Celebrating New Years

New Year's Eve

Also Called: Hogmanay (Scotland), Calennig (Wales), Ambang/Malam Tahun Baharu/Baru (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore). Silvester (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland). Réveillon (Algeria, Angola, Brazil, France, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, Romania, Wallonia, and French-speaking locations in North America), Kanun Novogo Goda (Russia). Ōmisoka (Japan)

In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve (also known as Old Year's Day in many countries), the last day of the year, is on December 31. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated at evening social gatherings, where many people dance, eat, drink, and watch or light fireworks. Some Christians attend a watchnight service. The celebrations generally go on past midnight into New Year's Day, 1 January.  Tonga and Kiritimati (Christmas Island), part of Kiribati, are examples of the first places to welcome the New Year while Baker Island in the United States of America is among the last.

Canada New Year's Eve traditions and celebrations in Canada vary regionally, but are typically similar to those in the United States, with a focus on social gatherings and public celebrations (such as concerts and fireworks displays). In 1992, the sketch comedy troupe Royal Canadian Air Farce began airing its annual New Year's Eve special Year of the Farce on CBC Television, which features sketches lampooning the major events and news stories of the year. The 1992 edition was presented as a one-off special, but became a backdoor pilot for a regular Royal Canadian Air Farce television series that premiered the following year, and ran until 2008. Year of the Farce continued to air as special episodes of the television series, while the 2008 edition served as its series finale. One-off Year of the Farce specials have continued to air on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day since, featuring members of the original cast. Since 2017 (with the inaugural edition marking the beginning of the country's sesquicentennial year), CBC has also broadcast a more traditional countdown special, with music performances and coverage of festivities from various Canadian cities. Similarly, the CBC's French-language television network Ici Radio-Canada Télé airs its own New Year's Eve comedy special, Bye Bye. Unlike Year of the Farce, Bye Bye has been presented by various comedians; originally running from 1968 to 1998, it was revived in 2006 by the Québécois troupe Rock et Belles Oreilles. Its 2008 edition, hosted and co-produced by Québécois television personality Véronique Cloutier, was criticized for featuring sketches that viewers perceived as offensive, including sketches making fun of English Canadians and then American president-elect Barack Obama. In 2018, the special was seen by 3.3 million viewers.

Puerto Rico In Puerto Rico, New Year's Eve is celebrated with friends and family. The Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan is the main attraction for Puerto Ricans during the celebration. It has Latin music and fireworks at midnight along with the signature song "Auld Lang Syne" in Spanish. 

United States In the United States, New Year's Eve is celebrated with formal parties and concerts, family-oriented activities, and large public events such as firework shows and "drops".  The most prominent celebration in the country is the "ball drop" held at New York City's Times Square, which was inspired by the time balls that were formerly used as a time signal. At 11:59 p.m. ET, an 11,875-pound (5,386 kg), 12-foot-diameter (3.7 m) ball (which is adorned with crystal panels and an LED lighting system) is lowered down a 70 feet (21 m)-high pole on the roof of One Times Square, reaching the roof of the building 60 seconds later at midnight. The event has been held since 1907, and has seen an average attendance of one million spectators yearly. Since 2009, the ball itself has been displayed atop the building year-round. The spectacle has inspired similar events outside of New York City, where a ball or other item is lowered or raised in an identical manner. The items used for these events often represent local culture or history: Atlanta's Peach Drop reflects Georgia's identity as the "Peach State". National media coverage has historically been centred upon New York City and Times Square. Bandleader Guy Lombardo was well-known for his live broadcasts from New York with his band, The Royal Canadians—whose signature performance of "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight helped make the standard synonymous with the holiday. Beginning on radio in 1929, Lombardo moved to CBS television from 1956 to 1976, adding coverage of the ball drop. Following Lombardo's death, Dick Clark's contemporary competitor, New Year's Rockin' Eve (which premiered for 1973 on NBC, and moved to ABC for 1975) became the dominant New Year's Eve special on U.S. television (especially among younger viewers), with Clark having anchored New Year's coverage (including New Year's Rockin' Eve and the one-off ABC 2000 Today) for 33 straight years. After suffering a stroke in December 2004, Clark missed the 2005 edition with Regis Philbin filling in for him, and he retired as full-time host in favor of Ryan Seacrest for 2006 due to a lingering speech impediment. Clark continued making limited appearances on the special until his death in 2012.  Other notable celebrations include the Las Vegas Strip's "America's Party", which consists of a ticketed concert event at the Fremont Street Experience, and a public fireworks show at midnight that is launched from multiple casinos on the Strip. Los Angeles, a city long without a major public New Year celebration, held an inaugural gathering in Downtown's newly-completed Grand Park to celebrate the beginning of 2014. The event included food trucks, art installations, and culminating with a projection mapping show on the side of Los Angeles City Hall near midnight. The inaugural event drew over 25,000 spectators and participants. For 2016, Chicago introduced an event known as Chi-Town Rising.[48] Alongside the festivities in Times Square, New York's Central Park hosts a "Midnight Run" event organized by the New York Road Runners, which features a fireworks show and a footrace around the park that begins at midnight.  Major theme parks also hold New Year's celebrations; Disney theme parks, such as Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California, are traditionally the busiest around the Christmas and New Year's holidays. 

