Observances & special days · in 200 days
When is New Year's Eve?
New Year's Eve 2026 is on Thursday, December 31, 2026.
New Year's Eve 2026 falls on Thursday, December 31, 2026.
The last day of the year, celebrated with parties, fireworks and the midnight countdown.
In 2026, it falls in ISO week 53. Need the full year's calendar? See all 2026 weeks, or browse every other date.
At a glance
The history of New Year's Eve
Marking the end of the year goes back to ancient Mesopotamia, where Babylonians held an 11-day festival around the spring equinox. The December 31 date for New Year's Eve in Western tradition follows the Roman Julian calendar of 46 BC. The famous Times Square ball drop began on December 31, 1907, after the New York Times built its new headquarters there. Sydney's harbour fireworks now reach a global TV audience of around one billion.
How New Year's Eve is celebrated
Parties, champagne, fireworks, countdowns, kisses at midnight, the song "Auld Lang Syne". Spain eats 12 grapes at midnight, Italy wears red underwear for luck, and the Danish jump off chairs at midnight to literally "leap into" the new year.
Did you know?
Sydney is typically the first major city to ring in the new year, hours before New York.
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Robert Burns poem set to an older Scottish folk melody.
The Times Square ball weighs about 12,000 pounds and is made of Waterford crystal.
New Year's Eve in upcoming years
How the date is set
Always December 31.
Sources & further reading
For more detail on New Year's Eve, see these references.
Related dates
New Year's Eve: questions and answers
When is New Year's Eve 2026?
New Year's Eve 2026 falls on Thursday, December 31, 2026.
What day of the week is New Year's Eve this year?
In 2026, New Year's Eve is a Thursday, December 31.
How is the date of New Year's Eve determined?
Always December 31.