New Year’s Day began with cheers, good wishes, and reflections on the previous year. Across the world people celebrated the arrival of 2024 with fireworks, concerts, and messages of optimism, eagerly anticipating all that the new year will bring. On the eastern seaboard of the United States, fireworks displays at midnight heralded the arrival of 2024 as thousands gathered to celebrate. In New York’s Times Square, tens of thousands came together, showered with confetti, kisses, and hugs as the night turned into the year 2024.
Around the world, people celebrated the arrival of the new year with joy and optimism. Fireworks illuminated the skies in Auckland, Wellington, and Sydney, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the financial troubles of many Australians in his New Year’s message. In other parts of Asia festivities continued with fireworks in Indonesia and Taiwan, and bells were sounded in Japan. However, there was no fireworks display in China due to a safety ban. In India, people enjoyed fireworks despite poor air quality, and the people of Gaza expressed hope for a better year after last years’ destruction in the Israeli conflict.
Leader Xi Jinping promised continued economic recovery for China, and in Moscow a traditional New Year’s concert was cancelled amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Indian Government also discouraged celebrations, asking people to show solidarity with the oppressed of Gaza. In Greece, fireworks at the Acropolis of Athens brought in the new year while German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz acknowledged global suffering and instability.
In France over 1.5 million people gathered in Paris to watch fireworks and projections on the Arc de Triomphe. French President Emmanuel Macron’s prediction that the 2024 European Parliament elections will be crucial to Ukraine’s future and the fate of democracy across Europe was a part of his New Year’s message.