France In France, New Year's Eve (la Saint-Sylvestre) is usually celebrated with a feast, le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre[71] (Cap d'Any in Northern Catalonia). This feast customarily includes special dishes including foie gras, seafood such as oysters, and champagne. The celebration can be a simple, intimate dinner with friends and family or, une soirée dansante, a much fancier ball.  On New Year's Day (le Jour de l'An) friends and family exchange New Year's resolutions, kisses, and wishes. Some people eat ice cream. The holiday period ends on 6 January with the celebration of Epiphany (Jour des Rois). A traditional type of flat pastry cake, la galette des rois, made of two sheets of puff pastry, filled with frangipane (almond paste) is eaten. The cake contains a fève, a small china doll; whomever finds it becomes king or queen and gets to wear a gold paper crown and choose his or her partner. This tradition can last up to two weeks. 

Germany  In Germany, parties are common on New Year's Eve. 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 may be sold in Germany. Every year Berlin hosts one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in all of Europe, attended by over a million people. The focal point is the Brandenburg Gate, where midnight fireworks are centered. Germans toast the New Year with a glass of Sekt (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 your forehead for good luck and health. Jam-filled doughnuts with or without alcoholic fillings are eaten. Finally a tiny marzipan pig is consumed for more good luck.[citation needed] In some northern regions of Germany (e.g. East Frisia) the making of Speckendicken [de] (also Speckdicken) is another tradition - people 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 few mettwurst slices and bacon strips. Another notable tradition is the British comedy sketch Dinner 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 by NDR 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.

Netherlands  New Year's Eve (Oud en Nieuw or Oudejaarsavond) in the Netherlands is usually celebrated as a cozy evening with family or friends, although many people attend big organized parties. Traditional snack foods are oliebollen (oil dumplings) and appelbeignets (apple slice fritters). On television, the main feature is the oudejaarsconference, a performance by one of the major Dutch cabaretiers (comparable to stand-up comedy, but more serious, generally including a satirical review of the year's politics). Historically, in Reformed Protestant families, Psalm 90 is read, although this tradition is now fading away. At midnight, Glühwein (bishops wine) or champagne is drunk. Many people light their own fireworks. Towns do not organize a central fireworks display, except for Rotterdam where the national fireworks display can be seen near the Erasmus Bridge. 

