By Abby Cassinia
Everyone loves to start a new year in style, some opt to travel to places they have never been, and others stay with their families. To kick-start the new year, I recommend going to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay, which is just completely amazing.  The people, the food and the party itself left me with a very memorable experience.   Hogmanay (last day of the year in Scottish) in Edinburgh is recognized as one of the best places to welcome your new year.  I think it is not only the best in the UK but also across the world.  

Many theories have been brought forward to explain the origin of the word “Hogmanay”. The most notable theories explain that the word has Flemish, Scandinavian, or Anglo-Saxon origins. Nevertheless, what is the origin of Hogmanay celebrations? Historians believe that the Hogmanay celebrations are deep-rooted from the Vikings who treated the eve of the New Year with special interest.

Having personally experienced the New Year's Eve celebration of Hogmanay in Scotland, I can confidently say it is a breath-taking event. The fireworks, the astounding skies, the dances and the music among others give one everything you are looking for. For a moment it felt like I was in a different planet and just wanted the party to continue. I was particularly surprised with the large number of people who attended.  I’m thinking there were over 250,000 partygoers from all around the world. I was there with an American friend, Mike, and you could see the smile and happiness in his face at how awesome the night was.

Edinburgh does not only offer the beauty of welcoming a new year but also has some astonishing hotels.   If you are travelling to Hogmanay there are plenty of accommodation options, but it is probably your best bet to book early.  Having booked our hotel early and staying for four days, Mike and I got a great deal at the 5 Star Sheraton Grand Hotel located near to the Edinburgh Centre and the famous Edinburgh Castle.  The accommodation at the Sheraton Grand Hotel was fantastic. The services were good and the staff were really friendly. This made us felt like we were at home.

We tried plenty of traditional Scottish foods whilst we were at Hogmanay. I actually had some of the best shortbread I have ever had.  The cold night means that the food should be served hot though and we tried the Haggis and, well, we’re not real sure.  You will just have to try it for yourself!   There was plenty of different drinks on offer at Hogmanay, but of course Scotch whisky is a drink you will never miss out on in Scotland.   Scotch is not only enjoyed in Scotland but across the world.  We did a bit of a tour around Scotland after Hogmanay and visited a few distilleries.  I think Scotch is my new favourite liquor!  The taste of great Scotch is indescribable.
We noticed plenty of tours groups at Hogmanay, so if you’re looking at travelling with a whole group of people then you should check out some of these companies that organise Hogmanay tours.  Travelling as a group can be the best experience ever if that is you’re thing, but Mike and I decided we would just book everything ourselves and go it alone.   

There was plenty of things happening at Hogmanay, but there is nothing like singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight in the country where the song originated.  It really was a wickedly incredible experience.  

Hogmanay offers a magic way for you to kick in the New Year in style. You definitely will not regret it.

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By Jordan Ebor
Koh Phangan in Thailand is one of the islands that many people love to visit. It is known mostly for its Full Moon Party, which takes place every month. I have been to this awesome event a couple of times. Although it is on every month, most people visit this place in large numbers between December and March. The majority of people come to Koh Phangan to celebrate or relax because of the great beaches and the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party.

My first time to visit Koh Phangan was in December 2008.  This was around Christmas and it was a full moon. I saw marvellous scenes that made me love the place. My friend Chrissie and I whilst we were there went to Haad Rin beach for the Full Moon Party, where we danced from sunset until dawn on the beach.  Whilst at Haad Rin beach for the Full Moon Party I enjoyed a variety of food and drinks. I had a chance to taste the Thai meals for the first time. They were indeed mouth-watering! I enjoyed beer while my friend Chrissie drank cocktails.  

The main drink at the Full Moon Party comes in a bucket, who knows what the hell is in it, Chrissie and I didn’t try it. We bought some charcoals at the local supermarket that we used to light a fire that kept us warm along the beach. You can also participate in a fire rope jumping which was really exciting to try, but I suggest only do it when you are sober.

