It's New Year's Eve and time to gear up for a night of whopping fun up ahead. But there are a few among us, who can't help but go back in time on this day each year to memories -- throwing up all over a friend's couch, tripping up in high heels and giving everyone a flash of the undies, wearing a lampshade like a hat and grooving to Barry Manilow's 'Copa Cabana'.

Makes you cringe with embarrassment, doesn't it? So if you don't want to go into forced hibernation for a month after bringing in the New Year, we'd suggest you take a few tips on how to behave yourself tonight!

~ Golden Rule Number One -- Do not get sloshed!

We've said it before and we'll say it again -- no good can ever come of getting drunk! You'll only end up making a fool of yourself and regret it the morning � and the first day of the New Year is not meant to be spent in self-chastisement.

Says 29-year-old Mumbaiite Preeti Singh*, "One New Year's Eve, I happened to spot a cute guy at a friend's terrace do. I thought I'd have a couple of drinks to unwind and muster up my guts to approach him, but I ended up getting so drunk I could hardly stand. After umpteen trips to the loo to throw up, I sat down to dinner at the table. I ended up purging straight into my plate and grossed out everyone there, including Mister Cutie! I then passed out and had to be escorted home by a couple of pals. I was so embarrassed, two years on, I still slink away to a safe distance when I see the guy I liked at common friends' get-togethers!"

Worse than embarrassing yourself, you could also wind up in some serious trouble with the law. If your party gets too boisterous, you may end up cooling your heels in the slammer in the wee hours of January 1!

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~ Golden Rule Number Two -- Get your priorities right

If you're throwing a party for your friends this New Year's Eve, it's up to you to play host well. Make sure you've made adequate arrangements for food, drinks and music. A well-planned party is almost always a success.

Says Hanosh Patel*, a 25-year-old Delhiite, "A friend of mine, Ajit*, has a spacious apartment of his own in Noida. So for New Year's Eve last year, he invited us over to a house party. What a shock we received when we got there! All Ajit had done was order a few pizzas and cold beers. There was no music, the television was blaring in the living room and he spent half the night in his bedroom, chatting on the phone with his girlfriend in the United States. We were bored out of our minds -- it was a complete let-down!"

On the other hand, if you're a guest, behave like one. No complaining about every little thing, no raiding your host's fridge and most importantly, no being a slob. Anyone who throws a shindig has a lot of cleaning up to do, so don't add to it by messing about in the bedroom and leaving plates and glasses lying about. Do your bit to help the host and if a small mishap takes place, be sure to help clean up.

~ Golden Rule Number Three -- Don't be a party pooper!

Don't be a drip -- join in all the festivities, dancing and games on New Year's Eve and contribute to a party's success. That's the only way you'll have any fun!

Says 25-year-old Siddharth Krishnani* from Pune, "One New Year's Eve back when I was in college, I headed to our local sports club get-together with friends. I had just started dating a girl from my class and she had come along too, of course. Once we were there, she just sat down in a corner with a drink in her hand and flatly refused to join in the celebrations at all! She didn't want to dance, there were several games organised that she didn't want to take part in and she just didn't want to mingle with anybody!

I had a hard time enjoying myself too, because I felt guilty about having fun on the dance floor while she was sitting by herself. I would have understood had she not known anybody and was feeling out of place, but we had the same circle of friends! Needless to say, we broke up soon after that."

Don't mope on New Year's Eve -- if you're not in the mood to party, stay home. A killjoy ruins a good time for everyone, so if you've made up your mind to head out, make up your mind to be a sport and join in the festivities!

~ Golden Rule Number Four -- Do not gatecrash parties!

It is simply not cool to gatecrash a party under any circumstances, especially not on New Year's Eve. Sure, you can boast that you've never been caught, but if you are, you'll wish you'd never tried it!

"All of my friends were heading to this posh suburban hotel for New Year's Eve last year, paying about Rs 3000 per head," says 24-year-old Mumbaiite Pradeep Pinto*. I had a family get-together beforehand, so I didn't want to pay quite so much for half a night there.

At around 12:30 am, my friend Sudeep* called me to say that we could simply sneak into the hotel's celebration and get together with our friends. I was a little apprehensive, but I also thought it would be the coolest thing if we got away with it without having paid a penny.

Sudeep and I got to the entrance, which was rather crowded -- a lot of people were heading into the venue, others were heading out. We weaseled our way past security in the crowd and made it inside. We were partying it up with our friends when a bouncer approached us and politely asked to see our passes. Apparently, the security at the door had complained that crowding at the entry points was preventing them from checking passes accurately, so they decided to conduct a random check inside.

Sudeep and I pretended that our passes had slipped out of my pocket, but the hotel staff was having none of it. Four bouncers escorted us to the exit and several guests were staring and giggling at our unceremonious ouster from the hotel. I was so embarrassed, I'll never try to gatecrash any party ever again!"

• Fashion designers pick your outfit this New Year's Eve!

~ Golden Rule Number Five -- Commute in peace!

New Year's Eve in large metros inevitably means heavy traffic and endless jams. With people anxious to get to their party venues on time, tempers tend to flare and road rage takes over. The best you can do is be calm in such a situation and understand that you're not the only one whose celebration is being delayed.

Says Shameem Khan*, a 28-year-old Delhi housewife, "Last New Year's Eve, my husband and I were horribly stuck in a traffic jam. It was almost 11 pm and we weren't even halfway to our venue yet. Traffic was crawling and at one point, another impatient reveler behind us began honking incessantly. My husband, who had lost all patience by then, jumped out of the car and yelled at him. Soon they were involved in a fistfight and other motorists had to separate them!

By this time the traffic had started moving, but we were the ones holding up the cars behind! My husband's clothes were roughed up, he was in a foul mood and we got to our venue at 11:55! I was so embarrassed about it all, I've warned my husband that if he's not going to leave on time for any outing, I just won't go along!"

Worse than losing your temper, don't lose your common sense -- make sure you don't drink and drive. A number of youngsters don't heed the law on New Year's and you often hear of unfortunate incidents which involve grievous injuries and even death due to driving under the influence. Even if you don't wind up getting hurt, if your're caught by the police, you may wind up in serious trouble.

Party hard, stay safe and observe decorum at all times -- if you do, a memorable New Year's Eve is guaranteed!

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.