2020 New Year's Greetings Around the Globe

▲On January 1, 2020, during the New Year's event at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, fireworks exploded over the Kremlin near the Spasskaya Tower. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On December 31, the last day of 2019, the entire globe began the countdown to welcome the New Year 2020. While large-scale fireworks displays took place in countries such as the United States, Australia, and Germany, anti-government protests continued in Hong Kong.

According to major foreign media including AP, it is expected that one million people will gather this year at Times Square in New York, USA, a world-famous New Year's destination. In the UK, fireworks will be held against the backdrop of the iconic London Eye Ferris wheel in London.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, there is also a country that welcomes the New Year first in the world.

The small island nation of Samoa, which gained independence in 1962, was the first in the world to welcome the New Year 2020.

In Apia, the capital of Samoa, local residents and tourists joined together to shout the countdown to sunrise and celebrated the New Year with fireworks.

Until 2011, Samoa was the country where the sun set the latest in the world, but starting January 1, 2012, it became the country where the sun rises first.

▲On January 1, 2020, New Year's Day in Mumbai, India, fireworks are bursting at the gateway of an Indian heritage site to celebrate the New Year. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Samoa had set its standard time according to California, USA, for 119 years since 1892, but as trade increased with Oceania countries such as New Zealand and Australia, and East Asian countries including China, in 2011 it set the time zone west of the International Date Line as its standard time.

However, the standard time of American Samoa, a U.S. territory located 125 km east of independent Samoa, did not change, making that region the last place in the world to welcome the New Year.

Australia held its sunrise events as scheduled despite the worst bushfire crisis. The fireworks display at Sydney Harbour, with the Opera House as a backdrop, has become a global New Year's event, but this year voices calling for cancellation of the fireworks due to the bushfire situation also emerged.

▲In Hong Kong, anti-government protests continue even on January 1, 2020.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the other hand, Hong Kong canceled its New Year's fireworks.

Following protests on Christmas, and with demonstrations expected on the last day of the year and New Year's Day, Hong Kong decided to skip the fireworks.

Instead, Hong Kong planned to hold a light festival themed around the New Year.

Germany's New Year's event is scheduled to take place in central Berlin.

However, fireworks are banned at locations such as the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of unity, Alexanderplatz, and the Sch?nefeld area, so a relatively quiet New Year's celebration is expected.

In Germany, after the high cost issue arose with spending 133 million euros (about 172.4 billion KRW) on fireworks last year, a nationwide ban was debated domestically.