The last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar
Celebrations
Reflection; late-night partying; family gatherings; feasting; gift exchanges; fireworks; countdowns;watchnight services; social gatherings, during which participants maydance,eat, consumealcoholic beverages, and watch or lightfireworks
Italiancotechino andlentils, a typical New Year's Eve dinner dish
New Year's Eve in theGregorian calendar refers to the evening—or commonly the entire day—of the last day of the year:31 December. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinking, and watching or lightingfireworks. ManyChristians attend awatchnight service to mark the occasion. New Year's Eve celebrations generally continue intoNew Year's Day,1 January, past midnight.
InAlgeria, New Year's Eve is usually celebrated with family and friends. In the largest cities, there are fireworks at midnight.[citation needed] TheMartyrs' Memorial is the main attraction during the celebration, while someAlgerians prefer celebrate outside the country, generally inTunis orParis.[citation needed]
At 8 PM(AST), the President's message of greetings is read on TV. TheEPTV network airs an entertainment show, with different hosts and guests.[citation needed]
InGhana, Ghanaians celebrate New Year's Eve by going to church; others go to nightclubs, pubs or take to the streets to celebrate. At midnight,fireworks are displayed across various cities of Ghana, especially inAccra andTema.[citation needed]
InNigeria, Nigerians often Celebrate the New Year's Eve by going to church; others go to nightclubs and parties organized by individuals, communities, and other organizations.
InLagos, a year-end festival known asLagos Countdown (later renamed One Lagos Fiesta)[2] was first held in 2012, as part of an effort to establish tourism-oriented New Year's festivities more in line with those of other major metropolitan areas.[3][4]
InRwanda, Rwandans celebrate New Year's Eve by going to church, taking part in social gatherings and organizing family activities. The services usually start from 6pm for theRoman Catholic church and 10pm for theProtestants. At 00:00, at midnight, the president delivers an end-of-year address which is broadcast live on many radio and television stations.[5] Fireworks were introduced in recent years, with the most significant displays happening atKigali Convention Centre, Rebero Hill, Mount Kigali.[citation needed]
InSouth Africa, South Africans vote on a top ten music countdown before 31 December.[citation needed] When the countdown reaches number one, the song with the most votes plays on all the country's radio stations. Fireworks are lit all around South Africa. South Africans engage in occasional drinking andbraais.[citation needed]
InSouth Sudan, South Sudanese attend church services at many churches inJuba. The service begins at 9pm. At the stroke of midnight, the famouscarol, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" is sung to mark the end and beginning of the year with a blessing. The service ends at 12:30am.[citation needed]
InTunisia, Tunisians celebrate by spending the evening in restaurants and hotels and exchange gifts and flowers, or travel outside Tunisia to spend New Year's Eve in a European country. But most Tunisians prefer to celebrate it at home in a family evening with relatives and friends.[6]
Tunisians buy cakes or prepare them at home, in addition to holding dinner banquets, asroast chicken remains the main dish for this occasion, and staying up until midnight to eat cake as the first moments of the new year arrive.[6]
In recent years, the popular Tunisian filmChoufli Hal, New Year's Eve [fr] is broadcast every year, ending just minutes before the new year. This has become an annual tradition.[7]
The Gregorian calendar is still in force after Azerbaijan became an independent republic, and 1 January is celebrated as a day off. The day before, 31 December, is also marked asInternational Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis, marking the double anniversary of that day in 1989 when the local residents took down the Soviet–Iranian border in then-Nakhichevan ASSR to reunite withIranian Azerbaijanis south of the border, as well as the Istanbul-held first World Congress of Azerbaijanis which tackled issues regarding the Azeri expat communities.[8]
Celebrations of the holiday are influenced from its Soviet history, at midnight the national anthem is played on all TV stations following the message of the President of Azerbaijan produced by state channelAzTV.
In Bangladesh, public celebrations of the Gregorian new year (Pohela Boishakh—the new year of theBengali calendar—is celebrated in April),[9] also known as31st night,[10][11][12] are centered upon major cities and beaches (including the capital city ofDhaka, andCox's Bazar Beach), and public events such as parties hosted by hotels.[13][14] In major cities such as Dhaka, there are restrictions placed on New Year's celebrations for safety, security, and environmental reasons, including bans on fireworks, the flying of lanterns, and organizing outdoor cultural events such as concerts.[11][12][15]
From 1993 to 2014, theTimes Square shopping centre inCauseway Bay hosted New Year's Eve festivities featuring the "lowering" of an apple (via 22 m (72 ft) ofsignage), in imitation of theball drop atNew York City'sTimes Square. The countdown event was discontinued in 2015 in favor of other events over the holiday season.[18][19]
In India, New Year's Eve is a blend of modern celebrations and traditional festivities. Metropolitans likeKochi,Chennai,Mumbai,Delhi,Bengaluru,Hyderabad,Pune andKolkata have parties, concerts, and colorful fireworks displays as part of the celebrations to attract crowds of people. Goa and Manali celebrate the day with beach parties and winter festivals. So, many people celebrate the festival by praying and performing rituals, since India is a culturally diverse country.[citation needed]
New Year's Eve celebrations are the biggest in large cities, and includeGoa's beaches andPark Street, Kolkata. Other cities such asNew Delhi andMumbai also celebrate extravagantly.[20][21]
New Year's Eve has been observed inIsrael since the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1918; it is referred to asSilvester to distinguish it from the Jewish New Year,Rosh Hashanah, which falls in either September or October on the Gregorian calendar. It is largely celebrated through social gatherings and parties.[22] The New Year's holiday has historically attracted a negative stigma among parts of theIsraeli Jewish population due to its connection toPope Sylvester I—who is widely considered to have been anantisemite. As a result, celebrations have historically been modest in comparison to other countries.[23][24] In December 2014,wearables manufacturerJawbone published a report estimating that only 67.4% of Israelis were awake at midnight on New Year's Eve in 2013, and most people only stayed up as late as 12:45 a.m.IST.[25][26]
During the era ofMandatory Palestine in the early-1930s, promotional material for formal New Year's Eve parties andmasquerade balls were targeted primarily towardsArabic andEnglish-speaking residents (by contrast, posters forHanukkah parties were written inHebrew). These parties also became popular amongGerman andAustrian Jews that had emigrated to avoid the rise ofNazi Germany.[22] The increasing popularity of Sylvester faced criticism from theOrthodox population, including theHapoel HaMizrachi, who considered them contrary toZionist values.[22] In 1934, it was reported that the municipal council ofTel Aviv had passed a resolution to ban Silvester parties, calling them "contrary to the spirit and traditions of the people of Israel". However, reported efforts to ban the holiday were unsuccessful or left unenforced, and it continued to increase in popularity—especially among secular populations.[22]
Following thepost-Soviet aliyah,Novy God was imported into Israel by emigrants. The observance was initially obscure outside of Israel'sRussian Jewish community, and also faced stigma from those who mistook its traditions for being Christmas or Silvester. In the mid-2010s, a campaign was launched to promote awareness of the holiday among the1.5 generation of immigrants, as well as non-Russian residents. By the 2010s, public awareness of Novy God had increased; Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu began to acknowledge Novy God in his holiday greetings, and it became more common for retailers to stock Novy God-related goods and hold promotions for the holiday.[27][28][24][29] In a 2020 survey, 72% of Israelis surveyed stated they were familiar with the holiday, while 54% did not perceive Novy God to be part of the country's culture.[28][30][31]
InJapan, New Year's Eve is used to prepare for and welcomeToshigami (年神), the New Year's god. Japanese clean their homes and prepareKadomatsu orShimenawa to welcome the god before New Year's Eve. Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight in the traditionalJoya no Kane (除夜の鐘).[32] The rings represent the 108 elements ofbonō (煩悩), mental states that lead Japanese to take unwholesome actions.[33]
In most cities and urban areas across Japan, New Year's Eve celebrations are usually accompanied by concerts, countdowns, fireworks and other events. InTokyo, revelers gather at theZojoji Temple inMinato, who release helium balloons with New Year's wishes up in the sky and watch the lighting ofTokyo Tower andTokyo Skytree with a year number displayed on the observatory at the stroke of midnight.Shibuya Crossing formerly hosted a gathering of revellers at midnight, but this ended in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, as well as a subsequent crackdown on gatherings around Halloween and New Year's Eve due to issues withovertourism andpublic intoxication.[34][35][36]
Since 1951,NHK has traditionally broadcast theKōhaku Uta Gassen ("Red and White Song Battle") on New Year's Eve, a music competition where two teams of popular musicians (the red and white teams, whose performances contain female and male vocalists respectively) perform songs. The winning team is determined by a panel of judges, audience members at theNHK Hall in Tokyo, and televotes. The special was previously one of Japan's most-watched television programs overall; its audience has since declined, and hit a record low of 34.3% in theVideo Research ratings in 2021.[37]
From 1996 to 2022, the talent agencyJohnny & Associates organisedJohnny's Countdown—a concert event at theTokyo Dome televised byFuji Television. In the wake ofsexual abuse allegations surrounding the agency's founder, a new agency known asStarto Entertainment was formed in 2023 to take on Johnny & Associates' roster: the new agency has yet to organise a successor toJohnny's Countdown.[38] TheJapan Record Awards were previously held on New Year's Eve from 1959 to 2006, but have since been held on 30 December.
In Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan, New Year's Eve celebrations were inherited from Soviet traditions; thus they are similar to those of Russia. An example of such traditions would be the playing of the national anthem at midnight and the presidential address before it.
Many South Korean gather atBosingak inSeoul to celebrate the New Year.
Although the traditionalKorean New Year(Seollal) is typically a more important holiday in bothNorth andSouth Korea, the 31 December New Year's Eve of the Gregorian calendar is also celebrated. Most cities and urban areas in both Koreas host New Year's Eve gatherings.
In South Korea, two of the biggest celebrations take place in the capital ofSeoul: the ringing ofBosingak bell 33 times at midnight and fireworks display atMyeong-dong, and an LED laser light show and fireworks display at theLotte World Tower inSongpa-gu. Television networksKBS andSBS both broadcast award shows, theKBS Drama Awards andSBS Drama Awards, to honor achievements in thetelevision dramas aired by the networks. Until 2022 South Koreans calculated their age using theEast Asian age reckoning method, with all South Koreans adding a year to their age at midnight of the New Year (of the Gregorian, not the Korean calendar), the government finally ended the practice for 2023 and onwards.[42]
InPyongyang, the capital of North Korea, the chimes of the clock at the Grand People's Study House and the national fireworks display alongKim Il-sung Square,Juche Tower and the surrounding areas signal the start of the New Year. The celebration in Pyongyang, however, also marks the beginning of theNorth Korean calendar or the Juche Year, which is based on 15 April 1912,Kim Il Sung's date of birth, the celebrations are more recent in origin with the fireworks displays dating from 2013. For 2018–19, Kim Il Sung Square hosted a concert performance by the stateMoranbong Band, midnight fireworks, and adrone show.[43] Since 2022, the national New Year's Eve concert and main fireworks display is held at theRungrado 1st of May Stadium.
InLebanon. Lebanese people celebrate New Year's Eve with a dinner attended by family and friends. The dinner features traditional dishes such as tabouli, hummus, kibbi, and other Lebanese foods. These celebrations could also take place in restaurants and clubs. Game shows are also organized where contestants can try to win money. The countdown to New Year's is broadcast through the leading TV channel and the celebrations usually continue until sunrise. Fireworks are lit throughout the night.
Ambang Tahun Baru, a celebration sponsored by the government was held atMerdeka Square, the field opposite theSultan Abdul Samad Building in theMalaysian capital ofKuala Lumpur in the early days. The event was broadcast live on government as well as private TV stations at those times. The countdown is now broadcast live on Government television fromPutrajaya and the Broadcasting Centre in which the concert is held and fireworks are displayed at thePetronas Towers.
There are New Year countdown parties in major cities such asGeorge Town,Shah Alam andKuching, typically organized by the private sector in these cities.[44][45]
Mongolians began celebrating the Gregorian New Year in the Socialist period, with influence from the former Soviet Union. As a modern tradition, New Year's Day are public holidays, and are one of the biggest holidays of the year. They celebrate New Year's Eve with families. It is common, just like in the former Soviet Union, that theNational Anthem of Mongolia is to be played at the midnight hour on television following the holiday address by the President of Mongolia.
New Year's Eve is usually celebrated with fireworks in big cities (e.g.Lahore,Karachi, andIslamabad) with musical nights and concerts also held.[citation needed]
Many Pakistani youngsters enjoy the type of celebrations held all over the world, and now they are trying to follow the Western cultures. The elite class community participates in night-long activities in urban and cosmopolitan cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, and middle-class young teenagers use bikes for one-wheeling on the roads. There are also some firework shows in public places where everyone gathers with families to witness New Year's Eve.[citation needed]
In thePhilippines, New Year's Eve (Bisperas ng Bagong Taon) is a special non-working holiday (except for 2021 and 2022, in which it was a special working holiday),[46] and Filipinos usually celebrate in the company of family or close friends. Traditionally, most households would attend church for year-end services and afterwards, host or attend an abundant midnight feast called theMedianoche. Typical dishes includepancit (a noodle dish meant to symbolize for a longer life) andhamón (dry-cured ham), whilelechon (roasted pig) is usually prepared as is barbecued food and various desserts. Some refrain from serving chicken, as their scratching and pecking for food is said to be an unlucky idiom for a hand-to-mouth existence. Many Filipinos also buyfirecrackers andfireworks to be used in New Year's Eve, which is believed to drive away any bad luck in the start of the new year.
Many opt to wear new, bright, or colorful clothes with circular patterns, such aspolka dots, or display sweets and twelve round fruits in the belief that circles attract money, while candies represent a sweeter year ahead. Several customs must be done exactly at midnight: scattering coins to increase wealth in the coming year, jumping to increase height, or theSpanish custom of eating twelve grapes, one for each month of the year. Filipinos also make loud noises by blowing on cardboard or plastic horns calledtorotot, banging on pots and pans, playing loud music, blowing car horns, or by lighting firecrackers andbamboo cannons. It is an apotropaic ritual, as the din is believed to scare away bad luck and evil spirits.
Although many Filipinos typically spend their New Year's Eve at their family homes, in some urban areas, many New Year's Eve parties and countdown celebrations are also hosted by the private sector with the help of the local government. These parties, which include balls hosted by hotels, usually display their own fireworks and are also well-attended.
Until 2016, Saudi Arabia used theUmm al-Qura calendar—which is based on astronomical calculations—for administrative purposes. TheCommittee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV, the Saudireligious police) also enforced a ban on public celebrations of the Gregorian New Year as per a religious edict, and could fine shops for offering New Year's-related products and confiscate them. However, the religious police did not go after individual citizens holding private celebrations.[47][48]
A midnight fireworks show in Marina Bay, Singapore, welcoming 2012.
In Singapore, New Year's Eve is typically celebrated via public events such as fireworks shows, with the largest traditionally being held atMarina Bay (as organised by theUrban Redevelopment Authority). Major celebrations are also held in other parts of theCentral Region (such asClarke Quay andSentosa), and various neighbourhood-level events are organised by thePeople's Association. State broadcasterMediacorp organises and televises a New Year's concert event, which for 2025 was held atSingapore Sports Hub in conjunction with the launch of commemorations for Singapore's 60th anniversary of independence.[58][59]
The most prominent New Year's event inTaiwan is a major fireworks show launched from theTaipei 101 skyscraper inTaipei. In 2018, the show was enhanced by the installation of a new LED lighting system on the north face of the tower between its 35th and 90th floors. This change countered a reduction in the number of firework shells launched during the show, as part of an effort to produce less pollution.[60][61]
A new tradition that emerged in 2023 is aflash mob gathering at Taipei'sDaan Forest Park at midnight to re-enact the closing scene ofTsai Ming-liang's 1994 filmVive l'amour, in which lead character May Lin cries on a bench at the then-incomplete park.[62][63] The first event was inspired by a viral social media post. On 31 December 2024, theTaiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute organized a formal version of the gathering (including a screening of the film and guest appearances by Tsai Ming-liang and the film's co-stars) at Daan Forest Park to mark the film and park's 30th anniversary.[64][65]
Fireworks at Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand 2019
Aside from the traditional Thai New YearSongkran (Thailand) (which falls on 13 April or 14 April), Thais also celebrate the arrival of the Gregorian New Year on 1 January with families, relatives and friends, which includes a family dinner and following different customs. It is a public holiday. In most cities and urban areas acrossThailand, New Year's Eve celebrations are accompanied by countdowns, fireworks, concerts and other major events, notably, the CentralWorld Square atCentralWorld and the area alongChao Phraya River atICONSIAM andAsiatique inBangkok, and the Pattaya Beach inPattaya, while public places such as hotels, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, also host New Year's Eve parties by offering food, entertainment and music to the guests, and they usually stay open until the next morning.
Television and radio channels are known to continuously broadcast a variety of special New Year's Eve programs, whilemunicipalities all around the country organize fundraising events for the poor, in addition to celebratory public shows such as concerts and family-friendly events, as well as more traditional forms of entertainment such as theKaragöz and Hacivatshadow-theater, and even performances by theMehter—theJanissary Band that was founded during the days of theOttoman Empire.