Poland In Poland New Year's Eve (Sylwester) celebrations include both indoor and outdoor festivities. A large open-air concert is held in the Main Square in Kraków. 150,000 to 200,000 revelers celebrate the New Year with live music and a fireworks display over St. Mary's Basilica.[80] 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 the Carpathian Mountains, is the most popular Polish mountain resort in winter.  Also, New Year's Eve (Sylwester) celebrations are in Katowice, near the Spodek arena. In Sławatycze, people tour the streets dressed up as bearded men. Major television networks broadcast the events live all across the country on New Year's Eve like Polsat and TVP. 

Russia  The most prominent public celebration of the New Year is held at Moscow's Red Square under the Kremlin Clock—whose chimes at midnight are traditionally followed by the playing of the Russian national anthem, and a fireworks display. The President's New Year's address is traditionally televised shortly before midnight in each time zone, reflecting on the previous year and the state of the country; in 1999, unpopular president Boris Yeltsin used the New Year's address to announce his resignation.  Secular celebrations of the New Year in Russia, also known as Novy God, are derived from Christmas; New Year trees (yolka) are put up in homes and in public, and Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) delivers presents to children for New Year's Day in a similar manner to Santa Claus. In the early 20th century, due to the Communist Party's stance of state atheism and a larger series of anti-religious policies, the celebration of Christmas and other religious holidays was widely discouraged. In particular, Christmas trees were singled out for being a tradition originating from Germany (a World War I enemy) and being a symbol of the bourgeoisie. In 1935, Soviet politician Pavel Postyshev and other high-ranking officials began to promote the concept of New Year trees as a wide, secular tradition—representing happiness and prosperity among youth. Even with the reinstatement of religious holidays after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Novy God has remained a popular celebration in modern Russia.  The Soviet film The Irony of Fate—which is set during New Year celebrations—is a staple in former Soviet countries. It is often broadcast by Russian television channels on New Year's Eve, to the extent that it has been compared to the traditional broadcast of It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve in the United States. On 13 January, some people celebrate "Old New Year", according to the Julian calendar. 

Spain   Spanish New Year's Eve (Nochevieja or Fin de Año) celebrations usually begin with a family dinner, traditionally including shrimp or prawns, and lamb or capon. The actual countdown is primarily followed from the clock on top of the Casa de Correos building in Puerta del Sol Square in Madrid. It is traditional to eat Twelve Grapes, one on each chime of the clock. This tradition has its origins in 1909, when grape growers in Alicante thought of it as a way to cut down on the large production surplus they had had that year. Nowadays, the tradition is followed by almost every Spaniard, and the twelve grapes have become synonymous with the New Year. After the clock has finished striking twelve, people greet each other and toast with sparkling wine such as cava or champagne, or with cider. The song "Un año más," by the Spanish group Mecano, is frequently played.  Earlier in the evening at around 20:00, there is a 10k run called San Silvestre Vallecana, which starts on Paseo de la Castellana, next to Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, and ends at the Vallecas Stadium. Professional runners come to Madrid for this 10k.  After the family dinner and the grapes, many young people attend cotillones de nochevieja parties (named for the Spanish word cotillón, which refers to party supplies like confetti, party blowers, and party hats) at pubs, clubs, and similar places. Parties usually last until the next morning and range from small, personal celebrations at local bars to huge parties with guests numbering the thousands at hotel convention rooms. Early the next morning, party attendees usually gather to have the traditional winter breakfast of hot chocolate and fried pastry (chocolate con churros). 

