Holidays, Celebrations on December 31st

Interesting Facts of December 31st

1. 1. December 31st is known as New Year's Eve in many countries, where it marks the last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar.
2. 2. It is often celebrated with social gatherings and fireworks at midnight, as attendees count down to welcome the New Year.
3. 3. In Times Square, New York City, the famous ball drop occurs on December 31st, an event watched by millions around the world.
4. 4. On December 31, 1999, the world witnessed fears associated with the Y2K (Year 2000) problem, which led to extensive checks and updates in computer systems to manage the transition from the year 1999 to 2000.
5. 5. In Scotland, December 31st is celebrated with a tradition called Hogmanay, which includes unique customs like first-footing, where the first person to cross the threshold of a home in the New Year should bring good luck.
6. 6. The creation of the European Union's single currency, the Euro, was ceremonially completed on December 31, 1998, and it entered into circulation on January 1, 1999.
7. 7. In some countries like Japan, December 31st is also the day of the Omisoka holiday, which involves a big cleaning of the house and the preparation of special food to be eaten just after midnight.
8. 8. The Panama Canal was officially handed over from US control back to Panama on December 31, 1999, exactly at noon, by the terms of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties.
9. 9. The famous American inventor Thomas Edison first demonstrated his incandescent light bulb on December 31, 1879, to a gathering of reporters and the public, marking a revolutionary development in the world of electric light.