Public and private parties with large public attendances are organized in a number of cities and towns, particularly in the largest metropolitan areas such asIstanbul,Ankara,İzmir,Adana,Bursa andAntalya, with the biggest celebrations taking place in Istanbul'sTaksim,Beyoğlu,Nişantaşı andKadıköy districts and Ankara'sKızılay Square, which generally feature dancing, concerts, laser and light shows as well as the traditional countdown and fireworks display.
In addition, on day, thepresident addresses citizens in his New Year's message, congratulates them on the new year and talks about his goals for the new year.[66][67]
InDubai, United Arab Emirates, theBurj Khalifa—the world's tallest building—has hosted an annual fireworks display, which is among the world's most expensive.[68] A fireworks show was not held for 2018–2019: instead, a multimedialight and sound show was presented using the tower's lighting system, which set aGuinness World Record for the largest light and sound show staged on a single building.[69][70][71] The fireworks show returned for 2019-2020, in tandem with a multimedia presentation.[72] From 2019 onwards, the fireworks are launched along with laser, multimedia and music shows.
Preparations for New Year's Eve inAlbania start with the Christmas tree, which in Albania is known as "New Year's Tree" or "New Year's Pine". At midnight, Albanians toast and greet each other and fireworks are lit.
InAustria, New Year's Eve is usually celebrated with friends and family. At exactly midnight, all radio and television programmes operated byORF broadcast the sound of thePummerin, the bell ofSt. Stephen's Cathedral inVienna, followed by theDonauwalzer ("The Blue Danube") byJohann Strauss II. Many Austrians dance to this at parties or in the street. Large crowds gather in the streets of Vienna, where the municipal government organizes a series of stages where bands and orchestras play. Fireworks are set off by both municipal governments and individuals.
InBelgium, New Year's Eve (Dutch:Sint Sylvester Vooravond ["Saint Sylvester's Eve"] orOudjaar ["old year"]) is celebrated with family parties – calledréveillons [let's wake up] in theFrench speaking areas. On television, a stand-up comedian reviews the past year after which a musical or variety show signals midnight, when Belgians kiss, exchange good luck greetings, and toast the New Year and absent relatives and friends withchampagne. Many Belgians light fireworks or go into the street to watch them. Most cities have their own fireworks display: the most famous is atMont des Arts in Brussels. Cities, cafés and restaurants are crowded. Free bus services and special New Year's Eve taxis (theResponsible Young Drivers) bring Belgians home afterwards.
On 1 January (Dutch:Nieuwjaarsdag) children read their "New Year's letter" and give holiday greeting cards of decorated paper featuring golden cherubs and angels, colored roses and ribbon-tied garlands to parents and godparents, on decorated paper.
New Year is widely celebrated inBosnia and Herzegovina. Streets are decorated for New Year's Eve and there is a fireworks show and concerts in all of the larger cities. Restaurants, clubs, cafes and hotels are usually full of guests and they organize New Year's Eve parties.
In the capitalSarajevo, Bosnians gather in the Square of children of Sarajevo where a local rock band entertains them. Several trumpet and rock groups play until the early morning hours. At midnight there is a big fireworks show.
New Year's Eve (Silvestr/Silvester) celebrations and traditions inCzech Republic andSlovakia are very similar. New Year's Eve is the noisiest day of the year. Czechs and Slovaks generally gather with friends at parties, in pubs, clubs, in the streets, or city squares to eat, drink, and celebrate the new year. Fireworks are a popular tradition; in large cities such asBratislava, orPrague, the fireworks start before noon and steadily increase until the clock strikes midnight. In the first minutes after midnight, Czechs and Slovaks toast with champagne, wish each other a happy new year, fortune and health, and go outside for the fireworks displays.
In both countries all major TV stations air entertainment shows before and after the midnight countdown, which is followed by the National anthem of each country. The Presidents of the republics gave their New Year speech in the morning – ex-Czech PresidentMiloš Zeman renewed the tradition of Christmas speeches. In recent years however theCzechoslovak national anthem is played at midnight in some stations, in honor of theshared history of both nations.
On this day, Czechs and Slovaks traditionally make a sandwich-like food, the chlebíčky. The recipe is a bread, ham, cheese, egg and tomato.
The greeting is "Šťastný Nový rok!", but in Christany, they say "Všechno nejlepší do novího roku!" / "Všetko dobré do nového roku!" (All the best/goodness to the New Year!) followed by luck, helth etc. same asBirthday, but instead of saying "Thank you" they say "You too", because it's a nationwide holiday.
Danes inDenmark may go to parties or entertain guests at home. There is a special evening meal that concludes withKransekage, a special dessert, along with champagne. Other traditional dishes are boiled cod, stewed kale and cured saddle of pork.[73] However, expensive cuts of beef as well as sushi have become increasingly popular.[74] Another well-known tradition is jumping off a chair at midnight, symbolizing a leap into the new year.[75]
Multiple significant traditional events are broadcast on television and radio on 31 December. This includes, but is not limited to:
The monarch's New Year message fromAmalienborg Palace[76] at 18:00 and the Town Hall Clock inCopenhagen striking midnight. Thousands of Danes gather together inRådhuspladsen (the Town Hall Square) and cheer.[77]
Like in the surrounding nations, the German comedy sketchDinner for One is broadcast every year at 23:45, and ends just minutes before the new year. This has been a tradition every year since 1980 (except in 1985).
Another reoccurring broadcast is the 1968 filmThe Party, which is aired after midnight on 1 January.
To celebrate New Year's Eve inEstonia, Estonians decorate villages, visit friends and prepare lavish meals.
Some believe that Estonians should eat seven, nine, or twelve times on New Year's Eve. These are lucky numbers in Estonia; it is believed that for each meal consumed, the person gains the strength of that many men the following year. Meals should not be completely finished—some food should be left for ancestors and spirits who visit the house on New Year's Eve.
Traditional New Year food includes pork with sauerkraut or Estonian sauerkraut (mulgikapsad), baked potatoes and swedes with hog's head, and white and blood sausage. Vegetarians can eat potato salad with navy beet[clarification needed] and pâté. Gingerbread and marzipan are very popular for dessert. Traditional New Year drinks include beer and mead, but mulled wine and champagne have become modern favourites.
Fireworks in the forest ofRuka on New Year's Eve inKuusamo, Finland
InFinland, New Year's Eve is usually celebrated with family or friends. Late supper is served, often featuring wieners,Janssons frestelse, and potato salad. Some municipalities organize fireworks at midnight. Consumer fireworks are also very popular. A Finnish tradition ismolybdomancy – to tell the fortunes of the New Year by melting "tin" (actually lead) in a tiny pan on the stove and throwing it quickly in a bucket of cold water. The resulting blob of metal is analyzed, for example by interpreting shadows it casts by candlelight. These predictions are however never taken seriously.
The principal broadcast is aired byYLE atHelsinki Senate Square featuring Finnish music stars. The countdown to the New Year is with theHelsinki Cathedral clock. Preceding this the German comedy sketchDinner for One is shown every year in the afternoon. On the radio, just before midnight, the poemHymyilevä Apollo (Smiling Apollo) byEino Leino is read.[81]
InFrance, New Year's Eve (la Saint-Sylvestre) is usually celebrated with a feast,le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre[82] (Cap d'Any inNorthern Catalonia). This feast customarily includes special dishes includingfoie gras, seafood such as oysters, andchampagne. The celebration can be a simple, intimate dinner with friends and family or,une soirée dansante, a much fancier ball.
