Well, another year is nearly out and for many of us, plans are well underway to ring in the new year in style. Whether you’re throwing a house party, painting the town red, or simply having a chilled one with your friends and family, NYE is one of the biggest nights of the year. It is both a night for reflection of the past year and it marks the start of new beginnings. Really?! Or is it just an excuse for a massive piss-up? (Drink responsibly kids).

In Britain, the New Year is traditionally seen in with Big Ben’s chimes, fireworks, champagne toasts and the singing of ‘Auld Lang Syne’. You may be forgiven for thinking that nowadays, New Years Eve simply consists of copious amounts of alcohol, loud music, bad dancing, an out of sync countdown, a kebab and the mother of all hangovers the morning after. Granted, this definitely happens the length and breadth of the country, but there is so much more than that to NYE in Britain.

We did a bit of research into some of the more traditional festivities that still take place on December 31st up and down the country. If you’re struggling for ideas for how to celebrate your NYE, you might want to take some inspiration from these weird and wonderful New Year’s traditions that still take place across Britain.

In the small Northumberland village of Allendale, barrel bearers or ‘guisers’ take to the streets and carry out an age-old tradition – the Tar Bar’l Festival. The guisers carry whisky barrels filled with burning tar through the town, displaying immense strength and courage. They parade through the town in front of hundreds of spectators and the finale consists of the ceremonial tipping of the burning tar onto a giant Baal bonfire at midnight. Perhaps not one to try out yourself, but if you’re in the Northumbria area it would be well worth a shout!

Again, another tradition that is probably best left to the pros is that of fireball swinging, which takes pace on the streets of Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire. In the quaint Scottish town celebrations begin at around 11pm, with street performers entertaining the large crowds that gather in the streets. After the clock strikes 12, around 50 fireball wielding Scots parade the streets, swinging homemade contraptions that hold balls of burning fuel. It is thought that the pagan tradition was first carried out to rid the town of any harmful influences, such as witches and demons.

If you fancy something a bit more energetic, we recommend that you take a look at the Nos Galan Races in Mountain Ash, Wales. To pay tribute to the legendary 18th-century Welsh runner, Guto Nyth Bran, the people of Mountain Ash and the surrounding area take part in a series of 5km road races. In more recent years, a special mystery guest turns up to the event to take part in one of the races. Usually it’s a famous athlete, yet the identity of the mystery guest is a closely guarded secret until the day of the event. The final race is over by 8.30pm, so you can rest up and prepare for the evening’s festivities.

Whatever you decide to do this NYE, we hope you have an absolutely cracking time and stay safe!