Ti Amo’s late seating, at $85, includes a four-course menu, champagne and party favors. Call 499-5350.

For $95, Sorrento Grill is serving four courses, as well as dancing with a deejay, confetti, balloons and, you guessed it, champagne. Reach Sorrento at 494-8686.

Mozambique has three choices for your evening’s pleasure: a five-course dinner in the Protea room for $105, a four-course dinner in the main dining room for $65 and, in the Shebeen lounge upstairs, their usual menu plus special New Year’s entrées. All diners are invited to the lounge for live entertainment. Ten-passenger limo vans will pick up and drop off parties of six or more at no charge within Laguna Beach. Call 715-7777.

Romeo Cucina’s party features a special menu from $30 to $50 with a deejay, dancing and party favors. Call 497-6627.

Finally, at Las Brisas, they are serving their regular menu including specials and, at no extra charge, providing a dance floor, deejay and favors.

Most of these restaurants have an early seating that does not include the price of the celebration, in case you just want to have dinner and a high old time somewhere else.

We wish you a happy and healthy New Year.

* Elle Harrow and Terry Markowitz owned A La Carte Gourmet for 20 years. They can be reached at themarkos755@yahoo.com.

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