InGermany, parties are common on New Year's Eve (Silvester), and wishes of luck may be worded as "Guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!", which literally translates into "Good slide into the new year!" or "Slide well into the new year!"[84], as well as "Prost Neujahr!" for "Cheers (to the) New Year!" or "Frohes Neues!" literally meaning "Happy new one!"[85] Fireworks are very popular, both with individuals and at large municipal displays. 31 December and the three days leading up to it are the only four days of the year on which fireworks (of class F2) may be sold to private citizens without a fireworks license in Germany[86]. Every yearBerlin hosts one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in all of Europe, attended by over a million Germans. The focal point is theBrandenburg Gate, where midnight fireworks are centered, with a live broadcast onZDF under the nameWillkommen with musical guests beginning in 2011.[citation needed] Germans toast the New Year with a glass ofSekt (German sparkling wine) or champagne.[citation needed]Molybdomancy(Bleigießen) is another German New Year's Eve tradition, which involves telling fortunes by the shapes made by molten lead dropped into cold water. Other auspicious actions are to touch a chimney sweep or rub some ash on one's forehead for good luck and health.Jam-filled doughnuts with or without alcoholic fillings are eaten. Finally a tinymarzipan pig is consumed for more good luck.[citation needed] In some northern regions of Germany (e.g.East Frisia) the making ofSpeckendicken [de] (alsoSpeckdicken) is another tradition – Germans go door to door visiting their neighbors and partaking in this dish. It looks similar to a pancake, but the recipe calls for either dark molasses or dark syrup, topped with a fewmettwurst slices and bacon strips.[87]
Another notable tradition is watching the British comedy sketchDinner for One, which has traditionally been broadcast on German television on New Year's Eve since 1972. The version traditionally broadcast on German television was originally recorded in 1963, and was occasionally used as filler programming byNDR due to popular demand; in 1972,Dinner for One received its traditional New Year's Eve scheduling. The sketch, as well as its catchphrase "the same procedure as every year", are well known in German pop culture.Dinner for One is also broadcast on or around New Year's Eve in other European countries, although it is, ironically, relatively unknown in the United Kingdom.[32][88]
A common tradition amongGreek Orthodox families is the cutting of avasilopita ("King's pie" or "St. Basil's pie") at midnight. A coin or similar object is usually baked inside, and whoever finds it is said to have luck over the next year. New Year's Day is considered a feast day forBasil of Caesarea, and it is also considered a custom to reserve the first slice of the vasilopita for St. Basil.[90][91]
New Year's Eve (Szilveszter) in Hungary is celebrated with home parties and street parties, including a gathering in downtownBudapest. Fireworks and firecrackers are popular. Champagne, wine and traditional Hungarian New Year dishes—frankfurter sausages withhorseradish,lentil soup, fish, and roast pig—are consumed. The national anthem is commonly sung at midnight.
Television channels usually broadcast comedic and musical programs most of the day and in the evening. At midnight, a countdown is followed by the national anthem and thePresident's speech (which is usually pre-recorded).
A common greeting is "BUÉK!", a common slang expression to 'wish a Happy New Year' (orBoldog Új évet).
In past centuries, some Hungarians believed that animals were able to speak on New Year's Eve, and that onion skins sprinkled with salt could indicate a rainy month.
Hungarian Christian communities focus on celebrating Mass on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.[92][93] TheKiskarácsony traditions are also connected to the time (a holiday which has been present since the Middle Ages or longer)
Fireworks are very popular inIceland, particularly on New Year's Eve. Iceland's biggest New Year's Eve events are usually in and around the capital,Reykjavík.
Since the 1940s, the country's public broadcasterRÚV has traditionally broadcastÁramótaskaupið (literallyThe New Year's Comedy orThe New Year's Lampoon), a special which featurescomedy sketches satirizing the events and news headlines of the past year. Originating from radio and later moving to television, the special is the most-watched television program of the year in Iceland (with an estimated 75% of the population having watched the special in 2018, across 98% of all televisions in the country).[94] Some of its sketches have become well known in local popular culture, such as a 1989 sketch that portrayed thenMinister of FinanceÓlafur Ragnar Grímsson as aBatman-esque superhero known as "Skattmann" ("Taxman"), and a 2008 sketch which popularized the catchphrase "Helvítis fokking fokk!" as a reaction to theIcelandic financial crisis.[94][95]
New Year's Eve (Oíche Chinn Bliana,Oíche na Coda Móire orOíche Chaille, the night of big portion)[96] when traditionally households would partake in a large feast that was believed to ensure a plentiful new year.[97] Beliefs around the day meant that no food or other goods would be taken from the house, to guard against lack or hunger in the year to come, believing that if anything was taken from the house on this day the house would remain empty for the year and have no luck. It was traditional for no water to be drawn from a well after sunset.[98] Even the homeless and those in need would not be offered food or alms on this day. In some parts of the country, a largebarmbrack would be baked during the day, with the man of the house taking three large bites of the cake in the evening, and throwing it against the inside of the front door as an offering to theHoly Trinity. An invocation accompanied this:
Fógraímíd an gorta Amach go tír na dTurcach; Ó 'nocht go bliain ó 'nocht Agus 'nocht féin amach[97]
This translates as "We warn famine to retire, To the land of the Turks; From tonight to this night twelve months, And from this night itself." The bits of cake would be gathered, and eaten by the family.[97] Other variations include throwing the cake to someone outside the door, or conducting the ritual in the stables or other animal housing.[96] Church bells ringing, the lighting of bonfires, and singing would take place towards midnight.[97]
In modern times, celebrations in major cities are modest, with most Irish citizens favoring small parties in the home for family and friends.
InItaly, New Year's Eve (Italian:Vigilia di Capodanno orNotte di San Silvestro) is celebrated by the observation of traditional rituals, such as wearing redunderwear.[99] An ancient tradition in southern regions which is rarely followed today was disposing of old or unused items by dropping them from the window.[100]
Rarely followed today is the tradition that consist in eating lentil stew when the bell tolls midnight, one spoonful per bell. This is supposed to bring good fortune; the round lentils represent coins.[102]
Usually the evening is spent with family or friends in a square (where concerts or various parties are organised and broadcast on various television networks includingRai 1 andCanale 5) but also at home. Generally, starting from ten seconds before midnight, it is customary to count down until reaching zero, thus wishing a happy new year, toasting withspumante and watching or lighting fireworks, shooting firecrackers or guns loaded with blanks.
Malta organized its first New Year's street party in 2009 inFloriana. The event was not highly advertised and proved controversial, due to the closing of an arterial street for the day. In 2010 there were the first national celebrations inSt. George's Square,Valletta[103] Although professional fireworks are very popular in Malta, they are almost totally absent on New Year's Eve. Maltese usually hit nightclubs and specific dance music parties to celebrate New Year's Eve.
InMontenegro, New Year's Eve celebrations are held in all large cities, usually accompanied by fireworks. It is usually celebrated with family or friends, at home or outside. Restaurants, clubs, cafés and hotels organize celebrations with food and music.
The New Year's fireworks at theErasmusbrug in Rotterdam.A group of people holding abonfire andcarbidschieten.
New Year's Eve (Oud en Nieuw orOudejaarsavond) in theNetherlands is usually celebrated as a cozy evening with family or friends, although big organized parties can also be attended. Traditional snack foods areoliebollen (Dutch doughnuts)[104] andappelbeignets (apple slicefritters).[105] A past tradition amongReformed Protestant families was the reading ofPsalm 90 shortly before midnight.[106]
A common television special on New Year's Eve is theoudejaarsconference (New Year's conference), a satiricalcabaret performance discussing the events of the past year.[107] Since 1999, originally to mark the new millennium,NPO Radio 2 has broadcast anannual countdown of the top 2000 songs of all time as determined by a survey of its listeners. The Top 2000 usually begins on Christmas Day, and airs non-stop through New Year's Eve from a temporary studio at theNetherlands Institute for Sound and Vision inHilversum.[108][109][110]
Fireworks displays are held in major cities such asRotterdam (which is the largest display in the country) andAmsterdam.[111] New Year's Eve is the only time of year where category F2 and F3 fireworks can be legally purchased for private use by the general public without training and/or certification; these fireworks may only be sold during the last three days of the year (excluding any Sundays), and may only be lit between 6 p.m. on 31 December and 2 a.m. on 1 January.[112][111][113] A popular alternative or compliment to fireworks in rural areas iscarbidschieten (carbide shooting), in whichcalcium carbide explosions are used to shoot the lid (or, alternatively, aball) off the top of amilk churn. In 2014, carbidschieten was named a part of the Netherlands'intangible cultural heritage.[114][115]
Due to injuries and deaths caused by fireworks use, there have been increasing calls for banning the public sale of fireworks for New Year's Eve.[116][117][118] As of 2024, 19 municipalities have banned fireworks outside of professional shows, and around 100 have enforced prohibitions on the use of fireworks in proximity to areas such as parks and hospitals. However, these policies have proven ineffective due to the wide use of illegal fireworks.[119][116] In April 2025, theTweede Kamer passed a motion seeking to completely ban consumer fireworks; any such ban will not take effect until New Year's 2026–27 at the earliest, due to the need to draft the required legislation, as well as address concerns from the pyrotechnics industry (which has demanded compensation from the government for the loss of business that a ban would create).[116][117][118][120]
New Year's Eve is celebrated acrossNorth Macedonia. New Year's Day is celebrated by day-long fireworks shows. The day is celebrated together with family or friends at home or in restaurants, clubs, cafés and hotels. During the daytime celebration, children get gifts. Evening celebrations include food, music, and dancing to both traditional Macedonian folk music, and modern music. New Year's Eve is celebrated on 31 December and also on 14 January according to the Macedonian Orthodox Calendar.