I have never found getting accommodation an issue on Koh Phangan, since the place has several hotels, hostels and resorts right near the beach. We always stay at Seaview Sunrise Resort located at the far end of Haad Rin Beach. Although there are enough resorts and hotels for accommodation, sometimes it is best to make your booking in advance because of the high number of people visiting for the Full Moon Party.

For those who wish to get to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party it is easy enough to reach. You cannot fly to Koh Phangan though as there is no airport on the island. Everybody arrives by ferry either from Surat Thani on the mainland or from the neighbouring island, Koh Samui. If you fly, you have to go to Koh Samui first then connect to Koh Phangan by ferry. You can also catch a train or bus from Bangkok to Surat Thani and then connect to Koh Phangan by ferry. There are also tour groups available that have tours to the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party.

Thailand’s famous Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan became world famous after the Leonardo De Caprio, The Beach, and I have to admit that you really have to see it to understand what it is like.  So make sure that the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party is on your to-do list when you next visit Thailand.

By FOMO Girl
New Year’s Eve is a time for everybody everywhere to pause and give thanks for the blessings that they have received during the year, and a perfect time to welcome the upcoming New Year with all the new opportunities, new beginnings, new relationships, new experiences that it will bring.
 
It would seem that for one full day, the whole world stops and all the people of the world celebrate the coming of a new calendar year. It is a night for fun, music, parties, public parades and private resolutions.
 
How do major cities celebrate New Year’s Eve? In many ways, people of different places celebrate it in similar ways. Yet at the same time, they have their own traditional ways of welcoming the New Year that are different from the others. Some get their traditions depending on where they live and what they believe in their area.
 
Sydney in Australia has a special significance when it comes to celebrating New Year.   Australia is among the first major countries to actually turn into the New Year and a New Year’s Eve in Sydney is the biggest Down under.  Being near the International Date Line, Sydney effectively becomes the “starting point” for all New Year’s Eve celebrations. It is as if the whole world waits and watches for Sydney to officially enter into the New Year and then countdown for the rest of the world begins!
 
Among the major features of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebration are their two traditional fireworks held in the city’s famous Sydney Harbour. Over the years, Sydney has developed a distinct tradition for ushering in the New Year with an amazing fireworks display that the whole world watches. The first one (Family Fireworks) starts at around 9:00 p.m. and the Midnight Fireworks welcome the New Year at midnight.
 
The Midnight Fireworks is an impressive pyro technique presentation that is televised globally. Last year’s New Year’s Eve more than a billion people worldwide watched the Sydney New Year’s Eve midnight fireworks on television. With firework bases strategically distributed through seven buildings around the harbour and in seven barges moored along the harbour (the seventh “barge” was actually the Harbor Bridge), the fireworks presentation played to the theme of “Embrace.” A million people viewed this fiery display from vantage points along the harbour or aboard boat cruises.
 
Another world famous destination for New Year’s Eve celebration is Times Square in New York City. Every year more than a million people flock to this section of the city to watch the “ball drop” at midnight.  This tradition started in 1907 and has been consistently observed ever since. The ball is composed of panels with computerized LCD lighting. It drops from a temporary pole to the enthusiastic countdown of people watching below. It is also globally watched by millions of people through television.
 
Partying, music and dancing around the square and nearby building accompany the celebration of New Year.
 
In most other cities of the world, fireworks are a standard feature in celebrating New Year. In many cities, parades and parties are commonly practiced.

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By FOMO Girl
Christmas and New Year’s Eve are fast approaching and plenty of people may be starting to save for the upcoming holidays, quite often New Year’s Eve for me has been a time for relaxing and enjoying the night in a local bar or restaurant with family or friends.  Last New Year’s Eve my friend Lucy and I went to South America for New Year’s Eve and if you are planning to go to South America but confused about which country you may want to go, you’ve clicked on the right page! I will discuss the most popular place ever visited on New Year’s Eve, which is Rio de Janeiro.  Let me tell you, it truly is one of the best ways to experience New Year’s Eve, so you just know you will want to go.
 
