The Time Square ball starts to drop, 10 9 8 7 6 5, half way there, 4 3 2 1 0, Happy New Year! Kissing, screaming, and cheering fill the streets. The entire city is looking for new starts, new memories, and new stories to tell. Forget about spring everything is new on January first.

All of the flashing lights and fireworks are meant to get people excited and enjoy themselves but a lot of hard work goes into the event beforehand. Since December of 1907 the famous ball drop has been used to ring in the New Year. Rain or shine to no fail every December 31st at 11:59 the shining sphere would count down to the New Year. The only exceptions were in 1942 and 1943 due to a wartime blackout. Over the years the ball has evolved from a hunk of wood and iron lit with candles to a complex contraption of colored led lights. The NYPD also makes many preparations. The security of the event has sharply increased since the 9/11 attacks. Attendees are not allowed to bring backpacks or alcohol and have to go through security checkpoints before they are allowed into the square. There are also police officers stationed in and around the pens to watch for suspicious activity.

The event has grown from a small annual celebration to a global scale. About 1 million people from various countries attend the event. Most national news outlets cover the event and it is also broadcasted on many cable networks. The event starts at 6 pm ET and announces the New Year in various foreign countries to further make the event a global activity. There are an estimated 1 billion people watching it worldwide, about 1/7th of the world’s population.