InNorway, New Year's Eve (Nyttårsaften) is the second biggest celebration of the year, afterChristmas Eve. While Christmas Eve is a family celebration, New Year's Eve is an opportunity to celebrate with friends.[121]
Traditionally, there is first a feast, commonly consisting of stuffed, roast turkey with potatoes, sprouts, gravy andWaldorf salad. The accompanying beverage is traditionally beer (commonly either Christmas beer or lager beer). Dessert will often be vanilla pudding or rice cream, and there will be cakes and coffee later in the evening – commonly accompanied by a glass of cognac. Then, at close to midnight on New Year's Day, Norwegians will go outside to send up fireworks. Fireworks are only permitted to be sold to the general public on the days leading up to New Year's Eve, and only to be launched that night.
Due to the general use of fireworks, more fires occur on New Year's Eve than on any other day of the year in Norway. Accordingly, most Norwegian cities, and many towns, host a large, public fireworks display in order to discourage private use of fireworks in built-up areas. Norwegians will then congregate in a central square or similar to watch and celebrate.
InPoland, New Year's Eve (Sylwester) celebrations include both indoor and outdoor festivities. A large open-air concert is held in theMain Square inKraków. 150,000 to 200,000 revelers celebrate the New Year with live music and a fireworks display overSt. Mary's Basilica.[122] Similar festivities are held in other cities around Poland.
For those who do not wish to spend the New Year in the city, the mountains are a popular destination.Zakopane, located in theCarpathian Mountains, is the most popular Polish mountain resort in winter.
Also, New Year's Eve (Sylwester) celebrations are inKatowice, near theSpodek arena. InSławatycze, Polish Citizens tour the streets dressed up as bearded men.[123]
Major television networks broadcast the events live all across the country on New Year's Eve likePolsat andTVP.
InPortugal, the New Year celebration is taken very seriously. The tradition is to drink champagne and eat twelve raisins – one for each month of the year, making a wish for each. Another Portuguese tradition is a special cake calledBolo-Rei (literally: King Cake).Bolo-Rei is a round cake with a large hole in the centre, resembling a crown covered with crystallized and dried fruit. It is baked from a soft, white dough, with raisins, various nuts and crystallized fruit. Inside is hidden the characteristicfava (broad bean). Tradition dictates that whoever finds thefava has to pay for theBolo-Rei next year. Initially, a small prize (usually a small metal toy) was also included within the cake. However, the inclusion of the prize was forbidden by the European Union for safety reasons. The Portuguese brought the recipe of theGateau des Rois from France in the second half of the 19th century. To this day, this recipe is a very well kept secret.
InLisbon, the New Year is celebrated with a grand concert. The New Year's Concert is held at the CCB (Centro Cultural de Belém) on the evening of 1 January, featuring the prestigious Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra.
Romexpo indoors duringVanghelion New Year's Eve party.
Traditional celebrations of New Year's Eve (Revelion) are the norm inRomania. Romanians follow centuries-old customs, rituals, and conventions. Children sing "Plugușorul" and "Sorcova", traditional carols that wish goodwill, happiness and success.
Parties are common in the evening. Since theRomanian Revolution of 1989, Romanians have gathered in theUniversity Square inBucharest. Other significant parties occur inPiața Constituției. New Year's Eve is also marked by a national all-night telecast onRomanian Television, which also celebrates its anniversary on this holiday, having opened its doors in the New Year's Eve of 1956.
The most prominent public celebration of the New Year is held atMoscow'sRed Square under theKremlin Clock—whose chimes at midnight are traditionally followed by the playing of theRussian national anthem, and a fireworks display.[124] ThePresident'sNew Year's address is televised shortly before midnight in eachtime zone, reflecting on the previous year and the state of the country. In 1999, unpopular presidentBoris Yeltsin famously announced his resignation during his New Year's address.[125][126][127]
The Gregorian calendar was adopted byYugoslavia in 1919,[141] but theSerbian Orthodox Church continues to follow the Julian calendar, meaning that the new year is often celebrated twice. Prior to World War II, the New Year's holiday was celebrated more often by Serbs in urban regions, with large parties held on both 1 and14 January. By contrast, residents of rural regions rarely celebrated the new year, and placed a larger focus onChristmas.[142]
In 1945 afterWorld War II, theLeague of Communists of Yugoslavia came into power, and theKingdom of Yugoslavia was succeeded by theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFR Yugoslavia). As in the Soviet Union, the communist government discouraged the observance of religious holidays, encouraged celebrations of the New Year on 1 January as a secular gift-giving holiday, and similarly adopted the figure of Ded Moroz as "Deda Mraz".[143] Some residents (especially those in opposition to the communist government) continued to celebrate the Orthodox New Year, doing so quietly by candlelight in order to evade attention from authorities.[142]
After the end of communist rule and thebreakup of Yugoslavia, the three holidays began to co-exist: the Gregorian New Year (1 January) and the Serbian New Year (14 January) are both marked by festivities in major Serbian cities, although festivities for the Serbian New Year (which, in 2013, was redesignated as a public holiday for the first time since 1918) are usually modest in comparison to their Gregorian counterparts.[143][142]
As in the other constituents of SFR Yugoslavia, Christmas and other religious holidays were abolished by the communist government in the mid-1940s, with the New Year promoted as a secular holiday in the place ofSaint Nicholas Day and Christmas. Ded Moroz is referred to in Slovenian as "Dedek Mraz", and was originally billed as having come fromSiberia. After Yugoslaviabroke from theEastern Bloc, the character was stated to come from theTriglav mountain instead, and artistMaksim Gaspari created a new depiction of Dedek Mraz in traditional Slovenian apparel.[144]
Saint Nicholas Day and Christmas were reinstated as holidays after the end of communist rule.[144]
InSpain, the main public celebration of New Year's Eve (Nochevieja, literally "Old Night", orFin de Año) is held atPuerta del Sol inMadrid, where revellers await the midnight chimes of the clock tower at theRoyal House of the Post Office. A notable Spanish tradition is toeat twelve grapes at midnight—one for each chime of the clock—which is said to bring luck and prosperity. The tradition dates back as early as 1895[145] but first gained wider attention in 1909, when it was promoted byAlicante grape growers to help spur sales of that year's surplus harvest. In the lead-up to the holiday, grocery stores are usually stocked with large amounts of grapes.[146][147] The tradition has also been adopted in other communities with cultural ties to Spain orLatin America, includingHispanic and Latino Americans.[148][149]
It is common to attendcotillones de nochevieja that last into the following morning,[150] including smaller parties at bars and larger-scale events at hotels. After midnight, Spaniards often drink sparkling wines such ascava andchampagne.[147]
Several Spanish television personalities have become well known in Spanish popular culture for their involvement in New Year's specials, includingRamón García—who has hosted specials forTelevisión Española (TVE) andAntena 3, and modelCristina Pedroche—who is known for the often-provocative dresses she has worn on-air.[151][152][153][154][155]
A 10 km (6.2 mi) race known as theSan Silvestre Vallecana is also held in Madrid on the evening of New Year's Eve, which includes an amateurfun run and a competitive event for elite athletes. In 2012 the event hosted a record of around 40,000 runners.[156]
InSweden, New Year's Eve is usually celebrated with families or with friends. A few hours before and after midnight, Swedish citizens usually party and eat a special dinner, often three courses. New Year's Eve is celebrated with large fireworks displays throughout the country, especially in the cities, major ones in particular having distinguishing celebrations. Swedish citizens over the age of 18 are allowed to buy fireworks, which are sold by local stores or by private people. While watching or lighting fireworks at midnight, Swedish citizens usually drink champagne.
On television, the lottery showBingoLotto features a special New Year's Eve edition to commemorate the holiday with musical guests, four bingo games, and surprises.
