PATCH POLL: How Do You Celebrate New Year's Eve?

Once a year, on New Year's Eve, my mother would make her favorite holiday recipe -- oyster stew. It was a tradition she insisted on passing on to her children, even though none of us liked the stuff.

And New Year's Day in my childhood meant gathering with my parents' friends and their families. The kids would watch the Rose parade on TV and play with their Christmas toys, the men would watch football, and the women would keep the food coming. 

New Year's traditions vary not only from family to family, but also country to country. Most of them focus on symbols of prosperity or good luck in the coming year.

Food in the shape of a circle symbolize good luck, which is why the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Eve will bring prosperity. 

The "first-footer" tradition comes from Scotland and northern England. Basically, it pins your luck for the next year on the first person to enter the home on Jan. 1. 

Traditionally, it was luckiest to have a tall, dark man bearing gifts come to your home first on New Year's Day. I have quite a few friends who'd like to see that tradition enacted at their home.

What are your traditions? Do you sing Auld Lang Syne at midnight? Do you have any unusual traditions?

Take our poll and tell us your New Year's traditions in the comments section.