Around the world, people are saying goodbye to 2024 on Tuesday and welcoming 2025 with celebrations and dazzling fireworks displays. The year 2024, the hottest in recorded history, was overshadowed by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, upheavals in the Middle East and the U.S. presidential election, which concluded with Donald Trump’s victory.
New Year celebrations in Auckland, New Zealand
(Video: Reuters)
As is tradition, the first to count down to the new year were the island nations in the South Pacific. In Kiribati, one of these islands, 2025 began at 12:00 PM (Israel time). An hour later, following Tonga and Samoa, the new year arrived in New Zealand—the first major country to welcome 2025. In Auckland, a spectacular fireworks display lit up the sky above the Sky Tower, the tallest building in the country, drawing massive crowds to witness the celebration.
At 2:00 PM, the new year reached Australia’s east coast. In Sydney, the celebrations began early: three hours before midnight, fireworks already illuminated the sky over the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge as part of the city’s main event.
Sydney, which proudly calls itself the "New Year’s Eve Capital of the World," used nine tons of fireworks for its display. Estimates suggested that over one million people gathered to watch the show in person.
Later in the afternoon, the new year will reach countries across Asia, with Japan and South Korea welcoming 2025 at 4:00 PM. As evening turns to night, Europe will count down to midnight and celebrate with cheers and kisses as the clock strikes twelve.
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By Wednesday morning, the new year will arrive in the United States. At 7:00 AM (Israel time), the traditional dropping of the giant crystal ball will take place in Times Square, New York, marking the start of 2025 in America.