The main public celebration is held atMaidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv, including concerts and a fireworks display. For 2013–14, amid theEuromaidan movement, it also included a world record attempt at the largest simultaneous singing of anational anthem.[157] New Year's Eve also coincides withMalanka, a folk custom that has similarities tomummering.[158][159]
Under Soviet rule, Ukrainian New Year's celebrations were patterned off the secularNovy God traditions, with Christmas (which, among those who practiceEastern Christianity, is held on 7 January) officially considered abolished—if not celebrated in secret by those opposed to the communist regime. Christmas regained prominence after the dissolution, with figures such as Grandfather Frost eventually being displaced by Western figures such as Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus,[160][161] and traditions associated with Novy God have been demonized by Ukrainians amid theRusso-Ukrainian War and the2014 annexation of Crimea—such asyolka (New Year's trees) and the Soviet filmThe Irony of Fate (which was pulled bySTB in 2015 as part of theBoycott Russian Films campaign, citing a lead actress who had been blacklisted by the Ukraine government for her support of the annexation).[162][163]
The most prominent New Year's Eve (Old Year's Night) celebration in England is that ofCentral London, where the arrival of midnight is greeted with the chimes ofBig Ben and it is televised on major British television networks includingBBC One andITV 1. In recent years,a major fireworks display has also been held, with fireworks launched from the nearbyLondon Eye Ferris wheel. On New Year's Eve 2010, an estimated 250,000 spectators gathered to view an eight-minute fireworks display around and above the London Eye which was, for the first time, set to a musical soundtrack.[164][165] A drone show was added to the fireworks for the first time in 2021.[166][167][168]
According toThomas Lupton in the 16th century, a New Year's Eve tradition was to cover a leaf of ivy set in a dish of water, and check it five days later. A healthy leaf was said to predict a good year for the participant.[169]
InScotland, New Year's (Hogmanay) is celebrated with several different customs, such asfirst-footing, which involves friends or family members going to each other's houses with a gift of whisky and sometimes a lump of coal.
Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, hosts one of the world's most famous New Year celebrations. The celebration is focused on a major street party alongPrinces Street. The cannon is fired atEdinburgh Castle at the stroke of midnight, followed by a large fireworks display. Edinburgh hosts a festival of four or five days, beginning on 28 December, and lasting until New Year's Day or 2 January, which is also abank holiday in Scotland.
From 1953 to 1985, Hogmanay had received exposure across the entire United Kingdom via theBBC, who televisedBBC Scotland-produced specials such asThe White Heather Club as part of their New Year's Eve programming. The specials were often lambasted by critics for theirstereotypical portrayal of Scottish culture, but were popular enough to spawn competitors onITV. The practice ended after 1985, when the poor reception to that year'sLive into 85 led to the BBC, among others, abandoning the concept altogether.BBC One Scotland has since continued to air alocal Hogmanay special from Edinburgh as aregional opt-out, with the rest of the UK taking a London-centric special (albeit with one exception in 1998–99, when BBC One networked an Edinburgh-based special that would turn out to be equally-shambolic).[170][171][172]
TheWelsh tradition of giving gifts and money on New Year's Day (Welsh:Calennig) is an ancient custom that survives in modern-day Wales.[173] Groups of singers, such as children or young people, go around the houses of their local area and sing a new years song to wish a happy new year.[174] The custom, similar to carol singing, leads to the group receiving money for their performance.[174] This custom is also coupled with the traditionwassailing in the presence ofMari Lwyd (a horse's head mounted on a pole).[175]
InCwm Gwaun,Pembrokeshire, the tradition of observing theOld New Year (on the 13 January) is still followed with similar festivities includingCalennig.[176]
Thousands of Welsh citizens descend every year onCardiff to enjoy live music, catering, ice-skating, funfairs, and fireworks. Many of the celebrations take place atCardiff Castle andCardiff City Hall.
Founded in 1958 by local runner Bernard Baldwin, it is run over the five-kilometre route of Guto's first competitive race. The main race starts with a church service atLlanwynno, and then a wreath is laid on Guto's grave inLlanwynno graveyard. After lighting a torch, it is carried to the nearby town of Mountain Ash, where the main race takes place.
The race consists of a double circuit of the town Centre, starting in Henry Street and ending in Oxford Street, by the commemorative statue of Guto. Traditionally, the race was timed to end at midnight, but in recent times it was rescheduled for the convenience of family entertainment, now concluding at around 9pm.
This has resulted in a growth in size and scale, and the proceedings now start with an afternoon of street entertainment, and fun run races for children, concluding with the church service, elite runners' race, and presentations.
TheCBC's English- and French-language television networks have been well known for airingsketch comedy specials on New Year's Eve, lampooning the major events and news stories of the year. From 1992 through 2019,CBC Television airedYear of the Farce, an annual special produced by the radio comedy troupeRoyal Canadian Air Farce. The special became part of a weeklyRoyal Canadian Air Farce television series beginning in 1993, while the 2008 edition doubled as the program'sseries finale. The troupe continued to produceYear of the Farce as an annual reunion special until 2019.[179][180][181] In 2024, the CBC'snews satire seriesThis Hour Has 22 Minutes took on a similar role with an hour-long "New Year's EvePregame" special.[182]
The CBC's French networkIci Radio-Canada Télé airs a similar special,Bye Bye, which has been presented by various comedians and troupes, Originally running from 1968 to 1998, it was revived in 2006 by the Québécois troupeRock et Belles Oreilles to mark its 25th anniversary.[183][184] The program has continued to air annually since, although it was placed on hiatus for 2009 after the previous year's edition was criticized by viewers for sketches they deemed to be derogatory and racist.[185] Four out of the fivehighest-rated television broadcasts in Quebecois history have been editions ofBye Bye, with the 2021 edition being seen by a record 4.862 million viewers.[186]
Beginning in 2017 (with the inaugural edition marking the beginning of the country'ssesquicentennial year),[187] CBC Television has broadcast a more traditional countdown special: a localized version was broadcast for eachtime zone, which features music performances, and coverage of midnight festivities from communities across the country.Rick Mercer hosted the majority of these specials.[188][182] The special was placed on hiatus in 2023 due to financial issues (with the network airing the premiere of aMae Martin stand-up comedy special in its place),[189] but revived in 2024 across CBC andCBC News Network.[182]
InCosta Rica, families usually gather around 8pm for parties that last until 1 or 2am, the next day. There are several traditions among Costa Rican families, including eating 12 grapes representing 12 wishes for the new year, and running across the street with luggage to bring new trips and adventures in the upcoming year.[citation needed]
InEl Salvador, New Year's Eve is spent with families. Family parties start around 5:00pm, and last until 1:00 to 3:00am, the following day. Families eat dinner together and sing traditional New Year's Eve songs, such as "Cinco para las Doce". After the dinner, individuals light fireworks and continue partying outside. A radio station broadcasts a countdown to midnight. When the clock strikes midnight, fireworks are lit across the country. Salvadorans start exchanging hugs and wishes for the new year.[citation needed]
The main event takes place at midnight where fireworks are lit along with thousands of life-size effigies called "Año Viejo". Almost every local family will either make such an effigy from scraps of paper and old clothes or buy one ready-made. The effigy is placed just outside the front of their home. Such effigies represent the things people hated about the departing year and are fashioned to resemble celebrities, politicians, public servants, cartoon characters etc. They are burnt on the stroke of midnight to banish the old year and mark a fresh start in the new. Some of the braver Salvadorans jump through these burning effigies 12 times to represent a wish for every month.[citation needed]
InGuatemala, banks close on New Year's Eve, and businesses close at noon.[190] In the town ofAntigua, Guatemalans usually gather at the Santa Catalina Clock Arch to celebrate New Year's Eve (Spanish:Fin del Año). InGuatemala City the celebrations are centered on Plaza Mayor. Firecrackers are lit starting at sundown, continuing without interruption into the night. Guatemalans wear new clothes for good fortune and eat a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the bell during the New Year countdown, while making a wish with each one.[citation needed]
The celebrations include religious themes which may be eitherMayan orCatholic.[191] Catholic celebrations are similar to those at Christmas. Gifts are left under the tree on Christmas morning by the Christ Child for the children, but parents and adults do not exchange gifts until New Year's Day.[192]
Mexicans celebrate New Year's Eve (Spanish: "Fin de Año" or "Nochevieja") observing many traditions, including the Spanish tradition of eating a grape with each of the twelve chimes of a clock's bell during the midnight countdown, while making a wish with each one. Mexican families decorate homes and parties in colors that represent wishes for the upcoming year: red encourages an overall improvement of lifestyle and love, yellow encourages blessings of improved employment conditions, green for improved financial circumstances, and white for improved health. Mexican sweet bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden in the dough. When the bread is served, the recipient of the slice with the coin or charm is said to be blessed with good luck in the New Year[citation needed]. Another tradition is to make a list of all the bad or unhappy events over the past 12 months; before midnight, this list is thrown into a fire, symbolizing the removal of negative energy from the new year.[193] At the same time, they are expressed for all the good things during the year that is ending so that they will continue in the new year.[194]
Mexicans celebrate with a late-night dinner with their families, the traditional meal being turkey or pork loin. Afterwards many Mexicans attend parties outside the home, for example, in night clubs. InMexico City the national street festival on New Year's Eve takes place on theZocalo, the city's main square.[195]. Though in recent years, the main public celebration has taken place inPaseo de la Reforma, near theAngel.[196] After the twelfth chime, Mexicans will shout and wish each other a "¡Feliz Año Nuevo!" (transl. Happy New Year!) and, in many places, celebrations also include fireworks, firecrackers and sparklers. Celebrations there are either Spanish in origin or those adding influences of Aztec nature.
