Happy almost new year! 

I have strong memories of my grandma making us bang pots and pans around the perimeter of our house on New Year’s Eve to welcome in the new year. Did you know that almost every culture has its own traditions to start the year?

🍇 In Mexican culture, eating 12 grapes at midnight represents 12 wishes for the new year—one for each month. (You have to finish them all in 60 seconds.)

🥬 In Black communities, many traditions for the new year revolve around food, including eating greens to bring wealth and cooking black-eyed peas for abundance and resilience.

🧽 Many Asian countries celebrate Lunar New Year, which starts Feb. 17, 2026. One tradition is cleaning the entire house, top to bottom, to usher in a fresh start.

💧 And you might even see a bucket of water being thrown out the window to get rid of evil spirits, a common tradition among Puerto Ricans.

Do you have a unique New Year’s Eve tradition?

P.S. With the upcoming holidays, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming Jan. 5!

We’re still gathering readers’ New Year’s resolutions, including your hopes for Houston or yourself in 2026. If you haven’t shared yours yet, there’s still time—just hit reply.

What’s your New Year’s wish for Houston in 2026?

😋 From seafood and West African cuisine to Texas barbecue and wine bars, Houston’s culinary scene has it all. Here are the 100 best restaurants in Houston. (Houston Chronicle)

📅 If you’re looking for ways to get out of the house without spending too much money (or being tempted by cocktails), here are some free or low-cost events happening in Houston this January.

🎤 A new, nearly 13,000-seat entertainment venue, costing $150 million, is set to open in 2027, just outside of Houston. Any guesses on who we think will be the first act to perform there? (CultureMap Houston)

🚗 If you’ve ever bumped your way down a Houston road, this news won’t surprise you: Houston apparently leads for the worst roads in Texas. (Chron)

🏓 Since it looks like we’re going to have a warmer end of the year, now is a great time to check out one of Houston’s many outdoor pickleball courts.

By Sierra Rozen

Walking into the gym on Jan. 1 offers a unique view of chaos: it’s crowded with folks of all ages who are all ready to finally lose those stubborn pounds. Or maybe they’re trying to work off the multiple libations consumed on New Year’s Eve as they commit to Dry January. They might even be forcing themselves to take the high-energy spin class their friend can’t stop raving about.

The problem with this, says life coach and fitness instructor Meg Ellis, is that resolutions revolving around restriction and punishment almost always come crashing down. 

“From the fitness instructor standpoint, it’s really great,” she said. “Your classes are going to be packed in January, and then by that third week of January, people really start to fall off. It’s really quite sad because you do see everybody so excited and so motivated and inspired to change.”

Ellis, who splits her time between Houston and New York City, is a conscious life coach and neural linguistic program practitioner who coaches clients on how to make lasting changes in their lives, whether spiritually, physically, or mentally.

Instead of trying to push yourself through a crash diet or start an exercise program that doesn’t bring you joy, Ellis recommends five ways to get healthier that’ll not only last throughout the year, but can be maintained for life.

Do you want to support COURIER HTX’s mission while showcasing your products or services to an engaged audience of 20,000+ subscribers?

Email advertising@couriernewsroom.com for more information.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Sierra Rozen and edited by Paula Solis.

COURIER HTX is free to read for everyone. Your support makes our work possible.