Calamos Supports Greece
GreekReporter.comLifeeventsCountries Around the World Usher in New Year 2024

Countries Around the World Usher in New Year 2024

By Matthew Norman
new year fireworks over the Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Countries throughout the world have ushered in the new year of 2024 with hearty celebrations of color and light. Credit: GreekReporter

The cities and neighborhoods of the globe were lit up with fireworks and colorful parties as the world welcomed in the new year of 2024.

From the beach-loving islanders of the Pacific to the concrete paradise of New York City, each and every place rang in the new year in their own way.

Welcoming the New Year 2024

The first to welcome in 2024 were the Line Islands (part of Kiribati), Samoa and Tonga, located in the Pacific Ocean. They celebrated the event just one hour ahead of neighboring New Zealand. American Samoa, Baker Island, and Howland Island will be among the last to ring in the new year.

Typically, Line Islanders celebrate the occasion with a roast pig and crayfish and other traditional foods, washed down with the popular coconut sap beverage.

Thousands of people came together in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, to watch fireworks set off from the city’s needle-like sky tower. While in Sydney, the midnight clock-strike saw more than one million people gathered to watch a tremendous fireworks display lighting up the sky above the city’s Opera House.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took to social media once the new year had been welcomed in. He wrote: “We achieved a great deal as a nation, and we achieved it together. That is the Australian spirit. In these times of global uncertainty, it’s worth reflecting on what we have as a nation.”

“We are a people of optimism, determination and, above all, fairness,” he wrote. “We have so much to cherish. Let that guide us in 2024 as we make the greatest country on earth even better. All the very best to you and loved ones for a safe and happy year.”

President Joe Biden posted a tweet ahead of the occasion. “Ready for all of the progress that 2024 will bring,” he wrote. He also shared a list of achievements he claims his administration has accomplished in 2023, saying that they “tackled the climate crisis” and “made America safer from gun violence.”

Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, also released a New Year’s message on social media. He said: “In 2024 we will keep driving forward. Cutting taxes. Delivering world class education. Taking decisive action to stop the boats. Bringing NHS waiting lists down. And much more. Let’s get to it.”

This New Year’s Eve marks one hundred years since the first live bongs from Big Ben were aired on BBC radio. The tradition became a county favorite, with the tower’s chimes becoming synonymous with the BBC. New microphones have recently been installed as part of a major restoration project, so now the sound quality for BBC Radio 4 listeners will be even better.

Public transport in Athens clocked out earlier on New Year’s Eve with most services ending at midnight, but bars and their patrons are being reminded that alcohol sales will be continuing past midnight.

One of the biggest celebrations in the city is taking place at the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center, where the action began at 10:30 PM. The event kicked off with a performance by Greek-Ugandan singer Idra Kayne and her ten-member orchestra.

At midnight, a spectacular fireworks display will illuminate the whole city before DJ Bill Brewster brings music to the masses until the early hours of the morning. Many other Greek traditions will be playing out, too.

Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, promised the Greek people that starting in the first weeks of 2024, they would have better salaries and higher pensions.

Hong Kong rang in the New Year with a spectacular twelve-minute fireworks display dubbed “New Year New Legend.” The spectacle, themed around the changing seasons and the beauty of nature, heralded the arrival of 2024 and was touted as the city’s largest New Year’s Eve fireworks display in history. More than 479,000 people gathered on both sides of the harbor, including locals and tourists, transforming the waterfront into a sea of celebration.

See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!



Related Posts

© Copyright - GreekReporter.com