10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... It's almost New Year's!!! So, what are you going to do? I bet you've been too preoccupied with holiday shopping and decorating to even think about that giant ball dropping in NYC. If you're like me, Christmas kind of snuck up on you this year. The weather's been warm, and it doesn't really seem like winter at all. How could it possibly be holiday time yet, let alone the end of 2011? Never fear! I've got suggestions sure to help you ring in the New Year in style.

There are plenty of opportunities available throughout Corning & the Finger Lakes to help you make this New Year's Eve a memorable one. Go out to a fancy restaurant on historic Market Street, or visit the Village Square in Hammondsport and pick a nice restaurant there. Union Block Italian Bistro is having a party starting at 9 p.m., complete with live music by Mike Cavalier. Go to Maloney's Pub at 10 p.m. and hear live music from The Boogiemen, while enjoying drink specials and a champagne toast at midnight. In Hornell, the VFW is celebrating with a DJ and band beginning at 8 p.m.

The Ramada Painted Post will feature drink specials and live music from Whiskey Creek at 9 p.m. The first 50 ladies who come to Lando's party on Bridge Street in Corning receive a champagne split. Hats and party favors will be available, and WINK 106 will supply the DJ for the night. Of course, all parties go to midnight and beyond, giving you plenty of time to say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new one. Another option is to both party and stay at Radisson Hotel Corning. Live entertainment by the Lucky Ducks can be enjoyed in the Steuben Bar from 8:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m., and each overnight guest will receive champagne and a breakfast voucher for Grill 1-2-5 to use January 1.

Whatever you do, make sure you ring in the New Year with a bottle of the Finger Lakes' finest. Dr. Frank Wine Cellars has got you covered. Their New Year's Eve special includes a bottle of Chateau Frank 2005 Brut and another filled with Chateau Frank Célèbre. Both are sure to add some sparkle to your evening!

Well, that's all for my suggestions, but since my blogs are normally a little more long-winded than this, let's explore the history of New Year's Eve traditions, shall we? Have you ever really stopped to think about how we welcome each New Year? Why is it that so many of us enjoy being packed onto a sidewalk with hundreds of thousands of screaming people wearing party hats and glasses displaying the new year?

Times Square has been the place to be on New Year's Eve since 1904. At that time, a lavish fireworks display set off atop a building welcomed the New Year, but it didn't take long for city fire officials to deem that one a bad idea. Alas, a new tradition had to surface. I would have loved to have been in that meeting. "Alright, people. Now that the whole fireworks plan fizzled out, what are we going to do?" Long pause. "I know! Let's put a pole on top of a building, then get a huge glass ball, and lower it at midnight. That'll get people excited!" Of course – genius.

And so, since 1907, people have gathered in Times Square to welcome the New Year by watching the Waterford Crystal ball drift slowly down a pole. And what's better? Billions of people watch it on TV. Now believe me, I'm not knocking our New Year's Eve tradition. In fact, I didn't realize how interesting it was until I started writing this blog. This got me thinking... how do other cultures welcome the New Year?

My extensive Wikipedia research revealed that while most countries celebrate with fireworks and concerts, there are plenty of countries with strange traditions of their own. In Mexico, a bell chimes twelve times during the midnight countdown, and with each chime, people eat a grape and make a wish for the New Year. Costa Ricans also do this, but take it one step further. After downing the grapes, they run across the street with luggage asking for new trips and adventures.

In Venezuela, it's all about what's underneath. If you want to find love in the New Year, all you have to do is wear red underwear on New Year's Eve. Want to be happy next year? Wear yellow ones. Italians also are superstitious about their underwear – or at least they used to be. Old New Year's traditions included wearing red underwear and getting rid of old or unused items by dropping them out your window. Nowadays, Italians eat lentil soup (one spoonful for each bell toll at midnight), which is said to bring luck, as lentils are round. Other cultures also believe the circular shape will bring good fortune, which is why Filipinos wear polka dots on New Year's. They also throw coins at the stroke of midnight to increase wealth the next year, and jump high into the sky, hoping to increase in physical stature.

Germans believe that good luck and health come from touching a chimney sweeper or having him rub some ashes onto your forehead. At midnight, many Germans eat tiny marzipan pigs for more luck, and sweeten the deal with a jelly-filled donut. In Estonia, some believe that people should eat seven, nine, or even twelve times on New Year's Eve, since those are lucky numbers there. For each meal consumed, that person is said to gain the strength of that many men during the next year. Portions of the meals are always left for the ancestors and spirits who stop by on New Year's Eve.

OK, I guess our desire to stand out in the cold for hours and wait for a ball to descend slowly down a pole doesn't seem that strange after all.

But for those of you who might be like me and have absolutely no desire to take on the crowds and the elements, escape to Corning & the Finger Lakes, where great parties and even better wine will allow you to begin a tradition all your own.