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James Debono
Malta is one of the few countries in the world where the New Year is not celebrated as a public event unlike places such as New York’s Time Square or London’s Trafalgar Square where young and old conglomerate in a public space to welcome the new year.
In the absence of a celebration uniting the entire nation, young people celebrate New Year in a completely different way than their elders.
While the majority of those aged over 24 celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, only 11 per cent of those aged between 18 and 24 stay at home. In contrast the number of people staying at home rises steadily with age, reaching a high of 65.5 per cent among those aged 34-55.
Old people still partying
The percentage of home revellers decreases again among respondents aged over 55 where older people, freed from family commitments, are becoming more visible in nightlife than before. In fact the number of restaurant revellers rises from five per cent among those aged between 44 to 65, to 10 per cent among those aged over 65. Three per cent of the over 65s still join the revelry in bars and entertainment spots. Unsurprisingly, 0.3 per cent of the elderly celebrate New Year with friends and relatives.
Party people
In the absence of a national party, the only venues of mass celebrations are either the conglomerations of bars in Paceville, Bugibba and Marsascala or those chosen by party promoters.
Despite the hype created by party promoters, pub crawlers still outnumber party people among those aged 18 to 24. While a third of younger respondents will celebrate the New Year bar-hopping in Paceville and other nightlife localities less than a quarter will be counting down the last minutes of the year at an organised party.
The number of those frequenting organised parties drops drastically among older age groups. Among those aged 24 to 34 only 4.5 per cent opt for these parties. The percentage of party people decreases further in the older age groups.
In fact the percentage of those frequenting organised parties drops to nil among those aged 35 to 44, only to rise to one per cent among those aged between 44 and 65.
The number of bar hoppers also decreases among those aged 25 to 34. Within this age group only 13.6 per cent frequent Paceville and other night spots. The percentage drops to 1.8 per cent among those aged between 35 to 44, only to rise again to three per cent among those aged over 55.
New Year gluttony
Eating out is one of the preferred options of the older generations. While none of those aged 18 to 24 celebrate New Year in a restaurant, the percentage of restaurant revellers rises with age to reach a peak of 20 per cent among those aged between 35 to 44. The percentage drops to 4.6 per cent among that aged between 44 and 65, only to rise again to 10.3 per cent among the elderly.
Less people travelling abroad
The MaltaToday December survey registers a sharp drop of 60 per cent in the number of those who will be counting down the last minutes of the year in a foreign country. While in 2004, two per cent of respondents celebrated the beginning of the new year abroad, only 0.3 per cent will be doing likewise this year.
A sharp drop registered in the number of people who will be celebrating the New Year abroad is another indication that the middle classes are faring worse than last year. Tour operators who report sharp drops in traditional and more expensive destinations like London and Paris confirmed this sharp drop.
Speaking to sister paper Business Today, Norman Hamilton, director of Hamilton Tours, reported a sharp drop from last year of 36 per cent in bookings to London and a 30 per cent drop in bookings to Paris. A planned tour to Sofia was also cancelled. On the other hand the number of people opting for Budapest has remained stable.
Other trends
Fewer people will be celebrating the New Year in a restaurant or hotel, a drop of 2.2 per cent from last year’s figures.
Following the same pattern as last year, more people will opt for bar hopping or parties organised by friends rather than for big parties organised by promoters. The number of bar hoppers remains stable at six per cent but the number of those opting for parties organised by promoters has fallen from 3.1 in 2004 to 2.3 this year.
Nearly 8 per cent will be celebrating the New Year at a friend or relative’s house, a slight decrease from last year. Nearly 10 per cent were still undecided during the first days of December when the survey was held.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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