The end of 2021 couldn’t come fast enough: will 2022 ring in a better year in Oshawa, Whitby and the rest of Durham Region?

With the Omicron still spreading rapidly through the region, it’s not considered wise to attend any of the big parties that traditionally mark the end of one year and the beginning of the next.

Not that there would be many around anyway.

But you can still ring in the new year in style tonight if you wish, with plenty of stuff to do as a family, a couple, or just you and your pupper.

There are holiday light displays to check out all around Durham for starters, including:

• Whitby Lights’ the Night – Various Parks and houses in Whitby
• Winter Nights – Neighbourhood Lights — Explore Neighbourhood Lights in Pickering.
• Light Up the Town — Ajax Holiday Light Tour Map
• Oshawa – Outdoor Holiday Display Contest
• Uxbridge Optimist Fantasy of Lights @Elgin Park, Elgin Park Drive, Uxbridge

If you are religiously inclined, there are several church services to take in, and if you really want to take your chances and check out a party, I wish you luck finding some, what with capacity restrictions and all.

(Thanks to the magic of time zones, or maybe it’s the Multiverse, it’s already 2022 in some places, like here in Wellington, New Zealand)

If going out for a nice dinner happened to be a NYE tradition of yours, there are lots of restaurants around Durham offering special menus to take home, such as Butchie’s in Whitby and their NYE BBQ Box and Pickering’s Port Restaurant with their Ney Year’s Eve Feast for Two To Go. Or you could pop into Teddy’s Restaurant and Deli in Oshawa for their Turkey Dinner or Roast Sirloin to go (or dine-in).

You could also ring in the new year outside at one of Durham’s many parks, trails or conservation areas (be aware of any curfew restrictions), or just watch New Year’s Eve unfold from the comfort of your own television set at home. Many of the traditional celebrations around the globe have been cancelled or scaled back, but Vegas will always be Vegas and those crazy New Yorkers are going ahead with their Times Square party, so sit back and enjoy.

And hope with all your heart that the creek don’t rise and we will be out of this long before the clock strikes on 2022.

Happy New Year!