As we all know, Rio de Janeiro is renowned for the awesome celebrations all year round, including early in the year with the Rio Carnival. Nevertheless, New Year’s Eve is absolutely massive and on Copacabana Beach, people gather and celebrate together – drinking, samba dancing, watching the fireworks at midnight, and many more. The firework display in this place is really cool, as they use expensive and very colorful fireworks, and these really last long in the night sky and around the beach.

There are hotels to stay at the beach, and one of which is the Copacabana Palace Hotel. Although the hotel is very luxurious, it is still worth a stay. The place gives you an overlooking view around the area. It also has New Year’s Eve night parties, but the Hotel party entrance fee is around £700 or $1100. If you are looking for an affordable hotel to stay at the beach, you may want to try the Mama Ruisa Hotel, an older, but also beautiful, but affordable place to stay.
 
What makes South America an awesome place for New Year’s Eve is that during this time of year, the weather in northern hemisphere countries is cold and often caked in snow. That’s why many vacationers will spend their holidays at the tropical locations, like Rio de Janeiro. The weather is consistently hot during the holidays, and vacationers will love to swim at the beach all day and night. Rio de Janeiro is one of the best warm weather locations to stay during New Year’s Eve.
 
If you love swimming at the beach as well as mountain hiking, Rio de Janeiro has some awesome trips. When you have had an enough of swimming and the beach, you may want to do some mountain hiking at the Corcovado and Sugar Loaf Mountains. Aside from hiking, you may also try out some different things, like riding a cable car up to the mountain where Christ the Redeemer is, where you will get a great view of the whole city.

But one thing is for sure, I can highly recommend to everyone to check out Rio de Janeiro for your next New Year’s Eve vacation.

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by FOMO Girl
Have you ever wondered what it is like at the Oktoberfest in Munich? Have you ever imagined singing along with tens of thousands people accompanied by 'oom pah bands'? Have you ever thought what it would be like to dress up in lederhosen and dirndl dresses and dance the night away on tables in massive beer tents? Have you ever wanted to experience great Bavarian beer, fantastic german cuisine and unique local culture? Well all of these questions can only be answered by saying that this is one adventure you don't want to miss.

This 16 day Oktoberfest festival in Munich is a celebration of what else, but beer. Hence why it has been nicknamed and is more commonly referred to as Beerfest.

One would presume with a name like Oktoberfest it would be held in October, but it actually commences each year in the middle of September and concludes on the first weekend of October.

More than 6 million people from all over the world attend the festivities during the 16 days and in that time they consume more than 6 million litres of beer. That's 1 litre for every man, woman and child who attends.

Just over 200 years ago, the Crown Prince of Bavaria, a young guy called Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. All the residents of Munich were invited to the wedding, which was held on the fields in front of the city gates. As part of the festivities were some horse races that marked the close of the event. This was seen as a celebration for the whole of Bavaria and the following year they decided to run the horse races again. This was the beginning of what we now know today as Oktoberfest. The festival was eventually lengthened and moved to commence in September to allow for better weather conditions.

What can you do there? Drink the best beer in the world of course. There are currently 14 large tents and 20 small tents at Oktoberfest. The tents themselves are non-permanent structures that are constructed for and only used during the festival. All the beer tents play different types of music and have entertainment to keep the crowds buzzing.

The Oktoberfest site includes numerous amusement rides, schnapps tents, plenty of traditional Bavarian delicacies like pork knuckles, bratwurst sausages, roast chicken, potato/bread dumplings and of course pretzels.

What sort of beer do they have at Oktoberfest? The beer is some of the finest lager varieties in the wold and to be classified as Oktoberfest beer it must be brewed within the city limits of Munich and must conform to to the German Purity Law.

The price of a 1 litre stein (or Mass in German) is around 8 to 9 Euros. However, always remember that if you want your server to return it is customary to tip them, so generally allow 10 Euro's for a beer.