Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, her birthday and New Year’s all group together in the same grandeur category for most women. They are monumental days on the calendar, calling on the men in our lives to preferably devise a plan, or at least stick with us as we play out our own.
Now, we get it, New Year’s Eve isn’t as memorable for guys. Along with our expectations for an evening of unprecedented romance comes plenty of pressure on you. Sure, it’s always easier to suggest staying in and cooking a “nice” dinner, what with one-night over-inflated prices, inability to find cabs and cranky crowds — and, the likeliest factor, your lack of NYE interest. Still, here’s why you shouldn’t.
You’re going to end up doing what she wants anyways
Look, just buy into it. You really are going to end up doing what she wants anyways, so you may as well go along with her ideas (call that “humouring her” at you own peril). Instead of wasting your energy complaining about how overrated NYE is, tell her that it’s not your thing but you respect that it’s her thing, and ask her how you can make it a memorable night for her. Simple logic dictates that if you’re following through anyways, you may as well make it count. If you put up a fuss, you’ll make her feel like she’s a burden, which will definitely bring down her spirits that night (and she’ll remember it down the road). Trust me, gents: The last thing you’ll want is a fight as you ring in the new year, especially on a night that’s so memorable in her mind.
A little effort goes a very long way
Score thoughtfulness points by planning a big event like this one in advance. To avoid and miscommunications, assumptions and arguments, discuss with her as early as possible what will be the plan for the night. Listen to her wants and share your own, and hopefully you’ll be able to find a compromise (and a few pro-her surprises). Leave no stone unturned as you map out transportation and reservations — always recommended: a simple, and almost effortless, display of effort. If you do end up staying in, make sure she knows what exactly you’ll be doing, to avoid any disappointment on her end. As many couples know, “happy wife, happy life.”
She loves the romance and this is one night when she should expect it
Don’t think of NYE as romantic pressure: Think of it as a night where it’s easy for you to be romantic. Simply, kiss her like you mean it. At the stroke of midnight, women want that eye-closing, show-stopping, butterflies-inducing kiss. The midnight kiss is not about the kiss so much as about having that special someone to share it with. Just as Santa Clause is a main aspect of Christmas, so is the kiss to New Year’s Eve (ditto for Valentine’s). Pull her in; kiss her that way you kissed during your honeymoon phase. Since new years goes hand in hand with new beginnings and fresh starts, what more perfect way to spend the first minute of 2012 than in locked lips with your little lady?
A final word, about excess and expectations. Sorry to report that no longer is it enough to plan a merely over-the-top NYE. Unfair, sure; whether this is thanks to the memorable New Year’s scene in When Harry Met Sally, or due to cosmic alignment, or because the hype machine has become a hydra, it’s entirely out of control. Sucks to be you, guys. Still, it’s important to man-up and acknowledge that this one’s monumental. Play it safe: Never verbally dismiss it as “Just being another night.” Give her the prestige and the passion — make it special and make her feel special. Perhaps she’ll make it monumental for you, too.
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Image courtesy of Krista Guenin.
