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One of the most rockin’ countries on New Year’s Eve is none other than our neighbors to the north, Canada. There are parties coast to coast, from Newfoundland in the east to Whitehorse, Yukon in the west and many places in between. Here’s what you need to know about the celebrations, with embedded live streams of the performances and fireworks courtesy of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Hosted by Rick Mercer in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada’s New Year’s Eve: Countdown to 2020 features performances from popular Canadian artists, several massive fireworks displays, and a countdown in every time zone of the country. Live streams are embedded below for all time zones.
Performers include Alan Doyle and The Dardanelles with Tom Power at Mallard Cottage and fireworks at Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John’s, Newfoundland; Heartstreets at Old Port/Place Jacques-Cartier in Montreal, Quebec; Bryan Adams and Walk Off the Earth at Queen Victoria Park in Niagara Falls, Ontario; William Prince at The Forks Market in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Tyler Shaw at Alberta Legislature Grounds in Edmonton, Alberta; and Diyet & The Love Soldiers and the Dakhká Khwáan Dancers at the MacBride Museum with fireworks at the Shipyards in Whitehorse, Yukon.
New Year’s Eve marks the end of a calendar year on the Gregorian calendar, the calendar first introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom it is named. Most countries celebrate the final day the year with parties, social gatherings, festivals, and/or fireworks. It goes by many names the world over, including Hogmanay in Scotland, Calennig in Wales, Baharu in Indonesia and Malaysia, Silvester in many European countries, Reveillon in France, Portugal, and Brazil, Kanun Novodgo Goda in Russia, and Omisoka in Japan.
Kiritimati, Tonga, and New Zealand are some of the first places to celebrate New Year’s Eve because they are located just west of the International Date Line, while the U.S.’ Baker Island is one of the last places to celebrate because it is just east of the International Date Line. Interestingly, because of the way the International Date Line jogs around a bit, Kiritimati is actually east of Baker Island.
In the United States, New Year’s is traditionally celebrated with parties and “drops,” the most famous of which is the ball drop held in New York City’s Times Square. But there are dozens of other “drops” held across the country, including a conch drop in Key West, Florida; a peach drop in Atlanta; an Indy car drop in Indianapolis; an acorn drop in Raleigh, North Carolina; a moon pie drop in Mobile, Alabama; a fleur-de-lis drop in New Orleans, a “Glowtato” drop in Boise, Idaho; and a tortilla chip drop in Tempe, Arizona, which is tied in to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game of college football.
New York also rings in the new year with a “Midnight Run” around Central Park that includes a fireworks show. Other fireworks displays around the country include shows at the Disney theme parks, the Las Vegas strip, and the Chicago “Chi-Town Rising” event.
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