New Year's Eve
LI · 2025
About New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve, observed on December 31st, is the final day of the year in the Gregorian calendar and is celebrated worldwide as the eve of the new year. It is one of the most globally celebrated occasions, with billions of people marking the transition from one year to the next.
The celebration of the new year's eve has ancient roots, though the specific customs associated with December 31st developed with the spread of the Gregorian calendar. In many cultures, New Year's Eve is a time to reflect on the passing year and look forward to new beginnings.
New Year's Eve is marked by spectacular public events in major cities worldwide — Sydney's fireworks over the Harbor Bridge, London's display along the Thames, and New York's Times Square ball drop are among the most watched global events each year.
Quick Facts
- Date 2025
- December 31, 2025
- Day
- Wednesday
- Type
- Bank
- Scope
- National
- Fixed Date
- No — date changes each year
- Local Name
- Silvester
- Traditions
- Midnight fireworks · Champagne toasts · New Year's countdowns · Midnight kisses
When is New Year's Eve?
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025This year | December 31, 2025 | Wednesday |
| 2026 | December 31, 2026 | Thursday |
| 2027 | December 31, 2027 | Friday |
How is New Year's Eve Celebrated?
New Year's Eve is celebrated with parties, fireworks, concerts, and countdowns to midnight. Glasses of champagne or sparkling wine are raised in a toast at midnight, and revelers often kiss their loved ones as the new year begins. Many people make resolutions for the coming year.
Local traditions vary: in Spain, 12 grapes are eaten as the clock strikes midnight (one for each bell toll); in Scotland, Hogmanay celebrations last multiple days; in Denmark, people smash old dishes against friends' front doors for good luck.
Did You Know?
- •The Times Square ball drop in New York has occurred every year since 1907, except during WWII blackouts in 1942-43.
- •Approximately 1 billion people watch the global New Year's Eve celebrations via television and streaming.
- •In Scotland, Hogmanay traditions like 'first-footing' (being the first to enter a home after midnight) date back to Viking times.
- •Fireworks were first associated with New Year's celebrations in ancient China, where they were used to scare away evil spirits.
- •The Philippines fires guns into the air for New Year's — a tradition the government has been working to discourage due to falling bullets causing injuries.