Sure things can get plenty weird in New York City. Ask anybody who’s ever visited, and any writer who’s ever had to deal with sometimes incomprehensible publishing decisions!

But once in a while, a flash of real genius comes out of the Big Apple.

Good Riddance Day is one of them.

The day, sponsored by the Times Square Alliance, is celebrated on December 28 and gives people a chance to say goodbye to all the bad things that happened throughout the year. The Alliance makes giant shredding machines, a Dumpster, and a sledgehammer available so folks can stop by for a little catharsis while they munch, crunch and tear up their bad memories.

What sort of things do people get rid of? Bills that have been haunting them, letters from ex’es, newspapers that report the dreadful losses of beloved sports teams. Good Riddance Day is a chance to kick the bad memories out in hopes of letting a brighter, better New Year in.

In many ways, the day reminds me of the Wiccan practice of burying bad memories. Same principle: write down what’s bugging you, take it to the woods, bury it in a hole.

Out with the old, in with the new.

Something tells me it wouldn’t hurt for each of us to establish our own Good Riddance Day. I’m thinking a nice, crackling fire would work just as well as a shredder.

So here’s a question . . . you’ve got that fire (or that shredder) in front of you. And a blank piece of paper.

What are you going to write down?

What do you want to be rid of?