It's a treacherous thing, this New Year's Eve. As was last New Year's Eve and countless Eves of the past and an indefinite more to come. This pattern will continue until we, as a species, come to recognize a year as nothing more than a blurry, furiously spinning pin-wheel - one pointed end meaning nothing more or less than the point at its opposite end or the point directly to its left. The transformative power of New Year's Eve is, in fact, unreal. An important event is just as (or perhaps more) likely to happen on a random Friday or Tuesday as it is to occur on Dec. 31.

Pressure - the likes of which New Year's Eve (NYE, as we'll call it) wields - has a way of resulting in experiences like mine, where I rang in 2006 while passed out on the floor of a sandwich shop's bathroom. The pounding of impatient customers on the restroom door eventually coaxed me out of my light slumber, which I resumed on a picnic table outside.

The notion of calling a NYE celebration "First Night" is wrong both factually and figuratively. Of course, Dec. 31 is the last night of a given year. Also, if you are to take the meaning as an association with the tradition of making "New Year's resolutions" - as in, perhaps, this is the first night of the rest of your life - it is still incorrect. As we all know, resolutions customarily take effect the moment you wake up from your last night of doing whatever it is that you don't want to do any more (but secretly very much want to continue doing).

Come to think of it, "Last Night" might be a perfectly appropriate title for an end-of-the-year celebration, though I suppose it may carry with it a rather grim implication. ...

The template of a First Night was established in Boston in 1976. Its mission was to foster an artistic celebration that could be enjoyed by families and generally dry individuals alike. Alcohol is a pariah for the evening, forced to hide away in the shadowy bars and sullen homes that surround the downtown event. Children are given free rein in the streets to enjoy festivities of cultural import and artistic merit. While Drunkie slurs through the ball drop, families are encouraged to take in a fire-breathing display or a folksy hootenanny of some variety.

In the case of First Night Tacoma, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Guinness World Record attempt at assembling the world's largest Bunny Hop. This is what we're dealing with, here, and if that sounds delightful to you, I can't really say that I disagree. It's just like First Night to arrange a dance that particularly excludes drunk people from taking part. (It is my guess that the Bunny Hop requires much more coordination than an intoxicated person could muster; and, should one stumble and topple the rest, it would surely be an indelible blemish on the face of Tacoma.)

Even though the following statement seems inconceivable, the presence of the world's largest Bunny Hop is no coincidence. In speaking with Festival Co-director Patrice O'Neill, I learn that the theme of this year's First Night Tacoma is patently bunny-centric.

"(Co-director Ricky Gene Powell) and I are very fond of themes, and so last year we started loosely following the Chinese Lunar New Year, mostly for inspiration," says O'Neill. "I mean, we're well aware that the Chinese Lunar New Year doesn't start until March, but we're kind of borrowing some symbolism from that system."

Last year marked the Year of the Tiger, and so the First Night celebration was tiger-themed. In keeping with this system, this year's First Night will commemorate the Year of the Rabbit. There will be, in addition to other bunny-related attractions, a bunny costume contest.

"The subtext for this year's event is ‘Good Bunny, Bad Bunny,'" says O'Neill. "(Beautiful Angle's Lance Kagey) came up with this great concept for this beat-up-looking, wasted bunny from 2010 moving into this gorgeous new, wonderful, healthy-looking bunny in 2011. We're burning a bunny face at midnight in metal."

Good Bunny, Bad Bunny. The rabbit has sprinted to exhaustion over the course of 365 days, collapsing finally at the feet of a new year and the promise of an improved life. A rabbit knows only how to sprint, however, and so will end up in this same shabby state at the close of 2011, and the year after and after, until it learns that the year's end is not something to rush toward.

In my mind, the point of First Night (if not overtly) is to take the guesswork out of one's NYE - to ease this bunny into the New Year without the world of pressure that accompanies most NYE gatherings. Sure, there will be many attractions happening simultaneously in various venues, but if one were to merely walk the streets of downtown, one would not want for visual stimulation. Despite having shows that require attendees to pay a cover, the people behind First Night have kept it a priority to ensure that the event remains as free to the public as possible.

First Night Tacoma has famously been difficult to keep afloat for this very reason. An event as large as First Night requires a substantial amount of funding, much of which comes from the support of sponsors. But this is not enough to cover the costs of the dozens of performers and the numerous venues that participate in the event.

While there is nothing wrong with walking freely through the street attractions (and Patrice O'Neill is too nice to say anything), I'll go ahead and say this: Pay to see a show or two. You'll be doing your small part to keep First Night alive and, hey, this is the only way you'll get to see the throat-singing elder statesman of folk, Baby Gramps (as part of a variety show; he alone is worth the price of admission).

My personal beef with NYE aside (and, believe me, this is a year-long grudge), it seems to me that First Night may just be your best bet to enter the New Year lucid, on your feet and far away from strange bathroom floors. I don't think there's any law against early resolutions, so here is mine: To kick that drunken, obliterated can as far down the road as possible.

Meet me at the Bunny Hop.

**

First Night

Daytime: Free admission for First Night Button wearers to Tacoma Art Museum, WA State History Museum, Children's Museum of Tacoma, Museum of Glass     

Nightime: 6:15 p.m. to Midnight

Buttons: Adults $12, kids ages  7-17 $7, family (2 adults and up to 4 kids) $38. 

www.firstnighttacoma.org