In any given year, December 31, gets short shrift. It’s got 24 hours, just like all the other days in the calendar; but most of it is spent prepping for the arrival of the new year and not reflecting on the old.
To accommodate the crowd in Times Square, hundreds of volunteers haul 3000 pounds of confetti to rooftops before the appointed hour. Then when the ball drops they throw it “overboard” on the revelers below. But this project starts with a test run at 11 AM. It isn’t exactly a time to reminisce about the ending year.
Senior diners queue for dinner at 5 PM, while party animals make reservations for later in the evening. Babysitters must be in place, beverages must be curated, and credit cards must be ready. No time to think about the past year here.
And while most Americans are still in bed, Christmas Island in Kiribata, an island country in the central Pacific Ocean, is the first time zone to welcome 2024 at 5 AM on December 31 on the East Coast.
This year I’ve been sick with a serious head cold, so there will be no partying for me. I probably won’t even make it to midnight. Which gives me some time to ponder about the last day of the year instead of the first one for 2024.
Happy New Year everyone.
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