New Year is often seen as a family holiday, yet for many it passes in solitude. The article brings together several accounts from people who will spend the night of December 31 to January 1 without loved ones because of emigration, bereavement, health problems, work, or personal choice.
One interviewee said he spent last New Year alone and will do so again this year. His family used to gather relatives at home, but after his father’s death that tradition collapsed: his sister now lives in Australia, while his mother is in Armenia and does not want to leave because she visits her husband’s grave on New Year’s Day. He himself cannot go there for political reasons: according to him, after being called up to fight in Karabakh in 2021, he fled, and a desertion case was opened against him. He admits that he does feel sadness, but says celebrating with friends would only sharpen the sense of losing his family.
Another participant says she has often spent major holidays alone since reaching adulthood because that feels calmer. The wish to celebrate with others appears well in advance, but by late December she is exhausted by uncertainty. Visiting her grandmother in Belarus is complicated by limited time off and travel difficulties, while a resort stay near Moscow or a restaurant on New Year’s Eve seems too expensive. In her words, being alone is more comfortable because she can choose the food, film, and schedule without adapting to anyone else.
Another speaker moved to Sofia for work after living in the United Kingdom for nine years. He expected loneliness and says that is exactly what happened. Returning to Manchester is not really possible, partly because of visa issues: after the war began, he switched to a special visa for Ukrainians, which, he says, does not count previous years of residence. On New Year’s Eve he will most likely stay home and play computer games, though he expects that looking at friends’ photos and stories on social media may intensify the melancholy.
A woman from Varna who suffered a severe case of Covid with lung complications decided to spend the winter in Dahab, Egypt. She does not yet have close acquaintances there, so she may spend the holiday alone by the sea. At the same time, she says this is not the worst option if her health holds up. In her view, New Year matters less as a date than as a reminder of the future, hope, and the need to break out of routine from time to time.
Another protagonist, who lives in Berlin, recalls that last New Year in the city felt unbearable because of the huge number of fireworks and firecrackers. This time he bought a ticket to Barcelona, where he has only one friend, and will most likely spend the holiday alone again. He says he does not attach much importance to the date and believes a person can create a celebration on any day, although he still puts up a tree every year regardless of his mood.