New Year Celebrations Worldwide; From New Zealand to Syria

Across the globe, New Year celebrations for 2025 began with stunning light displays, embraces, and dives into icy waters. In Auckland, the first major city to celebrate the New Year, thousands gathered in the city center or atop the city's volcanic peaks to watch the fireworks. The lighting at this event referenced the indigenous peoples. The Pacific Island countries are the first to celebrate the New Year, with midnight in New Zealand occurring 18 hours before the festivities in New York's Times Square. In Sydney, fireworks were held over the Harbour Bridge, with over a million Australians and tourists gathering at the famous Sydney Harbour. British singer Robbie Williams sang along with the crowd. The event also included indigenous performances and rituals paying homage to the first inhabitants of the land. In Japan, many temples and homes were thoroughly cleaned for the holidays. The upcoming year, known as the 'Year of the Snake' in the Asian calendar, symbolizes rebirth, referencing the shedding of a snake's skin. Japanese stores, celebrating this year starting January 1, are offering snake-related products. Other Asian regions will honor the Year of the Snake with Lunar New Year celebrations. In South Korea, celebrations were canceled or limited due to national mourning following the crash of a Jeju Airlines flight that left 179 dead. In Bangkok, Thailand's capital, shopping centers competed with live music and fireworks to attract crowds, with a performance by Thai rapper Lisa, a member of the South Korean group Blackpink, planned before midnight. In Jakarta, Indonesia, the lighting included 800 drones. Chinese state media covered the exchange of New Year messages between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, indicating the increasing closeness of these two leaders in the face of their tensions with the West. According to state news agency Xinhua, Xi told Putin that their countries would 'always move forward together.' In the Middle East, New Year celebrations in Israel were likely muted due to the ongoing war with Hamas and the captivity of many hostages. Meanwhile, the famine situation in northern Gaza is hard to assess, where thousands have been displaced due to the escalation of Israeli military operations. Aid groups say that the intensification of Israeli military operations has made aid nearly impossible since October. Many areas of Lebanon were severely damaged during the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a fragile ceasefire. Meanwhile, Syrians look to the future with hope and doubt following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad. In Dubai, thousands attended the fireworks display at the Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world. Egyptians celebrated the New Year with fireworks over the historic Giza pyramids, on the outskirts of Cairo. In Syria, the New Year celebration in Damascus, the capital recently witnessing the end of Bashar al-Assad's regime, was accompanied by fireworks. In Europe, traditional New Year's Eve celebrations in Rome had an added attraction: the beginning of the 'Holy Year' by Pope Francis, a celebration held every 25 years, expected to attract around 32 million pilgrims to the 'Eternal City' in 2025. On Tuesday, Pope Francis will hold an evening prayer service at St. Peter's Church, and on Wednesday, he will celebrate Mass. He is expected to once again call for peace amid ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. January 1 is considered a holy day for Catholics, dedicated to 'the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary.' Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, urged citizens to remain united in the face of the country's economic troubles and a deadly attack on a Christmas market that shocked the nation. In a pre-recorded speech, Scholz stated, 'We are a nation that values solidarity. And we can draw strength from this quality in difficult times like now.' Paris will end 2024 with a traditional countdown and a magnificent fireworks display on the Champs-Élysées. The Summer and Paralympic Olympics, held from July to September in the French capital, turned the city into a place filled with joy, solidarity, and remarkable sports achievements. This event also marked a milestone in Paris's recovery from the deadly attacks by Islamist extremists from Al-Qaeda and ISIS that occurred in 2015. London will celebrate the New Year with fireworks along the River Thames and a parade in the city center on Wednesday, featuring 10,000 performing artists. Due to a storm bringing inclement weather to other parts of Britain, the Edinburgh celebrations, including the Hogmanay street party and fireworks at Edinburgh Castle, were canceled. However, in Switzerland and some other areas, people embraced the cold and dove into the water in their swimsuits. In the Americas, Rio de Janeiro will host the main New Year's Eve celebration in Brazil, held on Copacabana beach, with boats displaying 12 minutes of continuous fireworks near the shore. Over 2 million people are expected to gather at Copacabana, hoping to join concerts by major Brazilian music stars, including pop singer Anitta and Grammy winner Caetano Veloso. In New York City, the Times Square management has conducted final tests for the famous 'ball drop' ceremony, checking the numbers for 2025, lights, and thousands of crystals. This tradition began in 1907 and this year will include musical performances from TLC, the Jonas Brothers, Rita Ora, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. American Samoa, 24 full hours after New Zealand, will be one of the last places to celebrate 2025.