New Year’s Day 2025 dawns in New Zealand as it dawns in the South Pacific – and the rest of the world prepares for it

Wellington, New Zealand — Auckland has become the first major city to welcome 2025, with thousands of spectators counting in the new year and welcoming colorful fireworks from the Sky Tower, New Zealand’s tallest structure, and a spectacular light show downtown.

Thousands of people also flocked to the city center or climbed the city’s volcanic peaks for fireworks and a light display recognizing Auckland’s indigenous tribes. It follows a year marked by protests over Maori rights in the country of 5 million.

Countries in the South Pacific are the first to ring in the new year, with New Zealand striking 18 hours before midnight. Ball drop in Times Square in New York.

Other cities around the world were gearing up for celebrations highlighting local cultures and traditions after a year of ongoing conflict and political instability.

More than 1 million people are expected at Sydney Harbor for Australia’s traditional fireworks display. British pop star Robbie Williams will lead a singalong, and local ceremonies and performances will recognize the land’s first people.

Much of Japan shuts down ahead of the country’s biggest holiday, as temples and homes are thoroughly cleaned, including sweeping the tatami floors with large sticks.

In the Asian zodiac, the upcoming Year of the Snake is heralded as a year of rebirth – signaling the shedding of the reptilian skin. In Japan, which observes the zodiac period from January 1, small figurines of smiling snakes and other snake-themed products are sold in shops. Other parts of Asia will begin celebrating the Year of the Snake later with the Lunar New Year.

Celebrations have been cut short or canceled in South Korea since Sunday as the country observes a period of national mourning. Jeju Air crash at Muan Airport It killed 179 people.

Jakarta’s New Year celebrations will feature a dazzling fireworks display, including a display of 800 drones and a midnight countdown at the city’s famous Hotel Indonesia Roundabout.

New Year’s notes in the conditions of war and conflict

Chinese state media recalled the exchange of New Year’s greetings between President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. growing intimacy between the two leadersFacing tensions with the West.

The official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday that Xi told Putin that their countries “will always move forward hand in hand”.

Relations and strong trade with China are continued The second is Russia since it invaded Ukraine In 2022, it will help offset Western sanctions and attempts to isolate Putin.

New Year celebrations are likely to slow down Like Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza The 15th month ends and many hostages remain in captivity.

Lebanon is in the grip of a severe economic crisis, and many areas have been severely damaged during this period, which ended with a shaky ceasefire. Meanwhile, Syrians express hope and uncertainty for the coming year the overthrow of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Other holidays around the world

Thousands of people are expected to attend the annual fireworks display at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, in Dubai.

Rome’s traditional New Year’s celebrations have an added draw: the start of Pope Francis’ holy year, a quarterly celebration that is projected to bring some 32 million pilgrims to the Eternal City in 2025.

Francis will celebrate vespers at St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday, followed by another call for peace on Wednesday amid wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

A few hours before the start of the German New Year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged the country’s 84 million inhabitants to stay together despite numerous global crises and wars, the country’s ailing economy and economic crisis. deadly Christmas market attack it shocked the nation.

“We are a united country. And we can draw strength from that – especially in difficult times like this,” Scholz said in a pre-recorded speech.

Paris will mark 2024 with a traditional holiday countdown and fireworks on the famous Champs-Élysées.

The Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games Held in the French capital between July and September, the event transformed the city into a place of joy, brotherhood and amazing sporting achievements, marking another milestone in 2015’s recovery from deadly extremist attacks by al-Qaeda and ISIS.

London is set to ring in the New Year on Wednesday with a pyrotechnic display along the River Thames and a parade through the city center with 10,000 performers. Fireworks will explode against the backdrop of the London Eye, the giant Ferris wheel across the river from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament – assuming a last-minute cancellation with high winds and severe weather expected to be worse further north in the UK.

With storms forecast to bring bitter weather to the north of the UK, however, celebrations in Edinburgh, Scotland, including the famous Hogmanay Street Party, garden concert and castle pyrotechnic show, have been canceled in advance.

Rio de Janeiro will launch Brazil’s main New Year’s Eve on Copacabana Beach with 10 ferries carrying a 12-minute fireworks display at sea. Thousands of tourists will witness the show up close on six cruise ships.

He was closely following Rio’s city hall’s plans for a light and sound show. More than 2 million people are expected at Copacabana, hoping to squeeze in concerts by superstar Brazilian artists such as pop singer Anitta and Grammy Award winner Caetano Veloso.

Around Times Square and the US

The organization that runs Times Square in New York tested the famous ball drop as part of a tradition that has been going on since 1907 and tested 2,025 figures, lights and thousands of crystals. , Rita Ora and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Spanning multiple blocks around the city’s main tourist and theater hub, the party is expected to draw large crowds despite the rain and chilly weather.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas will say goodbye to some old traditions and some new ones in 2024. Its annual eight-minute pyrotechnics show will be held on the Las Vegas Strip, and 340,000 people are expected to watch fireworks from the rooftops of nine casinos.

The huge Sphere venue nearby will be showing a countdown to midnight in different time zones for the first time.

In Pasadena, eager Rose Parade spectators had to camp out on the cold streets and ring in the new year, hoping for prime spots for Southern California’s iconic tradition. The parade precedes the January 1 Rose Bowl football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks.

Following the parade route, thousands will participate in the midnight 5K race.

An estimated 200,000 people will flock to Nashville for a five-hour show from country music’s biggest stars. At midnight – an hour after New York – a 16-foot-tall £400 note will fall as fireworks light up the sky.

Celebrations will reverberate around the world as the New Year arrives in different time zones, with American Samoa among the last to welcome 2025 – a full 24 hours after New Zealand.