New Year's sites add some sparkle to 2000

Site-seeing with Jan Perry

Did you ever wonder about our New Year's Eve traditions? Or maybe you're looking to j oin a cyber celebration to welcome in the next century? Here are some sites you might want to visit.

http://wilstar.com/holidays/newyear.htm. Find out all about our traditions and customs for celebrating the new year. There are some less familiar rituals as well, such as the reason the Dutch include doughnuts as part of their New Year's Day feast.

http://www.everything2000.com. This has everything from online party sites to Y2K preparedness suggestions.

http://www.theblackadder.co.uk. Join Dean for his New Year's Eve party in a castle in Belgium. The site won't go live until the big day arrive s, but if all is as he promises, this might be a fun one to check out.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartla nd/Plains/7214/newyear.htm. If you're curious about the celebration of the new year in other countries, times or religions, this is a nice site for a short stop. It was originally set up in 1997, but the historic information remains accurate.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/ Acropolis/1465/toasts.html. Another section in the Geocities party package, this one offers guidelines for making those tricky toasts and a collection of samples both current and historic.

http://www.newyear1999.com. A site set up for you to post your plans for New Year's Eve, acknowledge your resolutions, share your predictions or simply leave your message for others to read. Note: the messages are not screened or edited.

http://www.robertburns.org/ency clopedia/AuldLangSyne.5.html. From the Robert Burns encyclopedia, this is an exceedingly well-researched and scholarly look at the song that is synonymous with the holiday. After reading some of the other seven verses, it's no wonder we just sing the first.

http://food.epicurious.com. For the elegant way to ring in 2000, make a stop at the Epicurious site for tons of information about caviar and champagne.

http://www.mailameal.com. If you can't share a midnight toast with the one you love, send a virtual glass of champagne.

Freelance writer Jan Perry welcomes suggestions for Site-seeing, which appears Wednesd ays and Fridays. Write to her at SiteSeer2K@aol.com.< p>