New Year's Eve. It has a nice ring to it. Say it out loud: “New Year's Eve.”

What words come to mind? Nostalgia. Love. Friends. Memories. Romance. Champagne … a new outlook on life.

If 2016 didn't end on as much of an up note as you had hoped it would, well, here comes 2017 — a whole new year!

New Year's Eve falls on the last day of the year — Dec. 31, six days after Christmas. Remember Christmas? That was the day you resolved to indulge in all the fattening, scrumptious, glorious food you could consume without getting sick, and then start practicing abstinence the next day.

I've never been a big fan of New Year's Eve. For many it's a time for celebrating with friends by overindulging in lots of alcoholic beverages and food. It's almost like it’s expected of you, whether you want to or not. I prefer to stay home, alone or with a good friend, on New Year's Eve. And I don’t remember the last time I saw midnight. Never mind the ball dropping.

I asked some friends to share their New Year’s Eve plans. Here’s what they said:

Angie McLellan (Boothbay Harbor): “Count me in for staying home! A drink, something yummy for dinner. I usually make it up to the late hour of 10:30. All year I write something good or funny that happened each day. I go through that and read it.”

Renee Coombs (Bristol): “My husband and I never go out, we stay home with the dogs. I have a cocktail or two (I love martinis) and I make different appetizers buffet style! TV, maybe a game of cribbage and to bed by 10!”

Caroline Canning (Burlington, Vermont): “We celebrate on NYE, as it is our anniversary. We timed saying our vows with the Burlington fireworks. This year we will be in Costa Rica celebrating, and the Costa Ricans LOVE fireworks and proudly display them on every beach. We will ‘pretend’ they are for us.”

Anna Giles (Boothbay): “We usually take Nick to the movies and out to eat with us. Before we had Nick we used to go out to eat and hang out with friends at someone's house. Almost never stay up late enough to see the ball drop. Sometimes order Chinese and stay home.”

Pam Logan (Wiscasset): ”Last year we started the tradition of going to Gardens Aglow late, strolling around till just about closing. Then driving around looking at lights, ending at home with wine and the kitties. I also make a black-eyed pea dip to bring good luck and fortune for the new year.”

Helene Kristoffersen: (Oslo, Norway) “I usually share a good meal with friends and/or loved ones. And then I have to see the fireworks at midnight orchestrated by my father who is a pyrotechnical creature that one night of the year. After that I do whatever I feel like at the moment.

Nell Tharpe (East Boothbay): “We keep a gratitude jar and put notes in all year of things for which we are grateful. Then on NYE we read them aloud in front of the fire, select one to keep on which to start the new year, and put the rest in the fire. We send our wishes for the new year up with the smoke from our gratitude notes, and toast with some bubbly!”

Lisa Orne Hallinan (Boothbay): “We always stay in and have a blast with our two granddaughters.”

Patricia Moroz (Boothbay): “We normally go with some friends to a late afternoon lunch and then home to have a quiet evening with our pooch, Sophie, and of course a glass of champagne at midnight! And we always carefully review our "Festivus" list from the past year and prepare to start our new one! It is the one night that I hate to go out on!”

Andy Bielli (Boothbay Harbor): “The most important thing is brunch the day after!”

Pamela Lauzau O’Connor (East Boothbay): “As I have become older and wiser, I stay home, have a few drinks, enjoy some good food, and bring in the New Year with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin on CNN.

Marilyn Gorneau: (Wiscasset): “Always with our children for wonderful gourmet food, drinks, year end stories and games. We just finished Christmas the same way.”

Amy Provonchee (Happy Valley, Oregon): “If we go out, it's to a friend's house locally. We prefer not to do anything crazy or drive too far on New Year's Eve. This year we are heading over to a friend's house that is about four miles from us. We used to do the crazy New Year's Eve thing, but definitely prefer a low-key evening with close friends.”

So it appears that staying home with some good food and drink is the common theme for New Year’s Eve.

Then there's New Year's Day.

Pamela Lauzau O’Connor said staying home and lying low “makes for a much better New Year’s day.”

Pam Logan said she doesn’t want to be bothered on the first day of the year. “... don't talk to me, I'm watching the Tournament of Roses Parade. I love it. Never miss it. I have a repeating alarm on my phone annually so I never sleep through it.”

Happy New Year!