2009 New Years Around the World

by Rob Walker | December 31, 2008 at 07:55 am

12319 views | 36 Recommendations | 22 comments

People around the world are starting to celebrate the New Year, 2009, as clocks beginning in Christmas Island heading west across the globe strike midnight. The first inhabitants on Earth to celebrate are located on Kiritimati (known as Christmas Island) in the Pacific Ocean.

A stunning firework display in Auckland, New Zealand, marked the first passing of midnight in a major city at 11am British time.
It was preceded by Kiritimati, or Christmas Island, in the Pacific Ocean, the first inhabited place on Earth to celebrate the new year, which passed midnight at 10am British time.

Huge crowds have gathered in Sydney, Australia for the city's annual party and fireworks display.

Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean was the first to welcome in 2009 at 10am Greenwich Mean Time. before the New Year arrived in New Zealand an hour later.
Auckland’s dazzling firework show, launched from the Sky Tower in the centre of the city, was broadcast around the world in a prelude to the enormous pyrotechnic display in Sydney Harbour two hours later.

Celebrations World-Wide

People in London and other cities around the world may have gotten to enjoy fireworks, but in the Italian city of Naples many men may have suddenly lost interest in watching bright lights in the sky. As NowPublic's generaldecay writes, a group of city officials are encouraging women to go on a sex strike until their mates promise not to set off illegal fireworks during New Years Eve festivities. Their slogan: "Make love, not explosions."

In London, England revelers braved cold temperatures to gather watch a fireworks display. As many as 500,000 gathered along the Thames River for the celebration. So far, there have been relatively few problems.

Superintendent Brian Pearce said viewing areas near the London Eye started to fill up at about 1800 GMT and were closed by 2300 GMT as they were full.

He said: "People seem to have listened to advice to plan ahead and arrive in good time.

"We've only had 10 arrests in total across central London and they were mainly for drunkenness. It's very good when you consider the number of people in central London tonight."

The real problem, however, may come when partyers try to get home on the London Underground.

He said there could be a repeat of scenes last year when revellers had to queue for up to three hours to get on to Tube trains home.

South Asia's New Year's celebrations are more muted than usual, as India recovers from Mumbai and Pakistan marks the Muslim mourning month.

Many Indian cities have tighter security and roadblocks, with the mood in the normally festive city of Mumbai described as subdued.
Pakistan is marking the Muslim mourning month of Muharram.

Freezing cold temperatures are expected in London, England and Toronto, Canada, among other locations. Sydney, Australia is partying in the heat as temperatures there soar to 30 degrees celcius.

It will be a bone-chilling New Year's Eve in Toronto Wednesday night as party revellers will have to deal with temperatures dipping to freezing conditions.

Things will be chilly in the UK for revellers, with temperatures clinging just below zero. Over 400,000 people are expected in London to attend a fireworks display.

The 100,000 party-goers in Edinburgh will need more than good cheer to keep warm with lows of minus 2C-3C.
In London 400,000 people are expected to attend a fireworks display, while Elton John is playing at the O2 Arena.

Over 1.5 million people are expected in Auckland, New Zealand for a giant fireworks display over the harbour.

A crowd, which was expected to be a record 1.5 million people, gathered at the city's harbour for around 18 hours ahead of the main event at midnight local time (1300 GMT).

New Years Traditions

One of the most common traditions in celebrating new years is the singing of Auld Lang Syne, a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 that has been used by countries around the world ever since.

"Auld Lang Syne" is usually sung each year at midnight on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore and English-speaking areas of India, Pakistan, and Canada, and signifies the start of a new year.

History of New Years

While the beginning of the New Year has been celebrated for ages, the new 'Western' New Year was begun by the Romans and changed by the likes of Julius Caesar and Pope Gregory XIII, who set up the system we use today.

Julius Caesar fixed the start of the year on Jan. 1 by letting the previous year run to 445 days rather than the traditional 365. The Roman citizenry made their winter festival Saturnalia a celebration without rules. So, let's blame the Romans.

• The celebration of the new year as we know it on Jan. 1 takes place under the Gregorian calendar.
• The Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar and is often celebrated with parades and fireworks.

• During the Middle Ages people used a Julian calendar and thus celebrated the new year on March 25, also known as Annunciation Day.

Member Stories

NP'er Pythiian1 posted a great write-up on the giant amount of preparations being made in New York City to get ready for their New Years Eve party tonight!

Since yesterday, Dec.30, the familiar blue and steel barricades were set up along the side-streets, no parking zones were enforced from 33rd to 59th Streets and from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue, and all mailboxes and man-holes were sealed temporarily.

NowPublic member Cypresso posted the first story on New Years early this morning:

The sense of relief has yet to be felt here in Houston, but will be, as the time of the New Year draws closer. 2008 will not be regretted as passing by many!

4 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | Digg | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Pythiian1

at 12:30 on December 31st, 2008

Happy New Year to you and yours. Thank you for comment and referral link.

Erik Stronks

at 16:02 on December 31st, 2008

new year comes with a bang in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Crowds gather round the market square to light their fireworks next to the big christmas tree.

Erik Stronks has contributed a photo to this story.

Trauts1971

at 16:20 on December 31st, 2008

The city of Melbourne in Australia puts on 2 fireworks shows in the city on the banks of the Yarra river each New Years Eve.

The river banks and surrounding areas were teeming with people, of all ages, nationalities and religions to witness the festivities and bring in the New Year.

