New Year 2025: World waves goodbye to tumultuous 12 months

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The global New Year's transition began long before the big moment in New York City. In all, it takes 26 hours for the entire world to welcome the New Year across 39 local time zones.

The crowd gathered to watch the ball drop in Times Square.Adam Gray / Reuters Revelers wear ponchos in the rain in Times Square.Heather Khalifa / AP

Nations in the South Pacific Ocean were the first to wave goodbye to 2024. Midnight in New Zealand is 18 hours ahead of Eastern Time.

In some Asian countries, millions readied for the Year of the Snake, seen as the year of rebirth in the Asian zodiac.

In Japan, which observes the zodiac cycle from Jan. 1, stores were seen selling snake-themed products while temples and homes underwent a thorough cleaning before much of the nation shut down in celebration.

Fireworks light up the sky behind the Sydney Opera House.Brook Mitchell / Getty Images Locals celebrate the New Year at Ancol Beach in Jakarta.Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP - Getty Images

Thailand had fireworks nationwide, including a show in Bangkok with the city's Chao Phraya River as a beautiful scenic backdrop. The country's tourism board livestreamed its celebration on YouTube, with musical performances in the lead up to the midnight finale.

The mood was somber in South Korea after Sunday's Jeju Air flight crash at Muan that killed 179 people. Most celebrations were scaled back or canceled as the country observed a period of nationalmourning.

Syrians celebrate the new year in Damascus.Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP

In Israel, New Year' came as the war in the Gaza Strip entered its 15th month. Scores of hostages remain in captivity under Hamas, while more than 45,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Lebanon is reeling from a yearslong economic crisis and heavy damage after Israel launched an offensive on the militant group Hezbollah in early September.

Many Syrians, meanwhile, are expressing cautious optimism for the coming year after the overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad.

One Middle Eastern city rang in the new year in style. Dubai's night sky gleamed around the famed Burj Khalifa skyscraper, which had animations on its walls as the firework display shined on the opulent city.

In Ukraine, the war grinds on. The country exchanged hundreds of captive soldiers with Russia on Monday — one of the few areas of cooperation between the two sides since President Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion.

European cities rang in the new year with concerts in palaces and musical theater in halls, as well as midnight Mass services followed by champagne.

A couple kisses as they celebrate New Year on Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania.Mindaugas Kulbis / AP

Pope Francis marked the start of Holy Year, a once-every-quarter-century event expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome.

Despite a ban on firecrackers, the skies were alight with the crackling sound of pyrotechnics both official and freestyle as a traffic jam led to the circa-80 A.D. Colosseum, where quiet crowds amassed in awe until animating at midnight with cheers.

The pontiff celebrated with vespers at St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday. Mass was scheduled for Wednesday.

Fireworks explode behind the ancient Parthenon temple in Athens.Yiannis Kotsiaris / Reuters Fireworks explode in the sky around the London Eye and The Elizabeth Tower, which houses the bell known as "Big Ben." Adrian Dennis / AFP - Getty Images Fireworks explode above the Great Pyramids in Cairo.Khaled Desouki / AFP - Getty Images

Crowds gathered around Athens' Acropolis, where the ancient Parthenon sits atop the hill. The Greek city's firework show went off in the background of the temple.

Paris, the belle of the world ball after hosting the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and then welcoming the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, hosted a televised celebration with musical performances as well as numbers by dancers from the Moulin Rouge and Paradis Latin. Bookmarking midnight was 20 minutes of video imagery and electronic music, followed by a rendition of Patti Smith's "Because the Night," on a packed Champs-Elysees, with the Arc de Triomphe serving as a backdrop.

In London, a stormy forecast couldn't stop celebrants from gathering around the London Eye and clogging vehicle traffic nearby as the massive Ferris wheel was lit up in sky blasting light of blue, yellow, and red. Fireworks erupted over Westminster and Big Ben along the River Thames.

Earlier, London celebrated with a parade through the city center featuring 10,000 performers.

Swimmers take a dip in Lake Moossee in Moosseedorf, Switzerland, a New Year's Eve tradition.Anthony Anex / AP A light show is projected on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.Thibault Camus / AP

Heavy rain and winds forecast for Scotland prompted the cancellation of Edinburgh's famous Hogmanay celebrations, which usually include a street party, a rock concert and fireworks.

In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is expected to host more than 2 million people along Copacabana Beach to watch fireworks erupt from ferries parked offshore and concerts by Brazilian pop stars such as Anitta and Caetano Veloso.

Fireworks light up the sky over Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.Bruna Prado / AP Celebrations in Doha, Qatar.Saleh Salem / Reuters Revellers prepare for the ball drop in New York's Times Square.Jeenah Moon / Reuters

Auckland, New Zealand, was one of the first cities to welcome the new year as thousands thronged downtown or climbed the city's ring of volcanic peaks for a fireworks vantage point — and a light display recognizing Auckland's Indigenous tribes.

In Australia, two hours later, more than 1 million people gathered at the Sydney Harbor for the traditional fireworks. Some partygoers, eager to secure a good vantage point, arrived nearly 20 hours ahead.

Later, in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, spectacular fireworks were launched near the city's famous Petronas Towers.

Celebrations kicked off at 9 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), with the first display of fireworks created by the Indigenous group We Are Warriors. At midnight, a second display over the Harbour Bridge lasted close to 20 minutes and was viewed on television by nearly 25 million people around the world.