New Year's Eve Ideas for a Long-Distance Relationship

Celebrating New Year's Eve can pose a challenge for couples in a long-distance relationship. Unless you have the necessary finances to visit your sweetie, you will have to ring in the new year without your partner. Fortunately, you can plan several virtual ways to make both of you feel like you are in each other's presence when the clock strikes midnight.

You and your sweetie can still have a midnight kiss though you may live in different time zones. Plan to meet on video chat a few minutes before the clock strikes midnight where you live. Share a virtual kiss at exactly midnight for the time zone you live in. Then, meet again to share a midnight kiss for your sweetie's time zone. Perhaps you live in New York while your boyfriend lives in Los Angeles. New York is three hours ahead of LA. Then, you would kiss at midnight for your time zone but 9 p.m. in his time zone. Kiss again at midnight for his time zone and 3 a.m. in your time zone.

Take the time on New Year's Eve to tell each other your goals to accomplish in the new year. The resolutions can relate to how you both can make an effort to strengthen your relationship despite the distance. Maybe one of your resolutions can be to institute more virtual date nights with your sweetie. Making regular dates can acknowledge that your romantic life is just as important as other responsibilities you have, as explained in the "Woman's Day" article "Relationship Resolutions to Make This Year" by Denise Schipani. Or, perhaps another one of your resolutions could be to plan more visits to see your sweetie.

Plan a virtual cooking date and prepare a New Year's Eve meal together. Meet on video chat and select a romantic recipe you both can easily prepare in sync. Consider preparing mandarin chicken, mixed green salad and berry chocolate cupcakes for an ideal meal, as suggested in the "Celebrations" article "Romantic New Year's Eve Ideas." Sit down to dine together on video chat and toast with a glass of sparkling apple cider at midnight in both of your time zones. After midnight, plan to watch the same New Year's-themed movie, such as "New Year's Eve." Discuss your favorite scenes over the phone.

If your sweetie is studying in another country, celebrate by adopting a New Year's tradition from the place he is living in. Figure out a tradition common to the country. Perhaps your sweetie is studying in Spain. Plan to ring in the new year by eating 12 grapes while on video chat at midnight in your time zones. Maybe your sweetie is studying in China. Plan to release floating lanterns into the sky at midnight in your time zones as is traditional for the Chinese New Year. Think of each other as the lanterns fly in the sky.