The alcohol free areas provide a wonderful atmosphere for families to enjoy.

Trauts1971 has contributed a photo to this story.

amyjudd

at 16:28 on December 31st, 2008

Thousands of people lined the streets of London to ring in the New Year, just half an hour ago!

The largest celebrations are taking place in London, where crowds are lining the banks of the Thames for the city's annual fireworks display.

Firework displays will also start 2009 in Manchester, the city's first major firework event since the millennium, and in Birmingham.

Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing in many places across England.

Up to half a million people are expected to be at the firework display in central London, with the night one of the busiest of the year for the Metropolitan Police.

Glebe2037

at 16:37 on December 31st, 2008

NYE 2009 - Sydney style!!

This photo was taken from the roof of our apartment building during the official fireworks just after midnight. Sydney (Australia) has two major firework displays each New Year. The first is conducted just after dark (around 9 PM), and is designed for the entire family to see (young ones included). The main display occurs just on the stroke of midnight, in order to ring in the New Year.

Happy New Year & a Prosperous 2009 to all!!

Glebe2037 has contributed a photo to this story.

eyeport

at 18:40 on December 31st, 2008

This photo is brilliant! We were all busy taking photos and we totally missed the very LAST MOMENT of the firework. But guess what? My Nikon has captured it forever! It's so exciting!!

eyeport has contributed a photo to this story.

bennychun

at 19:22 on December 31st, 2008

bennychun has contributed a photo to this story.

rabin adhikari (not verified)

at 19:33 on December 31st, 2008

does anybody know there is firework in houston today

Bahlol Jawed (not verified)

at 21:09 on December 31st, 2008

Dear All,
I am Bahlol Jawed wishing you all a Happy New Year from Afghansitan...................

Dr BLT (not verified)

at 22:20 on December 31st, 2008

This will be the New Year most feared since 2000 when everybody thought the turn of the millennium would produce global chaos. This time the fear is focused on worldwide economic downturn.

The media makes things worse by spreading fear instead of cheer around the holiday season. Fear is the fuel that keeps the recession going. Let’s make sure we don’t fill our households full of fear, but rather, cheer this Christmas, and throughout the New Year. As I said in my seasonally altered arrangement of Blue Oyster Cult’s Don’t Fear the Reaper…

Don’t Fear the New Year
Dr BLT altered cover of Blue Oyster Cult classic
http://www.drblt.net/music/DontFearDem2.mp3

and as I said in my totally original Dr. BLTune…

Spread Some New Year Cheer
Dr BLT
copyright 2007 Frosty Rock Records
http://www.drblt.net/music/SpreadDemo2.mp3

BTW, great predictions for a…

Future 2 Behold
Dr BLT
words and music by Dr BLT copyright 2008
http://www.drblt.net/music/future3.mp3

Stace (not verified)

at 00:07 on January 1st, 2009

We just celebrated in Vancouver, CANADA... Happy New Year to all around the world and lets all give everything we got to peace, to all colours, religions, etc... around the globe - we all want the basics.. love to all... Stace in Vancouver! (home with the flu.. boring....)

Sanjay Jha

at 01:09 on January 1st, 2009

Celebrations in South Asia remained very low due to cold and religious reasons. Many Indian cities have tighter security and roadblocks, with the mood in the normally festive city of Mumbai described as subdued. While Pakistan a Muslim state is marking the mourning month of Muharram. so celebrations were very low. However, news report said that One dead, 32 injured in new year celebrations in port city of Karachi in Pakistan.

A reveler was killed while at least 32 others sustained bullet injuries in the separate incidents during the New Year festive here in Karachi on early Thursday.

Police said many merrymakers resorted aerial firing on the eve of New Year that hit many unfortunates at various places of the metropolis.

Police confirmed the injured people have been shifted to hospitals.

FurSid

at 01:49 on January 1st, 2009

very good compilation...

Susana Serrato

at 02:52 on January 1st, 2009

This year was very hard for me, to end the year i decided to stay home, I was not in the mood for firework to be honest, but when my neigbours started I could not avoid to take my camera and start shooting, for the first time I uderstood what the fireworks means, and they filled me with new sensations of hore for this new year.
Happy new year to all

Susana Serrato has contributed a photo to this story.

Ayakolivija

at 06:03 on January 1st, 2009

Watching sun rise on the 1st of January is a traditional way to start a new year in Japan based on the concept of a national religion "Shintoism" that regards the sun the highest divinity.

It has been many years that the sky was overcasted with haze,particularly in bigger cities,therefore difficult to have a sight of an actual shape of the sun.

However,today, at 6:51AM, right on time according to the weater focast,it showed up radiating phenomenal lights and warmth..

Ayakolivija has contributed a photo to this story.

Paschen

at 08:25 on January 1st, 2009

Great pictures! Happy New year and all the best to all and every one. May Peace be reached this Year for all. This is a great Summery of New Years celebrations and its Origins as well. Thank you Rob.

anamika.mis15

at 08:33 on January 1st, 2009

Its a celebration of new year,and we hope and wish that people will celebrate the whole year as same as the day one of the year.

Ray of Peace

at 02:06 on January 2nd, 2009

Happy new year to all.

mmmommm (not verified)

at 06:41 on January 2nd, 2009

Around 1.5 million Australians and tourists gather around Sydney harbour to celebrated 08-09 NYE countdown. The fireworks cost $5 million AUD with the storm theme simulations of lightning, thunder and rain.