By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – For many the ushering in of a new year is an event to be heralded with celebrations, fireworks, champagne and gatherings with family and friends, but this doesn’t appear to be the case for many residents of the River Parishes.

Visitors to lobservateur.com were asked in the weekly online poll to divulge their plans to celebrate on New Year’s Eve. Nearly half of those who responded said they were planning to sleep through it and not celebrate.

There was, however, another large contingent of voters, 40 percent of the total, who said they were planning a get together with family and friends to celebrate.

Also, despite the fact that fireworks are legal in many parts of the River Parishes, very few respondents said they would welcome 2012 with their own fireworks and small-scale pyrotechnics.

Even fewer said they would go watch the professional fireworks display that took place along the Mississippi riverfront in New Orleans. A larger percentage said they were more likely to watch the festivities from Times Square in New York.

A full breakdown of responses is as follows:

• 40 percent of respondents chose “A get together with family and friends.”

• 5 percent of respondents chose “Shooting off fireworks and other pyrotechnics at home.”

• 2 percent of respondents chose “Watching the professional fireworks on the river in New Orleans.”

• 9 percent of respondents chose “Tuning in to the ball drop from Times Square.”

• 44 percent of respondents chose “I will sleep through it and not celebrate.”