Say Goodbye to 2020 and Welcome 2021

Many Greenbelters will be at home this New Year's Eve rather than celebrating with relatives and friends. Instead of lamenting that we can’t make merry in our usual fashion, let’s make this year special by doing something different and welcoming the new year together as a city-wide community.

At midnight on New Year's Eve, Greenbelters can all step outside their doors or on their balconies and do one of the following:

• Applaud
• Bang a pot
• Beat a drum
• Blow a party horn
• Cheer
• Dance
• Hold up a sign with a positive message
• Laugh
• Light a candle
• Play an instrument
• Ring a bell
• Sing
• Sound a chime
• Twirl a noisemaker
• Wave a favorite flag or banner
• Wear a funny hat
• Wave to your neighbors and wish each other a happy new year.

In short, just join with people across the city in some sort of festive gesture to signal the end of a rough year and express hope for the new one. We don’t need to gather together physically to celebrate, which would be unhealthy to do this year, but we can still be united by being intentional and joyous in welcoming the new year.

This invitation to a communal ritual to ring out the old and welcome the new is offered by Connecting Across Greenbelt, a local grassroots movement to build relationships across our city’s diverse neighborhoods, and RUAK (Random Unselfish Acts of Kindness), a local initiative to help unite the citizens of Greenbelt.

The celebration of a new year offers a chance to turn a corner and set off on a new course with optimism and renewed commitment to build up our community and our world. Of course, practically speaking, nothing will be much different on January 1st than it was on December 31st. 2021 will be a better year than 2020 only if we make it a better one.

So, this new year’s eve, take a moment to start off 2021 with your neighbors. Step outside. Breathe the fresh night air. Do one of the actions from the list above—or make up one of your own! These simple steps can help embolden the spirit of hope and renewal in yourself, your neighbors, and the wonderful, beautiful, diverse community of Greenbelt!