How many days until New Year's Eve?

The last night of the year

New Year's Eve, December 31, is the final day of the Gregorian year and one of the most widely celebrated nights on Earth. Celebrations build towards the stroke of midnight, when the new year begins, and the moment is marked with countdowns, fireworks, music, kisses and toasts.

The countdown to midnight

The tradition of counting down the final seconds out loud became popular in the 20th century, helped by radio and television broadcasts. In New York, a lighted ball has been lowered from the flagpole at One Times Square since 1907. The idea came from "time balls", which were dropped at a fixed time each day in ports so sailors could set their ship's chronometers. Today, about a million people gather in Times Square, and many more watch on television.

Traditions for luck

• Spain: eat twelve grapes, one at each stroke of midnight, for twelve lucky months.
• Scotland: at Hogmanay, the "first foot" across the threshold after midnight is thought to bring luck for the year, especially if they carry gifts such as coal, shortbread or salt.
• Brazil: wear white, and jump seven waves at the beach.
• Denmark: jump off a chair at midnight to "leap" into the new year.
• Singing "Auld Lang Syne", a Scots poem by Robert Burns set to a traditional tune, is a custom in many English-speaking countries.

A night that crosses time zones

Because of time zones, New Year's Eve lasts about 26 hours across the planet. Places at UTC+14, such as Kiribati's Line Islands, reach midnight first, while American Samoa reaches it 25 hours later. Many people with friends abroad celebrate more than once. Our time zone converter shows when midnight arrives elsewhere.

Planning the night

New Year's Eve is a busy night for restaurants, transport and rideshares, so popular events and tables often book up weeks in advance. Many cities run late-night public transport. If you're hosting, our countdown makes a fun midnight display, and you can follow the final hours with the New Year countdown.