Australia and New Zealand were among the first countries to welcome the new year.
advertisementThe Asia Pacific region was the first to start celebrating the New Year, and the South Pacific region was the first to welcome 2025.
Auckland was the first major city to count down to the new year. Thousands of people cheered and enjoyed spectacular fireworks and a spectacular downtown light show from New Zealand’s tallest structure, the Sky Tower.
People also climbed the city’s volcanic peak for a vantage point for fireworks and a light display recognizing Auckland’s indigenous tribes. This was a year of protests over Māori rights for a population of five million people.
Fireworks were set off from the Sydney Harbor Bridge and across the bay as Australians welcomed the New Year.
More than a million people gathered at the iconic Sydney Harbor for the celebrations, with British pop star Robbie Williams singing along with the crowd.
The celebration also featured indigenous ceremonies and performances honoring the first people of this land.
After a year marred by ongoing conflict and political instability, other cities around the world are preparing celebrations highlighting local culture and traditions.
Asia prepares for the Year of the Snake
In Japan, hundreds of locals and tourists gathered on the grounds of Tokyo’s Tokudaiji Temple to celebrate the New Year.
At midnight, people swing a rope on a wooden pole to ring the temple’s huge bell to ring in the new year.
Ringing a bell at midnight is an ancient tradition of Buddhists who believe that humans are born with 108 worldly desires and that ringing the bell 108 times makes these desires disappear.
Many parts of Japan are closed ahead of Japan’s biggest holiday. Temples and homes were thoroughly cleaned, including scrubbing floor mats called ‘tatami’ with large sticks.
The upcoming Year of the Snake in the Asian zodiac is heralded as a year of rebirth, suggesting the shedding of the reptilian skin. Since January 1, stores in Japan, which observes the zodiac cycle, have been selling small figures of smiling snakes and other snake-themed products. Elsewhere in Asia, the Year of the Snake begins to be celebrated later along with the Lunar New Year.
As the New Year arrives in different time zones, celebrations reverberate around the world, with American Samoa welcoming 2025 24 hours later than New Zealand.
