Facts about New Year's Eve
- 07
Auld Lang Syne, traditionally sung at midnight on December 31st, was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788 and remains the most commonly performed New Year's Eve song worldwide.
- 06
Scotland's Hogmanay celebration on December 31st traditionally includes the "first-footing" custom where the first person to enter a home after midnight must bring gifts like coal, shortbread, or whisky for good fortune in the new year.
- 05
Dubai's New Year's Eve 2014 celebration set a world record with 500,000 fireworks launched over 6 minutes, creating the longest fireworks display in history.
- 04
Approximately 60 million people worldwide watch the Times Square ball drop on television or online, making December 31st one of the most-viewed events globally.
- 03
In 1907, the New York Times Building's roof hosted the first Times Square ball drop, which was synchronized with an electric signal sent to naval ships in New York Harbor at exactly midnight.
- 02
Over 1 million people gather in Times Square on December 31st annually, making it one of the world's largest New Year's Eve celebrations by attendance.
- 01
The ball dropped at Times Square on December 31, 1907 weighed 700 pounds and has been replaced with heavier versions, the current ball weighing 11,875 pounds as of 2008.