NEW YEAR'S EVE AND MULTIPLE NATIONAL DAYS

Interesting set of National Days.

NEW YEAR’S EVE 

 Every year on December 31st, people around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve, the last day of the year. It’s a day to say “goodbye” to the old and “hello” to the new.

Also known as Old Year’s Day or Saint Sylvester’s Day, New Year’s Eve is one of the most exciting holidays of the year. Some countries, such as the Philippines and Latvia, celebrate New Year’s Eve as a public holiday. In Japan, it’s a government holiday. In other countries, many businesses let their employees off of work early so that they can partake in the many festivities.

There are many reasons this day is one of the biggest nights of the year. Not just because it’s a time of big parties and celebrations all around the world. New Year’s Eve can be a significant turning point in your life. It’s a time to reflect on the past year and all of the lessons you have learned. It can be a time you decide to start making better choices. If you have had a rough year, New Year’s Eve offers a feeling of relief. You can be thankful that the year is finally over

New Year’s is also a time to forgive past mistakes and form new habits. Many people make New Year’s resolutions. Although, only 8% of people actually accomplish them. Instead of making resolutions that you’re not going to keep anyway, it’s better to set three or four goals. Breaking down goals into actionable steps, and reviewing your progress daily helps to keep them. It’s also a good idea to find a friend or mentor that can hold you accountable.

 Used in a sentence: All I've learned about football this year will make tonight's game more enjoyable for me.

NATIONAL CHAMPAGNE DAY

National Champagne Day recognizes the wine that puts the pop in every New Year’s Eve celebration. 

Genuine champagne only comes from France’s Champagne region. French law protects where and how it is made. With some exceptions, only Champagne made according to set specifications and within the French region may label their wines using the term “Champagne.” Other foods and beverages fall under this type of protection in France and other parts of the world.

Champagne, France, is located northeast of Paris and provides the ideal temperature and soil to produce the grapes required for Champagne. French law allows only eight varieties of grapes for the production of Champagne in the Champagne region. Primarily, the three grapes used to create Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. 

Unlike other wines, Champagne ferments in the bottle allowing the vintner to trap the CO2 in the bottle. The bubbles give Champagne its effervescence.  

Used in a song:: Whiskey's too rough, Champagne costs too much, **** puts my mouth in gear .This little refrain should help me explain as a matter of fact I like beer

NO INTERRUPTIONS DAY

No Interruptions Day on the last workday of the year sets aside the day to get organized for the new year by cleaning up your workspace without interruptions. 

This is the day set aside for cleaning out emails, tossing long-saved memos, and delegating those tasks that, well, just need to be delegated. Clear out those menial tasks that you dread. Get them finished and cleared off your to-do list. 

Everyone’s to-do list is different. The very nature of our job dictates what we consider an organized and cleared workspace. One career may be facing new regulations while another looks at all new technology to learn. A day without interruption allows us to focus on big things and small. 

However, some people use this day to focus hard on those end-of-year tasks that always seem to slip through the cracks. Often these are the details of work one pushes off until the last minute. And today is that last minute.

Turn off the phone, ignore your e-mails, close your door, and enjoy the peace of no interruptions for a full day. You can do this, right? Here are some of the things many of us will tackle on these quiet end-of-the-year-days:

• Answer un-answered emails
• Delete, file, and organize emails we’ve been saving
• Scan needed receipts and shred unnecessary paperwork
• Complete online training courses
• Update calendar and address book.

Used in a sentence: I will tolerate no interruptions to the Dawg game tonight - except for TD celebrations.  

MAKE UP YOUR MIND DAY

Each year, Make Up Your Mind Day on December 31st encourages us to quit wavering, to take a side, and follow through with a decision and stick to it. 

As New Year’s resolutions go, this may be the day to decide which ones to declare. The day may be used to determine other decisions as well. Career changes, family decisions, and large purchases often keep us from moving forward. We waver between multiple choices or sometimes a simple yes or no. While some life-altering decisions are made on a whim, most people deliberate and weigh the pros and cons before making these types of decisions. 

If a decision has you hesitating, make a decision. This day is the incentive to make a choice. Draw up a list of pros and cons to help you decide. Too many choices? Pare them down by ranking them. 

Used in a sentence: There were so many possible National Days today, I just made up my mind to include several in my post.