Fresh New Year's Eve Traditions for Those Who Fear the Arrival of 2012

The arrival of 2012 may not arrive as the roar of a lion and more as a mole checking radar before coming out of his ground hole. Many people are giving up the traditional methods of New Year's Eve celebrations this year to focus on alternative, life-celebrating rituals closer to home. According to polls, it's been instigated as result of 2012 pop culture myths providing a harbinger of all things ominous.

But pop culture also dictates the beginnings of new traditions that have potential to carry on for decades.

Because many of these new traditions are based on fear, you're about to read the best and worst of what fear can bring out in people. Avoid the celebrations you fear yourself. Or embrace them and join in a world communion of greeting 2012 with alternate rituals and a holding of breath.

From each quadrant of the world:

Unique Wedding Proposals

Single couples polled in most of Europe, Asia and America said they planned to uphold the tradition of marriage proposals on New Year's Eve. Eighteen percent polled said they would do it while bungee jumping off a famous building or bridge in the event a natural disaster occurs at the dot of 2012.

Five percent say they would stay on their bungee cords and attempt to consummate their relationship until help arrived. If not, 2 percent said they'd feel fulfilled.

Others polled said they would propose in a portable toilet in Times Square during the famous ball drop. This would be for protection against unexpected natural or man-made disasters in the area at midnight. Ten percent polled told the rest of you desperately wanting to use the bathroom to not knock on the door, because it'll be locked. They also request you not shake the portable toilet during presentation of the ring.

Twenty-five percent said they plan to conduct a marriage proposal in a small town church. Ninety-five percent of those of the cloth hired to conduct a quick marriage ceremony plan to swat couples bringing up anything about Mayan prophecy.

Last-Minute Initiations into Survivalist Groups

Polls from America and most of Western Europe found that at least 10 percent of these populations are taking part in survival group initiation rites on New Year's Eve. Much of this comes from two-week crash courses in remote survival group outposts for preparation of 2012 bringing a natural disaster or civil discord.

Those joining the survival groups the final week of 2011 will need to pass a final test of accurately shooting at mechanical dummies attempting to steal the water supply. Joiners will also learn how to hide food from outside threats and not let a morsel of canned tuna be visible anywhere on their person. Other plans involve learning to embrace isolated areas and becoming proficient in turning cranks on windup radios and flashlights while preparing or hunting for food.

Of the few survival camps commenting, several said they'd allow the new recruits to shout "Happy New Year!" to nearby howling wolves.

In the event nothing happens in 2012, those initiated say they'd try to sneak out of the survival camps in the middle of the night at some point during first week of the year. Three percent of those polled said they'd also change their identities afterward. The same group says they'd finally commit to buying a year's supply of bottled water so it won't be necessary to hunt for it in survival camps during disasters.

Bed Parties

As a throwback to another era, some individuals in America, Europe and parts of the Middle East plan to host parties in a large bed. Mind you, this reportedly won't involve anything prurient. It's more a chance for a collective group of people to hide under a blanket or climb under a bed at the strike of midnight.

The intention is to experience fear in close units over cowering all by one's self in bed at the mere thought of 2012. Forty-five percent polled, however, said they won't allow those over 200 lbs. into their beds for fear of safety to those hiding under the bed. Twelve percent said they'd consider dragging a Futon couch into the bedroom to accommodate those who take up more than a quarter of a queen mattress.

If things are as bad as feared the first week of 2012, 34 percent of those in the same bed would call in collectively to cancel out on going to work. One percent of those polled said they'd have the bravery to get up and make a bacon and cheese omelet for everybody to eat collectively under the blanket.

Voluntary Memory Parties

Polls say 25 percent of the world populace who feel concerned about 2012 will introduce friends to voluntary memory parties. These work by setting up an environment so it convincingly appears to be a different year other than 2012. Watching movies, hanging up relevant photographs and other tangible items from a certain year help elicit warm feelings of a different era.

According to those polled, 8 percent will set up a voluntary memory party that rings in 1994 instead of 2012. The reasons cited behind choice of this year are economic prosperity, a likeable President before scandal and some of the best movies of the decade.

Others polled say they'll have voluntary memory parties for the 1960s. They plan to not remember why they even did it by New Year's Day.

A few others plan to have voluntary memory parties for eras before their birth. Those eliciting the 1930s, though, plan to quickly return to 2012 when they realize both eras are somewhat identical.

Five percent say that they plan for their voluntary memory party to be disrupted by a cell phone call from a relative telling them 2012 looks good, so far.