Ukraine  In the countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, New Year's has the same cultural significance as Christmas has in the United States, but without the religious connotations. Ukrainian families traditionally install spruce trees at home, the equivalent of a Christmas tree. Families gather to eat a large feast and reflect on the past year. They have a large celebration, make toasts, and make wishes for a happy New Year. Families give presents to their friends as well as informal acquaintances. As Ukrainians are traditionally a closely knit community, it is seen as a taboo to not give presents to those the family associates with. Children stay up until midnight, waiting for the New Year. During these celebrations many Ukrainians tune to special New Year shows, which have become a long-standing tradition for the Ukrainian TV. And just before midnight the President of Ukraine gives his New Year's message to the nation, and when the clock strikes 12, the National Anthem Shche ne vmerla Ukraina is played in all TV and radio stations as well as in Independence Square in Kiev and other cities where holiday celebrations are held.  The first New year dish in Ukraine which associates with the New year for every Ukrainian person is the Olivier salad. It has become the main «character» of many jokes and anecdotes. There are several versions about where the name Olivier comes from, but most people say that it appeared thanks to the French chef Olivier, who lived in the USSR in the 1960s and was the owner of a French restaurant in Moscow. He was the first one to cook this dish. Nowadays this salad is also called Russian, potato and meat salad. New Year is often considered a "pre-celebration" for Greek Catholics and Eastern Orthodox living in Eastern Europe, primarily in Ukraine, since Christmas is celebrated on 7 January.

United Kingdom

England  Thousands of people gather in central London for New Year celebrations, including fireworks at the London Eye at midnight The most prominent New Year's Eve (Old Year's Night) celebration in England is that of Central London, where the arrival of midnight is greeted with the chimes of Big Ben. In recent years, a major fireworks display has also been held, with fireworks launched from the nearby London Eye Ferris wheel. On New Year's Eve 2010, an estimated 250,000 people 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. Other major New Year events are held in the cities of Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Newcastle. 

Scotland  In Scotland, New Year's (Hogmanay) is celebrated with several different customs, such as First-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 along Princes Street. The cannon is fired at Edinburgh 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 a bank holiday in Scotland.  Other cities across Scotland, such as Aberdeen, Glasgow and Stirling have large organised celebrations too, including fireworks at midnight.  BBC Scotland broadcast the celebrations in Edinburgh to a Scottish audience, with the celebrations also screened across the world. STV covers both worldwide New Year celebrations, and details of events happening around Scotland. 

Wales   The Welsh tradition of giving gifts and money on New Year's Day (Welsh: Calennig) is an ancient custom that survives in modern-day Wales, though nowadays it is now customary to give bread and cheese. Thousands of people descend every year on Cardiff to enjoy live music, catering, ice-skating, funfairs and fireworks. Many of the celebrations take place at Cardiff Castle and Cardiff City Hall.  Every New Year's Eve, the Nos Galan road race (Rasys Nos Galan), a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) running race, is held in Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The race celebrates the life and achievements of Welsh runner Guto Nyth Brân.  Founded in 1958 by local runner Bernard Baldwin, it is run over the 5 kilometre route of Guto's first competitive race. The main race starts with a church service at Llanwynno, and then a wreath is laid on Guto's grave in Llanwynno 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.

Israel   New Year's Eve (Sylvester) in Israel, is celebrated by parties, social get togethers, concerts, and dining out in major cities such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Immigrants from the former USSR celebrate Novy God, the Russian version of the holiday. 

Australia   Each major city in Australia holds New Year's Eve celebrations, usually accompanied by a fireworks display and other events. Gloucester Park, a racecourse in central Perth, is the largest and most recognised display in the Western Australian city. In Brisbane events are held at Southbank. At night, 50,000 people gather at sites around the Brisbane River to watch a fireworks display.  The most prominent celebration in the country is Sydney New Year's Eve, which takes place at Sydney Harbour and consists of two fireworks shows — the evening "Family Fireworks" held at 9:00 p.m., followed by the main New Year fireworks 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, installed on its trusses, that reflected an annual theme. 

New Zealand 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 the Sky Tower. In Wellington, 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 at SkyCity Hamilton. Gisborne, one of the first cities in the world to see sunrise at new year also celebrates with a new year festival. The small town of Whangamata, on the Coromandel Peninsula, is a major party venue at new year, especially for Aucklanders.  In the South Island, both Christchurch and Dunedin host free live music concerts culminating with a midnight fireworks display. These are held at Hagley Park and The Octagon respectively. The South Island's main resort town, Queenstown is also a major new year party venue, with music and fireworks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Eve