New Yorkers shred bad memories in Times Square on Good Riddance Day

NEW YORK - A huge number of New Yorkers were seen celebrating Good Riddance Day in Times Square by putting bad memories of 2009 in the shredder.

Celebrated on December 28, ‘Good Riddance Day’ gave people the chance to say good-bye to all the bad things that happened through the year, like annoying boyfriends, bad financial decisions and losing sports teams.

One of the people taking part was Ben Winnick, 15, of Hartford, Conn., who brought a page torn from Monday’s New York Daily News describing the Giants’ pathetic season-ending loss.

“Hopefully, we’ll put it behind us and have a better year next season,” the New York Daily News quoted him as saying as he shredded the newspaper.

“They didn’t do too well, but I’ll stick with them,” he said.

Rama Mandel, 45, of the Bronx, came with homemade cards listing attributes she’s hoping to lose next year: procrastination, resentment and fear.

“I can’t wait to do that, to let go,” she said.

“I think words are very powerful and just focusing on a word and physically letting it go means something for me,” she stated.

A woman named Judy shredded her lease agreement and other financial documents, hoping to move on from the economic troubles of the past year.

“It’s really fun. The crunching sound is satisfying,” she said, declining to give her last name.

Tim Perkins, director of the Times Square Alliance, which hosts the annual event, called it a healthy experience to say good-bye to everything that bugged you in the past year.

“It’s out with the old and out with the bad and in with the new,” he explained.

“This is part of the cleansing that’s necessary for the new year,” he added. (ANI)