New Year’s Eve 2022 LATEST — Stunning images from around the world as New York, London & more welcome 2023
A NEW Year is here at last and revellers around the UK and the world saw in another year in truly spectacular style.
From London to Hong Kong millions across the globe celebrated as they welcomed in .
New Zealand became the first nation to celebrate (at 11am GMT) along with Tonga and Samoa, while Brits up and down the country celebrated at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2023, with a massive fireworks display in .
To commemorate the day, we've been bringing you real-time updates from celebrations around the world, from fireworks in Sydney and , to parties in Paris, New York, Rio de Janeiro and everywhere in between.
On top of that, we're also providing all the information you need on shop opening times this New Year's Day.
Read our New Year live blog below to follow all the latest action...
Happy New Year to all our readers
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The most common New Year’s superstitions
On top of the strict laundry rule, some people staunchly believe that you should not do any cleaning – including dusting or hoovering – on New Year’s Eve.
That’s because they claim that it is an ominous act that would see the good fortune and luck of the entire family swept away in an instant.
Others insist that you should not have empty pockets on New Year’s Eve, since it may be a sign of very low or no income in the year to come.
Meanwhile, in other cultures, it’s insisted upon that nothing should leave your home on New Years Day – not even the rubbish.
Apparently this is to ensure that the prosperity that is in the house stays in. And it is claimed that if you remove anything from your home, you are symbolically opening the gates for loss throughout the year.
Another popular legend that people follow is the infamous kiss at midnight. According to some, this is not just as a mark of affection, but in order to ensure our feelings remain for the other person over the next twelve months.
It is also believed that at the stroke of midnight you should make as much noise as possible in order to scare the devil off from approaching.
What is the New Year’s Honours list?
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year’s Day being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours.
Some other Commonwealth realms also mark this day in this way, marking the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the Commonwealth.
The awards are presented by or in the name of the reigning monarch, King Charles or his vice-regal representative, which has often been filled by the Prince of Wales.
British honours are also published in supplements to the London Gazette each year.
Is it bad luck to do washing on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day?
One of the most common New Year superstitions is that no loads of laundry should be done on January 1.
Yet some go one step further and follow a tradition that any dirty clothes should remain untouched from Christmas all the way up until New Year’s Day.
According to the ancient myth, washing your clothing on these days could lead to ‘washing a loved one away’ and could also bring about bad fortune, as doing laundry or the dishes around the New Year will wash away all your good luck.
In other cultures, it is also believed that whatever a person does on the first day of the year will be reflective of the next twelve months.
So, in this case, it means doing chores, such as laundry, will essentially bring with it a year of hard work.
When did Robert Burns write the poem Auld Lang Syne?
The name of the composer of Auld Lang Syne has been lost over time, but it is attributed to Scottish national poet Robert Burns.
Burns first wrote down Auld Lang Syne in 1788, but the poem would not appear in print until 1796, shortly after his death.
Burns sent the poem to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788 – but he told them he didn’t actually compose it himself.
He said it was an ancient song which had never been written down before, only passed on by word of mouth.
He is said to have recorded it on paper for the first time after an old man dictated the words to him.
Poems with similar words existed before the time of Robert Burns.
Sir Robert Ayton wrote Old Long Syne, first published in 1711 and is sometimes cited as Burns’s inspiration.
The melody of the song existed before the poem.
The English composer William Shield used a similar tune in his opera Rosina, first performed in 1782.
It wasn’t until 1799 that the words and tune that we know today, would come together in a compilation published by George Thomson.
In the 19th century it was reprinted many times and eventually became part of the Scottish Hogmanay.
Revellers paint the UK red in Edinburgh, Leeds and London
Royal super-fan Joseph Afrane was seen in central London on his way to watch the firework display on the Thames.
Ladies seemed to be enjoying themselves in Leeds and Edinburgh as the UK enters it’s last 30 minutes of 2022.
More pictures from Times Square, New York
Confetti flies through the air in Times Square just after the annual ball drop January 01, 2023 in New York City.
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Alamy Live News. 2M603WK New York, New York, USA. 1st Jan, 2023. The ball drops to enter the new year during New Yearâs Eve celebrations in Times Square on January 1, 2023 in New York City. (Credit Image: ¿ Ryan Rahman/Pacific Press via ZUMA Press Wire) This is an Alamy Live News image and may [â¦]Credit: Alamy Bizarre NYE traditions, part five
NYE traditions look different all around the world.
In Chile, some families spend the night in the cemetery to honor loved ones that have passed.
In South Africa, some throw out old furniture to mark the new year.
Lastly, some families in Hungary celebrate the new year by making pork to symbolize wealth and prosperity.
Bizarre NYE traditions, part four
Kissing loved ones when the clock strikes twelve may be a little odd, but it is one of the most popular NYE traditions.
In Puerto Rico, some will dump a bucket of water out the window to drive away evil spirits or sprinkle sugar outside for good luck.
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Bizarre NYE traditions, part three
Watching the ball drop from Times Square is arguably the biggest New Year's Eve tradition in the US, however, many other countries watch objects drop as well.
Other counties will watch cheese, mushrooms, or gumbo pots to symbolize the coming of the new year.
Some countries in Latin America destroy things at midnight and Denmark smashes plates for good luck.
Bizarre NYE traditions, part two
Many countries around the world have interesting traditions including eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight.
This is practiced in Spain and other Hispanic countries to guarantee a lucky year.
Other cultures believe it's good luck to eat something round on New Year's during midnight dinner.
Bizarre NYE traditions, part one
Watching New Year's Eve specials and drinking champagne is most commonly associated with NYE traditions, but there are many bizarre practices you may not have tried.
In many Latin American countries wearing a specific color of underwear can predict what your year has in store.
