Ah, New Year's Eve. A time for excessive eating, drinking and celebrating to welcome the new year. A day to forget moderation, to binge and indulge before you begin a new year of new resolutions. No matter how you chose to ring in the new year — whether you are at home snuggled up with a loved one by the fire with a glass of champagne watching the ball drop, or you are surrounded by countless people in a crowded bar sweating in your high heels while loud music vibrates at your feet — you are all guaranteed one thing: a kiss. When that clock strikes midnight, you're most likely sealing the last 365 days with a kiss.

As the curtain begins to close on 2015, I think back to the last time I welcomed a new year into my life. I was at a nightclub in Montreal with my girlfriends. As the clock began to reach 11:59, the ambiance in the club totally shifted. I found myself surrounded by strangers. Everyone was leaning a little closer, more touching of arms, more brushing of cheeks. Somehow suddenly, a nightclub of over a thousand people managed to pair off into twos. A group of boys, conveniently in the same capacity of our group of girls, approached us and actually asked if we wanted to kiss them at midnight. Under any other circumstances, the boys would never have found the courage (or liquid courage) to ask such a bold question, and if they had, we would have found it utterly sexist, piggish and outright creepy. However, this was New Year's Eve and, therefore, it is socially acceptable to ask a stranger to kiss you at a specific time.

Now, I find myself wondering why? Why is this socially acceptable? Why did those boys have the courage to ask us (in a group) to kiss them? Why did we find it normal, appropriate even? Because it's tradition. Well, before I welcome in 2016 surrounded by loud music, bright lights, and strangers leaning in, I want to get to the bottom of this tradition.

Therefore, I did a little research and asked various people what they think. Here's what I found...

The tradition can be symbolic.

Many traditions use a kiss for symbolic meaning, like a wedding or a mistletoe. Surprisingly to me, the New Year's Eve kiss actually has a symbolic meaning as well. The origins of this kissing tradition even can be traced back to Ancient Rome. Many believed the kiss symbolized purification, an act to ward off the evil spirits from the past year.

Laura Muller, University at Albany Class of 2017, has a similar perspective on the tradition:

"I think society places an importance on the tradition of kissing at midnight because it symbolizes a fresh start. It's a simple act of kindness and love to begin a new year- something we can agree will put a smile on our faces."

People simply just love traditions.

Our society is jam-packed with traditions, especially around the holidays. Maybe that's why our society is so set on that midnight lip-lock.

Zachary Relyea, SUNY Cortland Class of 2015, agrees:

"Society places such an importance on it because we love the idea of traditions."

Amanda Matluck, Union College Class of 2017 (also known as Fashion Fitness), views the midnight kiss as a piece to the puzzle of the overall experience:

"I think society places a lot of importance around the tradition of kissing at midnight because it makes the end of the night something to look forward to and something to plan on. It goes hand in hand with counting down to the new year and the ball dropping."

For some, the tradition isn't necessary.

Is stressing over having someone to kiss a burden on your night? Is it silly that we worry so much with regard to fulfilling a simple tradition that we would kiss a stranger?

"This moment seems to be a little stressful, you find yourself searching around the room for someone to kiss at midnight and for me usually it has been no one (actually always no one LOL). I am usually surrounded by my family and friends, which I am 100 percent content with. I find the needing to kiss someone at midnight overrated and unnecessary. I think it's more fun being with all your friends dancing and popping champagne at midnight rather than worrying who to lock lips with." -Matluck

For others, romance isn't necessary.

Smooch a stranger, peck a friend, kiss a dog, french a bottle of Titos Vodka. All is fair in love and tradition...

"I don't even think the kiss has to be romantic. I always kiss my friends — pretty much anyone that's in a five-foot radius from me." -Muller

The tradition can be used as an excuse to make moves (on women and alcohol).

What better excuse to finally kiss your crush than simply fulfilling a tradition? Gabe August, University at Albany Class of 2018, admits he has certainly used this tradition to his advantage. So August isn't alone in his honesty, I'll admit I am too guilty of using this tradition to pursue a crush.

"I have used it as an excuse to make the move before." -August

It also seems to be a common trend that men tend to find that New Year's Eve is associated stronger with alcohol consumption than midnight kisses. Maybe some people are just less romantic than others, and for them, the kiss is just a side effect that comes with drinking excessively (I'm looking at you boys).

"I think New Year's Eve is amateur hour. I think people like making a huge deal out of something that's not. Especially college kids because everyone is home during break and they want to make it memorable." -August

"Honestly, my experiences of this holiday have simply been an excuse to drink excessively, and I don't need an excuse to make a move on a girl so they kissing tradition isn't useful to me. I never found it important. My friend's father refers to New Year's Eve as amateur's night." -Relyea

There you have it. I have come to curate two crucial pieces of advice for you to remember as you embark on your New Year's Eve plans: bring Chapstick (hehe), and no matter what you're doing at 11:59, just ensure that you remain optimistic for the year to come. As for me this New Year's? I don't kiss and tell...