InPanama, Panamanians usually celebrate New Year's Eve with a dinner, followed by multiple individual fireworks celebrations. Fireworks begin around 11pm for parties that last until 1am, the next day. Many Panamanians leave the city and go to the rural towns across the country, to celebrate with families and friends.
InPort of Spain the tradition is to celebrate in one's yard with friends, families and neighbors, and eat and drink till sunrise. At midnight the city becomes festive with fireworks in every direction. The celebration only starts at midnight. Music is heard from all the houses and bars, nightclubs, street parties, and Soca raves. Trinidadians and Tobagonians celebrate not only the new year but the beginning of the carnival season as well.[citation needed]
In theUnited States, New Year's Eve is celebrated via a variety of social gatherings, and large-scale public events such as concerts, fireworks shows, and "drops"—an event inspired bytime balls where an item is lowered or raised over the course of the final minute of the year.[197][198]
Drop events are typically patterned after the annual "ball drop" held atNew York City'sTimes Square, where an illuminated ball is lowered down a 21-metre-high (70 ft) pole on the roof ofOne Times Square. The event has been held since 1907; the ball itself—which is adorned withWaterford Crystal panels and an LED lighting system—has been displayed atop the building year-round since 2008.[199][200][201] Its most recent iteration, debuted 2026, is 12.5 feet (3.8 m) in diameter, a weight of over 5,600 kilograms (12,300 lb), and adorned with over 5,000 disk-shaped Waterford Crystal pieces.[201] Drop events often use either a ball in imitation of Times Square, or items that represent local culture or history (such asAtlanta'sPeach Drop, which reflectsGeorgia's identity as the "Peach State").[197][198]
New York City and Times Square serve as the focal point for national media coverage of the holiday.[202][203] BandleaderGuy Lombardo and hisband—The Royal Canadians—were well known for their annualbroadcast from New York City. Their signature performance of "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight helped make thestandard synonymous with the holiday. Beginning on radio in 1929, Lombardo moved toCBS television from 1956 to 1976, adding coverage of the ball drop.[204][205][206] Following Lombardo's death,Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (which premiered for 1973 onNBC, and moved toABC for 1975) became the dominant New Year's Evespecial on U.S. television—especially among younger viewers—withDick Clark having anchored New Year's coverage (includingNew Year's Rockin' Eve and the one-offABC 2000 Today) for 32 straight years. After Clark suffered astroke in December 2004,Regis Philbin guest hosted the 2005 edition. Due to a lingeringspeech impediment brought upon by the stroke, Clark retired as host and was succeeded byRyan Seacrest for 2006 (who later served as the executive producer of the special), but continued making limited appearances on the special until his death in 2012.[207]
Other notable New Year's events are held in New York besides those in Times Square; since 1984, theCathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan has hosted the annual "New Year's Eve Concert for Peace", which was founded in 1984 by composerLeonard Bernstein.[208][209] TheNew York Road Runners hosts a "Midnight Run" event atCentral Park, which features a fireworks show and a footrace around the park that begins at midnight.[210]
Falling in summer in theSouthern Hemisphere, New Year's Eve is often celebrated via public events including fireworks shows, exhibitions, and concerts, Many are concentrated towards the country'sbeaches, and attract tourism from other parts of the world.[219]
The most prominent celebration in the country isSydney New Year's Eve, which takes place atSydney Harbour and consists of two fireworks shows — the eveningCalling Country Fireworks (formerly the "Family Fireworks")[220] held at 9:00 p.m., followed by the main show at midnight.Sydney Harbour Bridge is a focal point of the show, via pyrotechnics launched from the bridge, as well as lighting displays that illuminate it during the show—colloquially known as the "bridge effect", and previously taking the form of a symbol on itstrusses that reflected an annual theme.[221][222][223][224] The event is televised on major Australian networks includingABC.
Other major Australian cities also host fireworks events, includingBrisbane's Lord Mayor's New Year's Eve Fireworks on theBrisbane River,[225] andMelbourne (which are launched from various locations in the city'scentral business district, and have attracted upwards of 400,000 spectators),Perth,Semaphore, andHobart.[219][226] Celebrations have also been held in remote locations in theOutback: atCameron Corner—a location near the border between New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia—a pub has traditionally celebrated for all three of their respectivetime zones in succession.[219]
Fireworks in Auckland, New Zealand for the 2023 New Year taking place on the Sky Tower
Many of New Zealand's cities and towns see in the new year with open-air concerts and fireworks displays.
Auckland regularly has a fireworks display at midnight from the top of theSky Tower. InWellington,Frank Kitts Park is the venue for a festival including fireworks, music, and open-air film displays. Similar events occur in Hamilton, starting with a family-friendly event at Steele Park, followed by an adult-specific party atSkyCity Hamilton.Gisborne, one of the first cities in the world to see sunrise at new year[227] also celebrates with a new year festival. The small town ofWhangamatā, on theCoromandel Peninsula, is a major party venue in the new year, especially for Aucklanders.
In the South Island, bothChristchurch andDunedin host free live music concerts culminating with a midnight fireworks display. These are held atHagley Park andThe Octagon respectively. The South Island's main resort town,Queenstown is also a major new year party venue, with music and fireworks.
Samoa was the first country to receive the New Year as a whole from 2011 to 2021, when it usedUTC+14:00 as its time zone during the Southern Hemisphere summer, sharing it with theLine Islands ofKiribati.
Just at midnight signalling the first day of the New Year, Argentines wish each other their regards and share toasts with their families, sometimes with the neighbours, with cider, champagne or alcohol. After it, some flock to the streets to enjoy and light firecrackers and fireworks, although each year it has been gradually decreasing due to higher awareness of the danger of it and the economic crisis. Parties often continue until dawn or the early morning.
Citizens inLa Plata have a long tradition of making giant dolls, mostly of paper and wood, although sometimes also incorporating fireworks, which are burnt after the stroke of midnight.[229]
The celebration is during the summer, like in many South American countries, so many families in the New Year are seen at tourist centers of the Argentine Atlantic coast (Mar del Plata,Mar de Ajó,Villa Gesell,Miramar, etc.).[230]
In Brazil, Brazilians typically celebrate New Year's Eve (Portuguese:Ano Novo or Réveillon) at large parties hosted by restaurants and clubs; local traditions determine who opens a bottle ofChampagne at midnight. People often wear colors with religious symbolism on New Year's Eve, such as white for good luck, yellow for good energies, happiness and money, red for love. Rituals such as the consumption of grapes, lychees and lentils also take place due to this mixture.[231]
The most prominent public celebration in Brazil is a fireworks display onCopacabana Beach inRio de Janeiro, which is one of the world's largest - justified as much of the nation is south of the Equator, the celebrations are held in summer time. In 2017, it was estimated that the fireworks would attract over three million spectators to welcome 2018.[232] Beaches in major cities and tourist areas are crowded all day long especially for nighttime events. On television, the most prominent New Year's Eve special isTV Globo'sShow da Virada [pt], which features pre-recorded concert performances (usually filmed from a different Brazilian city annually), and live coverage of New Year's celebrations across the country.[233]
Another notable New Year's Eve tradition in São Paulo is theSaint Silvester Road Race, a15K run through the city'sCentral Zone. Held annually since 1925, its route incorporates several major streets and landmarks, including theViaduto do Chá and Paulista Avenue.[241]
Over one million visitors crowd the streets and beaches ofValparaiso each New Year's Eve.
New Year's Eve is celebrated inChile by the observation of various traditions, such as wearing yellow underwear and watching fireworks. Chileans who want to travel walk the streets with a suitcase in hand, others hold money in their hand or place coins at their door for good fortune in the new year. Celebrations include a family dinner with special dishes, usually lentils for good luck, and twelve grapes to symbolize wishes for each month of the coming year.[242] Family celebrations usually last until midnight, then some continue partying with friends until dawn. In Chile's capitalSantiago, thousands of Chileans gather at theEntel Tower to watch the countdown to midnight and a fireworks display, which is televised on major Chilean networks includingCanal 13.[243]
There are several fireworks shows across the country, and over one million spectators attend the most popular, the "Año Nuevo en el Mar", inValparaiso.[244] Since 2000, the sale of fireworks to individuals has been illegal,[245] meaning fireworks can now only be observed at fireworks displays during major events.
As in much of South America, New Year's Eve is spent by Chileans in beach visits in major tourist areas of the nation as it falls in the southern hemisphere summer period.
