Nearest and dearest beat a big night out

By NICK PERRY

Organisers of cancelled millennium events have found out the hard way what others may have known all along - most New Zealanders want to spend tomorrow night with their loved ones.

A Herald-DigiPoll survey has found that when the clock ticks to midnight, 52 per cent of people plan to celebrate with family and friends,, while just 13 per cent want to be at public gatherings.

But Aucklanders, it seems, are more willing to trade quality time in for a night on the town. One-third more from the big city than from elsewhere plan to attend public celebrations.

Aucklanders will also keep their eyes open longer. While more than 9 per cent of poeple elsewhere intend to be fast asleep at midnight, the equivalent figure for Auckland is just under 5 per cent.

Maori have even more stamina. Just 1.7 per cent plan a midnight slumber.

And the importance of whanau appears strong among Maori. More than two-thirds will spend midnight with family and friends, compared with just under half of Europeans.

People over 40 aim to enjoy a more leisurely night, with 12 per cent expecting to watch television at midnight and a further 12 per cent planning to be asleep.

This compares with just 2 per cent of people aged between 18 and 39 who will watch television and 4 per cent who will be asleep.

The statistics have thrown up some interesting results, with 6 per cent of men intending to spend midnight privately with their partner, compared with just 4 per cent of women.

For 2 per cent of people, midnight celebrations are likely to be short-lived - they will spend the first moments of the year 2000 at work.