How do people in America celebrate New Year's?　This is a question I would hesitate to answer because like　most other questions asked about America, the simple truth is that different people in America do different things.　Unlike Japanese people who are for the most part bound by a common history, culture, race, language, customs, etc., the same could not be said so of Americans; therefore, while one could isolate and speak of a national tradition that is identifiable as "Japanese" and none other, the same kind of idea of tradition is not as applicable to the States.　This is not to say that there is nothing traditional done for New Year's in America or that there is less tradition.　Rather, it could be the case that family tradition and/or individual tradition comes into stronger play in a country where the people have many different backgrounds and where there is neither a set of customs bound to a specific national identity (at least in the kind that is comparable to Japan's), nor strict adherence to what little could be said to be "American."　For example, it should not surprise that there are probably many Japanese -Americans who spend their New Year's in a manner similar to the Japanese here.　Perhaps the only true statement that could be made is to say that there are as many ways of spending New Year's as there are number of people in America.　However, for generalization's sake, what will some Americans do for New Year's?　

First, I must clarify that for most Americans, New Year's Eve (and more specifically, the night of New Year's Eve) is of far greater significance than New Year's Day itself, and this is where most of the effort goes into, i.e. the planning of where they will be, what they will be doing, and with whom during the moments leading up to the stroke of midnight.　Americans are of course not alone in attaching significance to the countdown to the new year, however, it may be that a greater percentage of Americans than Japanese believe that you must be somewhere doing something when this happens.　What that usually involves is a party with lots and lots of alcohol, and since New Year's Eve is not a particularly family-oriented event, people typically party with their friends, significant others, and/or strangers.　Also, when Americans are involved, you can always count on the more exceptional cases.　For example, quite a few will rent expensive hotel rooms, drink cases of champagne, and generally indulge in all the excesses that money can buy.　This New Year's will perhaps see more than the usual of the outrageous and decadent partying since the clock will turn to the year 2000.　Adding to the fun and hoopla will be the numerous hyped-up "millennium" type celebrations.　On the other extreme, there is no doubt that many Americans will barricade themselves in their homes armed to the teeth with six months supply of food and water in anticipation of the Y2K problem.　This is of course if you haven't joined a millennium cult by now and too busy with your cult activities to care about buying champagne or ammunition.　In short, some people will spend their New Year's doing some unsual, expensive, and/or exciting things; however these cases are probably more the exception, and most Americans will spend their New Year's doing nothing much worth noting.　They will probably drink some alcohol, perhaps watch what other people are doing elsewhere on TV, and use New Year's Day to sleep off their hangovers and relax a little.　Some might even come up with a few New Year's resolutions, but a very small percentage will actually stick with their resolutions, and another year will commence much like the one before.　　