Countries around the world are ringing in the New Year on Tuesday, with celebrations briefly outshining conflict in some parts of the globe.
Nations in the South Pacific Ocean were the first to wave goodbye to 2024. Midnight in New Zealand is 18 hours ahead of Eastern Time.
In some Asian countries, millions readied for the Year of the Snake, seen as the year of rebirth in the Asian zodiac.
In Japan, which observes the zodiac cycle from Jan. 1, stores were seen selling snake-themed products while temples and homes underwent a thorough cleaning before much of the nation shut down in celebration.
Thailand had fireworks nationwide, including a show in Bangkok with the city’s Chao Phraya River as a beautiful scenic backdrop. The country’s tourism board livestreamed its celebration on YouTube, with musical performances in the lead up to the midnight finale.
The mood was somber in South Korea after Sunday’s Jeju Air flight crash at Muan that killed 179 people. Most celebrations were cut back or canceled while the country observed a period of national mourning.
In Israel, New Years is marked by the war in the Gaza Strip entering its 15th month. Scores of hostages remain in captivity under Hamas, while more than 45,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Lebanon is reeling from a yearslong severe economic crisis and heavy damage after Israel launched an offensive on the militant group Hezbollah in early September.
Many Syrians, meanwhile, are expressing cautious optimism for the coming year after the overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad.
One Middle Eastern city rang in the new year in style. Dubai’s night sky gleamed around the famed Burj Khalifa skyscraper, which had animations on its walls as the firework display shined down on the opulent city.
In Ukraine, the war grinds on. The country exchanged hundreds of captive soldiers with Russia on Monday — one of the few areas of cooperation between the two sides since President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion.
European cities are ringing in the New Year with concerts in palaces and musical theater in halls, as well as midnight mass services followed by champagne.
Pope Francis will be marking the start of Holy Year, a once-every-quarter-century event expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome.
The pontiff will celebrate a vespers at St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday, followed by Mass on Wednesday.
Paris will follow a memorable 2024 hosting of the Summer Olympics and reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral with a fireworks extravaganza on the famed Champs-Elysées.
But a stormy forecast is expected to dampen the mood in many parts of the United Kingdom.
Heavy rain and winds forecast for Scotland have prompted the cancellation of Edinburgh’s famous Hogmanay celebrations, which usually include a street party, a rock concert and fireworks.
London, meanwhile, will celebrate with a parade through the city center featuring 10,000 performers, while fireworks will be staged over Westminster and Big Ben along the River Thames.
In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is expected to host more than 2 million people along Copacabana Beach to watch fireworks erupt from ferries parked offshore and concerts by Brazilian popstars such as Anitta and Caetano Veloso.
Auckland, New Zealand, was one of the first cities to welcome the new year as thousands thronged downtown or climbed the city’s ring of volcanic peaks for a fireworks vantage point — and a light display recognizing Auckland’s Indigenous tribes.
In Australia two hours later, more than 1 million people gathered at the Sydney Harbor for the traditional fireworks. Some partygoers, eager to secure a good vantage point, arrived nearly 20 hours ahead. Later, in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, spectacular fireworks were launched near the city’s famous Petronas Towers.
Celebrations kicked off at 9 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), with the first display of fireworks created by the Indigenous group We Are Warriors. At midnight, a second display over the Harbour Bridge lasted close to 20 minutes and was viewed on television by nearly 25 million people around the world.
In all, it takes 26 hours for the entire world to welcome the New Year across 39 different local time zones.