New Year's Eve

Seeing in the new year

New Year's Eve, the 31st of December, is the last day of the year. Around the world, the new year is welcomed at midnight with fireworks, toasts and good wishes. Many people make resolutions for the year ahead.

Because of the time zones, the new year starts first on islands in the Pacific, such as Kiribati, and last in American Samoa and on uninhabited islands near the date line. Television channels around the world show the celebrations in Sydney, Hong Kong and other cities hours before midnight arrives in Europe and America.

The date never changes; only the day of the week does.

In 2026 it falls on Thursday 31 December.

New Year's Eve and Hogmanay

New Year's Eve is not a bank holiday, although New Year's Day is. In London, crowds gather along the Thames for the fireworks as Big Ben strikes midnight. In Scotland, Hogmanay is one of the biggest celebrations of the year, with Edinburgh's street party among the best known in the world.

At midnight people join hands and sing 'Auld Lang Syne', the song based on a poem by Robert Burns. In Scotland, first-footing follows: the first visitor of the new year brings luck. Many shops close early, and public transport often runs extra or later services.