ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Abigail Otto tries on the crown she just finished making at the Noontime New Year’s Eve celebration at the Saugus Library on Thursday.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
SAUGUS — Happy Noon Year!
Children gathered to ring in the new year at the Noontime New Year’s Eve celebration held at the Saugus Public Library Thursday.
“The idea is to celebrate the new year at noon for the little ones instead of midnight,” said children’s librarian Martha Morgan.
Tables were set up for the children to do different crafts and activities, including creating noisemakers out of plastic eggs and popcorn kernels, decorating crowns to wear and putting grapes on skewers.
“In Spain they put 12 grapes on a skewer and eat them at midnight,” said Morgan, who put together the event. “The kids (ate) them at noon.”
Wakefield resident Becky Mandell brought her 3-year-old daughter Hannah to the celebration. Mandell said she and Hannah frequently visit the library’s children’s section for storytime.
“We just love Martha,” Mandell said. “She’s always very happy and welcoming. We love to come to storytime.”
“(Hannah) usually goes to bed early, so this is very exciting for her,” she said.
Similarly, Dawn Herbert of Saugus said she frequently brings her sons, Connor, 5, and Nathan, 4, to activities at the library.
“This library does a really great job with its activities, crafts, playgroups,” Herbert said. “I think it’s great. We come here all the time.”
“I like to do the crafts and stuff,” said Connor Herbert, who also said he was excited to count down to noon.
Tracey Owram of Saugus brought her 2-year-old niece, Kyla Ware, of Salem.
“I thought it would be a lot of fun for her,” Owram said. “She loves to come to the library anyway. I thought a party here would be fun.”
Ware and Owram made noisemakers and decorated a crown at the event.
“It gets her involved,” Owram said. “She goes to bed a lot earlier than midnight. It’s hard for her to make it to noon sometimes before her nap.”
“This is great. It gives them something to do,” said Kim Caranfa, of Somerville, who brought her 3-year-old daughter Sabrina Caranfa.
“It’s just an activity to get them out of the house,” said Suellen Martins of Medford. She was at the event with her two sons, Caleb Machado, 4, and Matthew Machado, 2, and 6-year-old niece Brianni Defaira.
“We’re always looking for something to do indoors when it’s cold out,” she said. “It’s good because they can interact with other kids and they can make a mess here instead of at home.”
“I liked (the party),” said 5-year-old Jack Cuddy. “I liked making the shaker.”
Cuddy said his New Year’s resolution is to go to Roller World.
Once noon approached, the children gathered around the TV to watch a video of the 2015 London fireworks and sip sparkling cider as they counted down.
They excitedly stomped on bubble wrap to mimic the sound of fireworks and wrote down their New Year’s Resolutions.
“We did this two years ago,” Morgan said. “We had a nice turnout last time but it (was) much better this time. There (were) so many more kids.”
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected].