Plans for your anniversary.

i Hope there is a community event. Nothing I have seen planned yet, but I want to go to something community lead.

Wow @Burnt my fire anniversary is also NYE. That is a really good thing to contemplate. I've never been the partying type, but idk if I'll ever want to do the celebratory thing on that day. Some sort of quiet, gentle observance is what I need too. I hadn't given it any thought but now is the time.

@IamNOTalone

i haven’t heard anything in my area. But I am the opposite and want to stay away from community events. I feel it would be to emotional, with the whole NYE partying involved with drinking, I feel the entire event would just be sad drunk people talking about what happened. I can’t face that, personally.

I want to reflect the good and the bad that has come this year, and be alone or isolated with those close to me. I feel to many emotions and alcohol would be a disaster in community event, but it would be wonderful for those who are solo, to be able to spend the night with others.

I will be drinking no doubt about that.... just in a more “trauma safe” environment.

Gentle seems the way to go, and regarding future NYEs, I can never see that day of celebrations ever again. I will forever treat that day as one of the worst in my life. I too don’t think I could ever celebrate NYE again.

Why why was it such a significant date?

The end of one year beginning of another?

New year?

All the symbolism.

that day, before I knew about my house, I slept on the floor of the local preschool. (Luckily for me I was alone with my daughter)

I got her to sleep, with the preschool towels on a cushion on the floor.

I layed in bed just crying, looked at my phone which had no services at this point and watched the clock tick over to the new year.

All alone I cried “happy new year”

then went to sleep.

The fiest day of 2020 was when we saw our house was gone. We started this year with nothing to our name.

@Burnt I can understand why NYE will be such a tough time for you. I'm really impressed at your insight in terms of being aware of this and the way you are planning to do something that will feel right for you. I'm gathering somewhere quiet, but I'm really curious about what a 'trauma safe' environment looks like for you?

@IamNOTalone what sort of community event would you like to see happen?

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@Burnt wrote:

My “Fire anniversary” is NYE. I am planning to go camping with my family, something light and fun. It will be hard given NYE has always been “partying”, and after the year we have had a don’t blame anyone wanting to party their way into the new year and celebrate the end of this year. But that’s a bit to raw for me still. I need something quite, and gentle to reflect on that night. So camping it is!

What are your plans for your fire anniversaries?

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@Burnt I think my community is doing a NYE fireworks celebration (let's hope they don't start a fire, eeek).

I'm not sure about you, but our NYE was at the evacuation centre. It was quiet, and everyone was in their cars sleeping by 8pm, so when midnight rolled around, it was silent--well, except for sirens screaming all throughout the night . . . I think we all definitely deserve a damn good new year.

My plan is to go to our community event, and then have some drinks with friends. There may be some karaoke involved hahaha. I get what you mean about needing something gentle: I'm not having a wild night--just a good night of laughs with people I love. I hope you enjoy camping!

@TideisTurning i guess I mean by, feeling safe enough that the night can be more about rememberende and celebrating how far we have come, instead of it turning into a emotional soup. My town has a history of BAD NYEs pre dating fire. People just get really really drunk and cause mayhem in town.

Fights, you name it.

Add together what’s happened, and the year we have had with the first aniversy, I feel it will just be to intense for what I can handle. To raw and emotional soupy- I want to be in a “trauma free” zone where my family and I can acknowledge what happened to us and this land respectfully aswell as celebrate and enjoy the night like we deserve. I feel quite camping trip with family is the best choice!

Your community event sounds wonderful! So far my towns is everyone get plastered- not to keen on it!

I love the karaoke. We all need some karaoke on a night like this!

Sounds like the same area as mine.

My plan for my fire anniversary is get really really drunk. Yes I know probably not good. I know i struggle with drinking. I know all of this. But I don’t think I will be able to face the night any other way.

Just get fun drunk. My wife may not be to happy with the kids at home but my friends and I have planned a night out together.

@frog sadly NYE has a different meaning for a lot of us now, I think. Quite seems to be the theme I think!