Yellow is believed to bring good luck, red brings love, and white will bring inner peace.
Happy New Year from the US!
New York has officially entered 2023.
Happy New Year from the US!
Times Square welcomes 2023
The East Coast of the US has rung in the New Year.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators waited for the ball drop in Times Square.
A view of the crowd in Times Square during Dick Clarkâs New Yearâs Rockinâ Eve With Ryan SeacrestCredit: Getty When the rest of the world rings in the New Year, continued
Below is a list of when different parts of the world will welcome 2023 using London time.
January 1
- 1am - Cape Verde and the Spanish Isles
- 2am - Eastern Brazil, South Georgia and Sandwich Islands
- 3am - Argentina, remaining regions in Brazil, Chile, Paraguay
- 3.30am - Newfoundland and Labrador/Canada
- 4am - Eastern Canada, Bolivia, Puerto Rico
- 5am - Eastern Standard Time in the US - New York, Washington, Detroit and Cuba
- 6am - Central Standard Time in the US - Chicago
- 7am - Mountain Standard Time in the US - Colorado, Arizona
- 8am - Pacific Standard Time in the US - LA, Nevada
- 9am - Alaska and French Polynesia
- 10am - Hawaii, Tahiti and Cook Island
- 11am - American Samoa
- 12pm - Baker Island, Howland Island
When the rest of the world rings in the New Year
Below is a list of when different parts of the world will welcome 2023 using London time.
December 31
- 10am - Samoa and Christmas Island/Kiribati
- 10.15am - New Zealand
- 12pm - Fiji and Eastern Russia
- 1pm - Eastern Australia (Melbourne and Sydney)
- 2pm - Central Australia (Brisbane, Darwin and Adelaide)
- 3pm - Japan, South Korea and North Korea
- 3.15pm - Western Australia (Perth and Eucla)
- 4pm - China, Philippines, Singapore
- 5pm - Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia
- 5.30pm - Myanmar and Cocos Islands
- 6pm - Bangladesh
- 6.15pm - Nepal
- 6.30pm - India and Sri Lanka
- 7pm - Pakistan
- 8pm - Azerbaijan
- 8.30pm - Iran
- 9pm - Turkey, Iraq, Kenya and Western Russia
- 10pm - Greece, Romania, South Africa, Hungary, and eastern European cities
- 11pm - Germany, France, Italy, Algeria, Belgium, Spain
- Midnight - UK, Ireland, Ghana, Iceland, Portugal
Who celebrates the New Year last?
The last ones to ring in the New Year will be .
The islands will see 2023 at 12pm GMT on January 1.
Baker and Howland Islands are almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia.
Which country celebrates the New Year first?
was the first to see 2023 along with a string of 10 uninhabited islands in the central Pacific.
Kiritimati rings in the New Year when those in the UK are just waking up.
Next up the Pacific Island of celebrates the New Year at 11am GMT with and .
Why do we sing Auld Lang Syne at New Year?
has been sung on New Year's Eve for generations it almost seems impossible to picture a time before the anthem.
The song originated in Scotland but became popularized through Hollywood films.
Guy Lombardo and his band played the song at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on New Year's Eve 1929.
The song was later featured on the radio and soon became a New Year's tradition.
Who wrote Auld Lang Syne?
is the anthem of New Year's but many don't know where the song came from.
The song is written by Scottish national poet .
Burns wrote the song in 1788 but the poem didn't appear in print until 1796.
Spectators wait in the cold for the ball drop
Those from all over the world have flocked to Times Square in New York to watch the ball drop.
Many have been waiting for 15 hours in the rain for the festivities.
People gather to celebrate the new year and await the ball drop in Times SquareCredit: AFP
Disaster strikes in Kyiv
While the world partakes in New Years' celebrations, the reality is different in Kyiv.
Mayor Vitaly Klitschko told the there have been several blasts in the capital, causing at least one death.
Ukraine President Zelensky had warned Ukrainians the New Year could be spent "in darkness."
Pet Shop Boys perform for Hogmanay in Edinburgh
North of the border, people in Edinburgh enjoyed what First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the "first full Hogmanay celebrations in three years".
"Thinking back to Hogmanay last year and indeed the year before that, we're reminded of just how far we have come from the very darkest days of the pandemic," she said in a New Year's Eve message on Twitter.
People queued in the rain to enter the party in Princes Street.
Fireworks lit up the sky behind the city's castle.
The 80s duo The Pet Shop Boys sang the city into 2023.
Revellers in the UK see in 2023 with fun and fireworks
The UK has ushered in 2023 with revellers across the country celebrating the New Year's Eve with fireworks and frivolity.
Partygoers defied wet weather to welcome in 2023 after the Met Office issued yellow warnings for rain in England's South West and southern Wales, and warnings for ice and snow across the Scottish Highlands.
Big Ben bonged in England's capital as a crowd of more than 100,000 people gathered along the Thames Embankment in central London to watch 12,000 fireworks streak across the sky.
The sold-out show was designed to send a message of "love and unity", as it highlighted the Lionesses' history-making Euro win at Wembley, marked 50 years of London's Pride with a message from Peter Tatchell from the Gay Liberation Front, and sent a message of support to Ukraine.
The display also paid tribute to the late Queen, featuring a voice recording from her and words from Dame Judi Dench, before honouring the King, together with a message from Charles about the need to preserve our planet's future.
Complete with music that included Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline, Ukrainian Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra, and hits from Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Cher, Dave, Rihanna and Calvin Harris, the show concluded with the traditional Auld Lang Syne.
London's Big Ben lit up by New Year fireworks
Fireworks illuminate the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) and the London Eye in central London during the New Year celebrations.
London’s New Year's Eve firework display returned this year after it was cancelled during the Covid pandemic.
Credit: PA 
Credit: Getty 
