New Year's Eve

When Eleanor Heginbotham's car broke down on New Year's Eve, a group of strangers jumped in

1:09pm March 25, 2025

Eleanor Heginbotham was at the post office on New Year's Eve 2022 when her car wouldn't start. For 40 minutes, a group of strangers came to her aid, including someone who would later become a friend.

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Why do we drop a ball on New Year's Eve? The Times Square tradition, explained

5:00am December 31, 2024

Watching a huge ball descend down a pole in Times Square has been a beloved New Year's Eve tradition for over a century. Here's how the spectacle started and what's changed over the years.

A group of Okalolies head toward a house belonging to one of their own in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic Ocean, on Dec. 31, 2023. New Year's Eve, or Old Year's Night as it's known on the island, is a chance for the whole community to come together.

The Okalolies of Old Year's Night: Celebrating tradition on the world's most remote inhabited island

10:59am May 26, 2024

"Okalolies" ring in the new year on the world's most remote inhabited island by visiting the population of not quite 250 in masks and making mischief, an annual chance for the community to come together.

Newborn baby cribs in a hospital nursery.

National

Opinion: Newborn blessings for a new year

8:03am January 08, 2022

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon shares the story of twins born 15 minutes apart, one just before midnight on Dec. 31, 2021, and one just after, and what their birth years might mean in the future.

The 2022 sign that will be lit on top of a building on New Year's Eve is displayed in New York's Times Square earlier this month.

Americans fume as the pandemic scrambles New Year's Eve celebrations again

11:28am December 30, 2021

by Brian Mann

Skyrocketing COVID-19 case rates have caused officials In New York City and elsewhere to scale back their New Year's Eve celebrations. Around the country, people are facing tough decisions.

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Confetti falls at midnight during a virtual New Year's Eve celebration in New York City's Times Square on Jan. 1, 2021. The annual New Year's Eve ball drop event, which typically draws more than 1 million people, was closed to the public due to the COVID-

Times Square will welcome back vaccinated revelers this New Year's Eve

1:30pm November 16, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

The party's on, thanks to COVID-19 vaccines. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that Times Square will be open this New Year's Eve to those who are fully vaccinated.

Coronavirus-related restrictions left many cities quiet during this year's New Year's Eve celebrations. New York City's Times Square was almost empty as a limited group of healthcare workers were invited to watch the ball drop in person.

National

U.S. Rings In New Year With Subdued Celebrations

3:56am January 01, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged people find an alternative option for celebrating the holiday — with an aim to avoid large crowds and indoor gatherings.

A crowd walks through Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor, a spot usually dedicated to larger New Year's celebrations, including fireworks, which were canceled this time.

World News

Countries Juggle New Year's Celebrations With Ongoing Pandemic Concerns

8:47pm December 31, 2020

by Elena Moore

People all around the world are saying goodbye to 2020, but as coronavirus cases surge in many regions, New Year's Eve events have been seriously scaled down.

The Philips-made ball was tested at One Times Square on Dec. 30, 2016 in New York City.

National

It's New Year's Eve. Let's Drop Something From The Sky

8:01pm December 31, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

"The things we choose to drop are visual symbols about the importance of the event or the place," sociology professor Michelle Janning said. That may mean dropping a giant Moon Pie down a building.

Australian authorities say the iconic Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks will go ahead, despite calls for them to be canceled for environmental concerns.

Threat Of Wildfires Not Enough To Cancel Sydney's New Year's Eve Fireworks

6:33pm December 29, 2019

by Gabriela Saldivia

Thousands have called for the iconic Sydney fireworks display to be canceled because of record heat and fire. Australian officials say they will go ahead unless conditions are declared catastrophic.