For some it takes booze and booming sounds, fireworks filling the sky with colorful animation or a 12' ball, containing 2,688 pieces of crystal and 32,256 LED lights, dropped in Times Square to wrap up the old and welcome in a new year.
For me it's a dose of Christmas lights, a great restaurant meal, and a stroll through the city.
Here are some photos of Christmas lights taken on Monday evening, December 28th, in South Philly in the vicinity of Smedley Street. For the past several weeks our temperatures have been unseasonably mild thanks to El Nino. It's been mostly 60ยบ even in the low 70's, but this day definitely feels like Winter!
Here's a peek at Ela, rated one of Philadelphia's top 50 restaurants, located at 627 S. 3rd Street in Queen Village. Lucky for us they were open on a Monday, a table was available without a reservation, and Michael and I were able to enjoy a delicious prix fixe, 3 course dinner, for $30.00 per person!
Afterwards, we took a walk down Broad Street, a.k.a. Avenue of the Arts, where activity flows and changing lights accentuate great architecture.
They say the neon lights are bright on Broad Street
They say there's always magic in the air
But when you're walkin' down the street
And you've just had enough to eat
The glitter shines so bright and you're somewhere...
*Adapted from and sung to the tune of "On Broadway"
Tonight, New Year's Eve, Michael and I will be at home with a few DVD's and some munchies. With 2015 nicely wrapped up, we're ready to welcome in 2016... if we can stay awake until midnight when the ball drops in Times Square.
I'm interested. What 'rituals' take you from the old year into the new?
To listen to The Drifters perform "On Broadway" go here.
Here's wishing you and yours
A Very Healthy, Happy, and Prosperous 2016!
From "Here and Next"
