I don't really care about New Years Eve/day...or any one day (maybe outside of Thanksgiving?) for that matter. Just another day, going to watch a bunch of Drunk History and clean up my pictures and music on my laptop. Trying to learn a song by Wilco on guitar intermittently while doing those things.
One year I was living with a boyfriend. It was New Year's. We were fighting. There was a party. He wanted to go, I didn't. He went, I went to bed at like 9 or 10 and slept through the whole thing. The next morning he was very distressed he had no one with him at midnight (to cuddle, probably to do that traditional New Year's kiss with) and not only did I not care but I couldn't relate. While I enjoy the nostalgia this holiday summons in me, I can't say I'm very attached to the actual celebrations. I admit I do go along with them...(sometimes)...because parties are fun, and because sometimes, I try to be nice because I know it matters to other people. (This year, for instance.) In short...I can relate! New Year's isn't that special to me except as yet another day in the year where I like to look back.
Parties when you're arguing with a significant other are the best, especially when one person wants to go and the other doesn't. Historically I've been the one who doesn't, kind of like you in that story. I don't get the need to have a huge blowout party or go to a bar and get destroyed with a ton of other people because it's the last day of the year. It's weird to me. I do the same thing as you with sometimes going along with it, but only when I care that other people are really getting into it. Sometimes that doesn't happen though (the being nice and going part).