"New Year's Eve 2005. How are you going to ring in the New Year?

"In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want." --Traditional Irish toast

The Spanish tradition is to eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each chime of the clock, to commemorate luck in the past and hope for more in the future. In Japan, houses are cleaned, and postcards are sent to friends, family and business associates to express thanks and best wishes. In Italy, pots, pans and dishes are flung out of open windows, symbolizing getting rid of the old to make way for the new. In Denmark, people leap off chairs to "jump" into the New Year.

Whether you decide to keep old traditions, or embrace new, here are a few suggestions (from Better Homes & Gardens and Family Fun) for a kid-friendly New Year's Eve.

Time Zone Flexibility
New Year's Eve can be challenging with young children because the celebration takes place way past their bedtimes. Here's one solution: Move the festivities to an earlier time zone, without leaving your home. Celebrate New Year's in the UK at 6 pm; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at 8 pm; Buenos Aires, Argentina at 9 pm; and New Brunswick, Canada at 10 pm. Check www.worldtimeserver.com for the current time in cities around the world.

Noisemaker Shakers
Fill plastic film canisters halfway with corn kernels and decorate with shiny stickers. Other suggested decorating materials: construction paper, glitter, fabric paint, and opaque paint markers. Poke a hole in the canister's top and thread a curled ribbon through. Knot the ribbon on the underside of the cap, and let the rest stream out of the top.

Streamers
Staple lengths of crepe paper to an empty cardboard tube or a straw and decorate!

Countdown Numbers
Draw and color in the numbers 1 through 10 on poster board - one number per board. At midnight (or the time you choose to celebrate), each child carries the number through the house (or down a flight of steps) with the card held high, as other members of the family and friends yell out the number.

Balloon drop
Line up two rectangular paper tablecloths. Punch holes every 2 to 3 inches down one long side of each.
Stitch the tablecloths together with yarn, leaving a foot or so at the end for a rip cord.
Tape the cloth to the ceiling on three sides, leaving the side opposite the rip cord open. Tape the cord up separately. Let the center of the cloth hang down to allow space for the balloons.
Inflate at least 75 balloons. You can store in large garbage bags until it's time to fill the cloth.
Buy thin streamers and metallic confetti.
Stuff the cloth with balloons, then, add the confetti and the streamers on top. Tape up the last side of the cloth.
Let her rip! At the stroke of midnight (or whenever you choose to celebrate), one strong pull will tear through the paper, releasing a cascade of balloons.