Elizabeth Berrett
New Year’s Eve is supposed to be the nation’s annual agreement to grin bravely, count backwards with strangers, and pretend a midnight kiss will fix January. Yet a survey suggests plenty of Brits would happily skip the smooch altogether—either because they can’t stand the traditions, or because the thought of rejection lands harder than the hangover.
Researchers asked 1,000 Brits about their attitudes to the New Year’s Eve kiss and uncovered a surprisingly practical list of romance-killers. The biggest mood-ruiner? Not fireworks. Not your mate’s karaoke rendition of Mr Brightside. Simply the whole idea of New Year’s Eve traditions.
More than three in ten people (31.4%) said they’re not fans of New Year’s Eve traditions at all. In other words: keep the countdown, lose the pressure. Close behind came bad breath (26.2%), a timeless villain that turns a hopeful lean-in into a tactical retreat faster than you can say “mint?”
After that, the obstacles start to sound like a British public-service announcement. Being too drunk claimed third spot at 13.7%, with fear of rejection next at 12.4%. It’s a tidy top four that reads like: don’t overdo it, keep it fresh, and maybe don’t aim your heart at someone who’s already scanning the buffet table for an exit.
Where it gets particularly interesting is among 18–24-year-olds. For this group, fear of rejection is the number one reason they avoid a kiss on New Year’s Eve—beating both their dislike of the traditions and worries about bad breath. It’s not that they don’t want the moment; it’s that they don’t want the no.
And unlike the old stereotype of New Year’s Eve as an evening of sloppy choices, being too drunk is the least of their concerns, with only 9% choosing it as a reason to avoid the midnight smooch. Instead, a more modern anxiety makes an appearance: for women aged 18–24, lipstick smudging is an important factor—more so than bad breath and being too drunk. Romance, yes. Looking like you’ve wrestled a takeaway napkin at 12:03, no.
Other reasons that might spoil the midnight kiss for people in the UK—regardless of age—include pressure (7%) and lipstick smudging (4%). Pressure, of course, is the quiet bouncer at the door of every New Year’s Eve party: it decides who feels bold, who feels judged, and who suddenly remembers they “promised to call their mum” at 11:58.
In an effort to debunk stereotypes about the midnight kiss on New Year’s Eve, Note Cosmetics consulted Ph.D. Leslie Becker-Phelps, a psychologist and the author of Bouncing Back from Rejection, on how to disarm that fear. Her advice is not to fight it, but to study it—like a slightly dramatic housemate who eventually calms down once you acknowledge they exist.
She said: “Fear of rejection is like any other fear — it’s your body’s signal that there is danger.
If you don’t want fear ruling your life, get to know it. Pay attention to how it feels in your body, to how it inhabits your thoughts and emotions.
As you do, its power will diminish, and you can then decide to pursue the life you want — the career of your dreams, the relationship you’ve always wanted, or even the simple joy of a midnight kiss.”
That last line matters because it reframes the whole New Year’s Eve situation. It’s not about forcing a kiss because the clock told you to. It’s about deciding what you want—then acting like you’re allowed to want it.
Four ways to make this New Year’s Eve one to remember (without the cringe)
On the back of the survey, Note Cosmetics shared four simple tips designed to reduce the pressure and increase the chances of New Year’s Eve ending with a grin instead of a grimace:
- Enjoy yourself – the celebration of the New Year is one big party after all, so make sure you have fun!
- Surround yourself with people you care about the most!
- Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable – NYE always brings outfit pressures! Have a look at your wardrobe and pick what makes you feel comfortable, leaving the outfit pressures behind.
- If you are pursuing your midnight kiss, go kiss-proof – If you are pursuing your midnight kiss, leave all lipstick smudging worries at home and use kiss-proof lipstick such as Mattever Lip Ink that will ensure your makeup is on point after midnight too.
The bottom line
New Year’s Eve isn’t short on rituals—countdowns, confetti, resolutions doomed by lunchtime on 1 January—but the midnight kiss is the one that turns personal fastest.
This survey suggests the biggest barriers aren’t dramatic, just human: anxiety, self-consciousness, and a national suspicion of forced merriment.
So if you’re going in for the New Year’s Eve kiss, keep it simple: breathe, relax, be present, and don’t let fear drive the evening.
And if you’re not kissing anyone at midnight? Congratulations—you’ve just avoided at least four of the nation’s top turn-offs in one move.
