PICTURES: New Year Celebrations Kick Off as Australia and New Zealand Welcome 2025
Celebrations Spark Across Continents, Marking the Start of 2025 with Spectacular Fireworks and Cultural Festivities
- Countries like Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand ushered in 2025 with vibrant fireworks, performances, and cultural traditions
- In Asia, the Year of the Snake is celebrated as a symbol of rebirth and renewal
- Celebrations worldwide showcased unity and hope for the new year
In Japan, the nation’s biggest holiday saw many businesses close, and temples and homes undergo traditional cleaning rituals, including beating floor mats called “tatami” with sticks.
The Year of the Snake in the Asian zodiac symbolizes rebirth, alluding to the reptile’s shedding of its skin.
In South Korea, New Year celebrations were muted due to national mourning after a deadly plane crash in Muan that claimed 179 lives.
Bangkok’s shopping malls in Thailand competed for attention with live music and fireworks, while Indonesian Jakarta featured a drone-powered light show as part of its New Year celebrations.
Australia’s festivities at Sydney Harbour drew over a million people to witness the spectacular fireworks. Robbie Williams led the celebrations with a singalong, while Indigenous ceremonies honored the land’s first people.
People gather in the main business district on New Year’s Eve in Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday Picture: AP Photo/Tatan SyuflanaNew Zealand, thousands gathered to watch a dazzling fireworks display launched from Auckland’s Sky Tower, with many climbing volcanic peaks for the perfect view. The event also included a light show recognizing the nation’s Indigenous Māori tribes.
Other countries around the world are preparing for New Year celebrations, each showcasing their unique cultural traditions despite a year marked by political turmoil and conflict.
The 9pm fireworks are seen during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Sydney, Australia Picture: Bianca De Marchi/AAP Image via APIn China, the New Year was marked with a diplomatic exchange of greetings between President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing the strong ties between the two nations amid rising tensions with the West.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico faced a widespread blackout affecting over 1.2 million customers as the island prepared for the New Year, leaving many in the dark as they awaited power restoration.
