[New York Diary]Crowds Flock to Times Square for the 'Return' of New Year's Celebration

Stories of Everyday Life in America from New York

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] At 11:59 PM on December 31, 2022, the countdown began at Times Square in Manhattan, New York. The 'Ball drop' event, symbolizing the New Year's celebration in the United States, was back. The reason for saying it 'returned' is because, although it started in 1903 and was held without fail last year and the year before, this year it was held 'freely' among millions of people for the first time in three years since the pandemic without any quarantine restrictions.

The area near Times Square in Manhattan, known as the 'Crossroads of the World,' was closed off as a controlled zone from 4 AM that day. The large crowds gathered early in the morning lined up long along 8th Avenue from 49th Street, one of the entrance routes, to beyond the corner of 57th Street. The all-day rain was no problem for them. Because umbrellas were not allowed through security checks, most people wore disposable raincoats or hats and endured the rain with their whole bodies, but everyone's faces were bright.

The scene was definitely different from 2020, when the event was held privately with all public access restricted amid uncertainty about how long the pandemic would continue, and from 2021, when the spread of the Omicron variant led to limiting on-site personnel to a small number and strengthening COVID-19 regulations such as vaccination and mask-wearing. Sydney, who came from Michigan with her husband to see the Ball drop, said, "It's on my bucket list," adding, "I don't mind the rain. The waiting time is enjoyable." Matt, who lives in New Jersey, said, "I came with anticipation because it seems like a festive Ball drop event after a long time," and shared, "My New Year's wish is for my family's health."

Local media unanimously reported that this year's New Year's event in New York had completely returned to a celebration of everyday life. CBS reported, "Despite the rain, countless crowds gathered for the Times Square Ball drop party," adding, "For the first time since the pandemic, the site was packed. It is estimated that about one million people, the pre-pandemic scale, filled the area around Times Square." Stars such as the Jack Brown Band and Brooks & Dunn also gathered for the Ball drop celebration stage. J-Hope of BTS also took the stage to decorate the festival. Regardless of age, nationality, or race, everyone's faces shouting the countdown were filled with joy and anticipation for the new year.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The highlight of the Ball drop event that day was the 'last 60 seconds of the year,' when the large crystal ball (Eve Ball), 12 feet in diameter and weighing 11,875 pounds, slowly descended along a 40-meter-high flagpole atop a building. The crystal ball, the star of this stage, has been designed with a different theme every year since 1999. Among the 2,688 crystal panels handcrafted by artisans, 192 panels are newly made and replaced each year according to the theme.

The theme of the crystal ball marking the end of 2022 and welcoming 2023 was 'Gift of Love.' Tom Brennan, an artisan at Waterford Crystal who participated in the production, explained that the crystal ball pattern, with eight hearts connected like petals, expresses the "entangled feelings of love" of everyone who endured the pandemic period. Before the event, he said at a press conference, "Expectations for this year's New Year's event are greater than ever. It is not something to be taken for granted that friends and families gather together for that moment," reflecting on the past pandemic period.

At midnight on January 1, 2023, as the countdown ended, one ton of colorful confetti scattered in the sky, and the songs "Auld Lang Syne" and "New York, New York" echoed through Times Square. The very ordinary and common daily life, and the preciousness of that daily life, is a great lesson that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought us. As we welcome the new year, we are reminded once again that happiness is never found in grand narratives. We also hope that 2023 will be a year when everyone discovers happiness in the small moments of everyday life.