New Year's Eve Quiz: Countdowns, Fireworks and Traditions

This New Year's Eve quiz counts down through celebrations around the world, from the Times Square ball drop and Robert Burns's Auld Lang Syne to Kiribati's early midnight, the Sydney Harbour fireworks, white clothes in Brazil, Julius Caesar's calendar and the Rose Parade in Pasadena.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Times Square
In which year did the first ball drop take place in New York's Times Square?
Songs
Which poet wrote the words of Auld Lang Syne, sung at midnight in many countries?
Time Zones
Which country is the first to welcome the New Year each year?
Fireworks
Which city's harbour, with its famous bridge and opera house, hosts one of the first big fireworks shows of the night?
Brazil
What color do many people wear on New Year's Eve in Brazil for peace and good luck?
History
Which Roman leader's calendar reform made January 1 the start of the year in 46 BC?
Scotland
In the Scottish custom of first-footing, who is the luckiest first visitor after midnight?
Parades
Which famous New Year's Day parade of flower-covered floats is held in Pasadena, California?
Resolutions
What do people call the promises they make to improve themselves in the new year?
Food
In the southern United States, which beans are eaten on New Year's Day for luck?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: In which year did the first ball drop take place in New York's Times Square?
Answer: 1907
The first ball was made of iron and wood with 100 light bulbs. A new, larger ball debuted for the start of 2026.
Q2: Which poet wrote the words of Auld Lang Syne, sung at midnight in many countries?
Answer: Robert Burns
Burns wrote down the old Scottish song in 1788. The title roughly means for old times' sake.
Q3: Which country is the first to welcome the New Year each year?
Answer: Kiribati
Kiribati's Line Islands sit in the earliest time zone, UTC+14. American Samoa is among the last places to reach midnight.
Q4: Which city's harbour, with its famous bridge and opera house, hosts one of the first big fireworks shows of the night?
Answer: Sydney
Sydney's show draws more than a million people to the harbour. A smaller show at 9 p.m. is held for families.
Q5: What color do many people wear on New Year's Eve in Brazil for peace and good luck?
Answer: White
Millions gather on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Some also jump seven waves and make wishes.
Q6: Which Roman leader's calendar reform made January 1 the start of the year in 46 BC?
Answer: Julius Caesar
The Julian calendar replaced an older Roman calendar that had drifted out of step with the seasons.
Q7: In the Scottish custom of first-footing, who is the luckiest first visitor after midnight?
Answer: A tall, dark-haired man
The first-foot traditionally brings gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt or whisky for good luck in the year ahead.
Q8: Which famous New Year's Day parade of flower-covered floats is held in Pasadena, California?
Answer: The Rose Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade has been held since 1890. Every float must be covered in flowers or other natural materials.
Q9: What do people call the promises they make to improve themselves in the new year?
Answer: Resolutions
Studies suggest many resolutions are abandoned within weeks. Common ones include exercising more and saving money.
Q10: In the southern United States, which beans are eaten on New Year's Day for luck?
Answer: Black-eyed peas
Black-eyed peas are often served with greens, which stand for money, and cornbread, which stands for gold.

New Year's Eve Quiz – Saying Goodbye to the Old Year

New Year's Eve, December 31, is one of the most widely celebrated nights of the year. As midnight arrives in each time zone, people count down, cheer, hug, sing and watch fireworks. The celebration moves around the world over about 26 hours, starting in the Pacific and ending in remote islands near the International Date Line.

The date itself has a long history. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar that made January 1 the beginning of the year. Over the centuries, different countries started the year on different dates, but today most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, which keeps January 1 as New Year's Day.

Each country has its own customs. In New York, crowds fill Times Square to watch the ball drop, a tradition since 1907. Scots celebrate Hogmanay and practice first-footing, and people around the world sing Auld Lang Syne, written down by Robert Burns. Brazilians wear white on the beach, and Southerners in the United States eat black-eyed peas for luck.

Fireworks are a highlight almost everywhere. Sydney's harbour show is among the first major displays, followed by celebrations in Hong Kong, Dubai, London, Rio de Janeiro and New York. On New Year's Day, Pasadena's Rose Parade and many sporting events continue the festivities, while people begin working on their resolutions.

This quiz covers the history and traditions of New Year's Eve around the world.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for a New Year's Eve party or a quiet night in waiting for midnight.

When the Times Square ball drop began
Who wrote Auld Lang Syne
Which country celebrates first
How people celebrate in Brazil and Scotland
Why January 1 starts the year
Lucky foods and New Year's resolutions

Quick Facts About New Year's Eve

About one ton of confetti is dropped on Times Square at midnight.
In Ecuador, people burn effigies called años viejos to say goodbye to the old year.
In the Philippines, many people wear polka dots for prosperity.
Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar and falls in January or February.
London's fireworks are timed to the chimes of Big Ben.
In some countries, eating round fruit at midnight is thought to bring wealth.