 "Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour as New Year's Eve celebrations get underway in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. (AP/PTI)")
December 31 marks the last day on the Gregorian calendar and it is quite possibly the oldest holiday in the Western societies. In Mesopotamia, around 2000 B.C., the first known record of New Year's celebrations can be found.
Presently, it is perhaps the biggest worldwide festival across the world. This year too, many cities around the world witnessed exhilarating celebrations with thousands of people gathering to celebrate with fireworks and music. Here’s our list of the best 5.
Top 5 firework shows in the world
Sydney, Australia – As the clock was about to strike 12 o’clock, the air in Sydney became electric. The event witnessed one of the world's biggest, technologically progressed presentations of firecrackers, lighting and projections.
Take a midnight cruise around Sydney Harbour if you can beat the crowd. Sydney New Year's eve plays live to over 1 million spectators along the Sydney Harbor foreshore, and over 425 million around the world get to witness the event on their screens.
Best Spot: Sydney Opera House & Sydney Harbour.
2. New York, USA – Minutes before 12 PM of December 31, eyes of the world go to the amazing lights and bustling energy of Times Square. Expectation runs high as people hold their breath to witness a majestic celebration. As the clocks strike 12, the well-known New Year's Eve Ball drops from the flagpole on Multiple Times Square.
Over 1,000,000 people assemble at Times Square for the Ball drop, arriving ahead of schedule to find a place to stand among thousands that gather at the place.
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Best Spot: Times Square.
3. Edinburgh, Scotland – Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the last day of the year or New Year's Eve and Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party is consistently in the 'op 100 things to do before you die' list.
On December 30, there is a torchlight procession and other entertainment. On December 31, a huge outdoor street party with concerts, fireworks, and smaller options for public entertainment, like a ceilidh, which is a social event with Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling for families, is organised.
Best Spot: Start at Edinburgh's Old Town – North Bridge, South Bridge and St. Giles Cathedral.
4. Thailand's Chiang Mai – Imagine a crowd of hundreds of people carrying lit paper lanterns along the riverbank. As per Thai practice, sending a lamp in the sky represents a fresh start and good luck.
Furthermore, as 12 o'clock rolls in, a wish is made and the lamps are delivered above, transforming the dark night into a radiant scene. Alongside the fireworks, the music blares from the speakers adding more glitz to the celebrations. Go to the North Door that has a dynamic scene of clubs and bars that offer a party environment to the evening.
Best Spot: Along the banks of the Ping river.
5. Mexico- Wear colourful underwear, carry 12 grapes and head to the Nochevieja beaches, or New Year's Eve festivity that is set along by firecrackers and celebrating. Pick your underwear cautiously, red means love, yellow means money or luck and white means harmony.
Every month, eating 12 grapes at midnight brings luck and good vibes. Keep in mind, you need to eat every one of the 12 grapes in 60 seconds. For luck, put a gold ring in a glass of champagne and drink it. However, it is a little tricky. You can't remove the ring from the glass until after you have completed the process of drinking it and embraced everybody in the room.
Best Spot: Beaches of Cancun & Playa del Carmen.