InColombia it is a traditional celebration. There are many traditions across the country, including a family dinner with special dishes, fireworks, popular music, wearing special or new clothes, eating empanadas and the giving of parties of various kinds.[citation needed]
A New Year's Eve tradition inEcuador is for men to dress in drag, representing the "widows" of the past year. They dance in the streets and ask for a toll from drivers to pass.[246]
There are also traditional family events, meals, and modern celebrations such as hosting parties and going to nightclubs. Ecuadorians usually eat grapes and drink Champagne with close family members and friends.[citation needed]
InSuriname, Surinamese Citizens goes into cities' commercial districts to watch fireworks shows on New Year's Eve. It is a spectacle based on the famous red-firecracker-ribbons. The bigger stores invest in these firecrackers and display them in the streets. Every year the length of them is compared, and high praises are held for the company that has managed to import the largest ribbon. These celebrations start at 10am and finish the next day. When the night starts, the big street parties are already at full capacity. The parties stop between 10 and 11pm after which the people go home to light theirpagaras (red-firecracker-ribbons) at midnight. After midnight, the parties continue and the streets fill again until daybreak.[citation needed]
In Uruguay, traditional celebrations begin at nightfall on New Year's Eve (31 December), with family gatherings in whichasado andlechon are usually eaten, as well asturrón andpan dulce as desserts.[247] People usually wear white as it symbolizes optimism and purity.[248] At the stroke of midnight, Uruguayans flock to the streets to enjoy fireworks and light firecrackers, and to eatTwelve Grapes.[249][250]
Due to the fact that Uruguay lies in the Southern Hemisphere, the New Year is celebrated in summer, so resort cities such asPunta del Este are filled with Uruguayans and foreign tourists, including celebrities from the region, to attend parties and festivals of music, fireworks, and light shows on the beach.[251][252]
In theOld City of Montevideo, a district where a large number of office buildings are concentrated, employees, prior to the end of the last working day of the year, throw torn daybooks and calendars through the windows, causing a "paper rain", which adds to the buckets of water that are thrown from the balconies.[253] In theMercado del Puerto there is a street party with a massive "cider fight" accompanied by music.[251] Every 30 December since the first half of the 20th century, theGordo de Fin de Año (Spanish for 'End-of-Year Lottery Jackpot')[A] is drawn, a special lottery draw run by Uruguay's state-owned National Lottery Directorate.[254]
Radio specials give a countdown and announce the New Year. InCaracas, the bells of the Cathedral of Caracas ring twelve times.[123] During these special programs, is a tradition to broadcast songs about the end of the year. It is a non-working holiday. Popular songs include "Viejo año" ("Old year"), byGaita groupMaracaibo 15, and "Cinco pa' las 12" ("Five minutes before twelve"), which was versioned by several popular singers including Nestor Zavarce, Nancy Ramos andJosé Luis Rodríguez El Puma. The unofficial hymn for the first minutes of the New Year is "Año Nuevo, Vida Nueva" ("New Year, New Life"), by the band Billo's Caracas Boys. Venezuelans play the national anthem in their houses.
Traditions include wearing yellow underwear, eatingPan de jamón, and 12 grapes with sparkling wine.[citation needed]
Special holiday programs are broadcast on Venezuelan television stations includingVenevisión andVenezolana de Televisión, which airs the principal national event from Caracas' Bolivar Square featuring major stars.
AWatchnight Mass at a Lutheran Christian church on New Year's Eve (2014)
Many Christian congregations havewatchnight services on New Year's Eve, which is the seventh day ofChristmastide. The Watch Night service (or Watch Night Mass if Holy Communion is celebrated) is part of the tradition of various denominations in Christianity, especiallyMoravians andMethodists, as well as congregations populated by certain ethnic communities, such as in the Korean community andAfrican American community, in which the faithful congregate in services continuing past midnight, giving thanks for the blessings of the outgoing year and praying for divine favor during the upcoming year. In the English-speaking world, Watch Night services can be traced back toJohn Wesley, the founder of Methodism,[255] who learned the custom from theMoravian Brethren who came to England in the 1730s. Moravian congregations still observe the Watch Night service on New Year's Eve. Watch Night services took on special significance to African Americans on New Year's Eve 1862, as slaves anticipated the arrival of 1 January 1863, when theEmancipation Proclamation became effective.[256]
With Christianity, in theRoman Catholic Church,Eastern Orthodox Church,Lutheran Churches, and theAnglican Communion, 1 January is observed as theFeast of the Circumcision of Christ, and specifically within Roman Catholicism, as theSolemnity of Mary, Mother of God; it is aHoly Day of Obligation in most countries (Australia being a notable exception), thus the Church requires the attendance of all Catholics in such countries forMass that day. However a vigil Mass may be held on the evening before a Holy Day; thus it has become customary to also have Mass on the night of New Year's Eve (which are often referred to as Watchnight Masses).[257] New Year's Eve is afeast day honoringPope Sylvester I in the Roman Catholic calendar (Saint Sylvester's Day).[258] The Catholic Church grants a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to those who recite theTe Deum in public on New Year's Eve, which is usually done prior to the celebration of Mass.[259] InVatican City, on 31 December, thePope usually performs a solemn service of Vespers with recitation of the Te Deum inSt. Peter's Basilica. After the service, he usually goes out from the basilica intoSt. Peter's Square to greet the faithful and visit the Nativity scene on the square.[260]
Music associated with New Year's Eve comes in both classical and popular genres, and there is alsoChristmas music focused on the arrival of a new year during theChristmas and holiday season.
Johann Sebastian Bach, in theOrgelbüchlein, composed three chorale preludes for the new year:Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen ["Help me to praise God's goodness"] (BWV 613);Das alte Jahr vergangen ist ["The old year has passed"] (BWV 614); andIn dir ist freude ["In you is joy"] (BWV 615).[262]
"The year is gone, beyond recall" is a traditional Christian hymn to give thanks for the new year, dating back to 1713.[263]
^"Speckendicken".Marketing Gesellschaft (in German). Retrieved25 December 2018. indirectly citingAtlas der deutschen Volkskunde für Loppersum, Kr. Norden, (1930–1935)
^abKinmonth, Claudia (2006).Irish rural interiors in art. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 199.ISBN0-300-10732-3.OCLC62533858.
^abcdMahon, Bríd (1998).Land of milk and honey : the story of traditional Irish food and drink. Dublin: Mercier Press. pp. 146–148.ISBN1-85635-210-2.OCLC39935389.
^abcEcho of Islam. MIG. 1993.In the former Soviet Union, fir trees were usually put up to mark New Year's day, following a tradition established by the officially atheist state.
^Karen Petrone,Life Has Become More Joyous, Comrades: Celebrations in the Time of Stalin, Indiana University Press, 200,ISBN0-253-33768-2,Google Print, p.85
^Dice, Elizabeth A. (2009).Christmas and Hanukkah. Infobase Publishing. p. 44.ISBN9781438119717.The Christmas tree, or Yolka, is another tradition that was banned during the Soviet era. To keep the custom alive, people decorated New Year's trees instead.
^Horton, Andrew; Brashinsky, Michael (1992).The Zero Hour: Glasnost and Soviet Cinema in Transition. Princeton University Press.ISBN9780691019208. p. 171.
^"Edición de la mañana".La Correspondencia de España (in Spanish). Vol. XLVII, no. 13.844. Madrid. 1 January 1896. p. 3 (3rd column).ISSN1137-1188.A las doce en punto de la noche saludaron los ministros la entrada del nuevo año comiendo ricas uvas ...
^Gisborne is further east than any other New Zealand city, but due to the earth's axial tilt, the hills around Dunedin also receive sunrise at an almost identical time at new year. Nuku'alofa in Tonga and Apia and Samoa also receive the sun at almost exactly the same time. Given that the earth's axial tilt oscillates fractionally, the title of "the first city to see the sun" — though usually claimed by Gisborne — is open to some debate.
^Sutton, Charyn (August 2004)."Watch Night". Western States Black Research & Educational Center. Archived fromthe original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved10 January 2010.
^"This Week at the Parish"(PDF). Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Roman Catholic Church. 29 December 2024. Retrieved5 January 2025.Tuesday (12/31) Rectory closes at 3PM 7:00pm Vigil Mass for Jan 1st 11:15pm Watch Night Mass
^Berkmoes, Ryan Ver; Cole, Geert; Berry, Oliver; Elise, David (2009).Western Europe. Lonely Planet. p. 551.ISBN9781741049176.The German New Year's Eve is called Silvester in honour of the 4th-century pope under whom the Romans adopted Christianity as their official religion; there's partying all night long.
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