The world welcomes the new year : The Picture Show : NPR

Fireworks light up the sky over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House during New Year's Eve celebrations on January 1, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (

Izhar Khan/Getty Images


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As the clock strikes midnight in different time zones, people gather to celebrate the New Year.

In these photographs we see shared joy and tradition.

Revelers use their smartphones to film falling balloons and confetti.

Revelers use their smartphones to film falling balloons and confetti as they celebrate the start of 2026 during a New Year countdown held at a shopping mall in Beijing early Thursday, January 1, 2026.

Andy Wong/AP


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Revelers watch fireworks and a children's light show on Museum Square.

Revelers watch fireworks and a children's light show at Museum Square as part of New Year's celebrations in Amsterdam, December 31, 2025.

Remco de Waal/Getty Images


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Remco de Waal/Getty Images

Members of the public gather to celebrate the New Year during the annual bell ringing ceremony at Bosingak Pavilion on January 1, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea.

Members of the public gather to celebrate the New Year during the annual bell ringing ceremony at Bosingak Pavilion on January 1, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea.

Chung Sung Joon/Getty Images


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Fireworks explode over skyscrapers in Makati, Manila, Philippines.

Fireworks explode over skyscrapers during New Year's celebrations on January 1, 2026 in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Ezra Akayan/Getty Images


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Ezra Akayan/Getty Images

    People are buying batons with the words

People buy batons with the inscription “Happy New Year 2026” on December 31, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. Thousands of people lined the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok as the country welcomed the New Year.

Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images


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Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images

Fireworks explode at Taipei 101 during New Year's celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, January 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Fireworks explode at Taipei 101 during New Year's celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, January 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

JiangYing-ying/AP/AP


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JiangYing-ying/AP/AP

Revelers watch New Year's fireworks from Huc Bridge on Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi.

Revelers watch New Year's fireworks from Huc Bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, January 1, 2026.

Nhac Nguyen/Getty Images


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Nhac Nguyen/Getty Images

People attend the New Year's countdown to celebrate the start of 2026 in central Hong Kong.

People attend a New Year countdown to celebrate the start of 2026 in central Hong Kong on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

Chan Long Hay/AP


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Chan Long Hay/AP

Fireworks explode around Burj Khalifa

Fireworks explode around the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, during New Year celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, January 1, 2026.

Fatima Shbair/AP


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Fatima Shbair/AP

People pose for photos near glowing decorations on New Year's Eve in Mumbai, India.

People pose for photos near glowing decorations on New Year's Eve in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

Rafiq Maqbool/AP


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Rafiq Maqbool/AP

Revelers watch fireworks during New Year celebrations in Karachi

Revelers watch fireworks during New Year celebrations in Karachi on January 1, 2026.

Rizwan Tabassum/Getty Images


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Rizwan Tabassum/Getty Images

Iraqis gathered in Baghdad's Al-Zawra Park.

Iraqis gather in Baghdad's Al-Zawra Park during New Year celebrations on December 31, 2025.

Ahmad Al-Rubai/AFP/Getty Images


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Ahmad Al-Rubai/AFP/Getty Images

Spectators stand near illuminated decorations on New Year's Eve at Bakrkoy Square in Istanbul.

Spectators stand near illuminated decorations on New Year's Eve at Bakrkoy Square in Istanbul, December 31, 2025.

Yasin Akgul/Getty Images


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Yasin Akgul/Getty Images

People ring a giant bell to celebrate the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist Temple, minutes after midnight Thursday, January 1, 2026, in Tokyo.

People ring a giant bell to celebrate the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist Temple, minutes after midnight Thursday, January 1, 2026, in Tokyo.

Eugene Hoshiko/AP


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Eugene Hoshiko/AP

A couple takes a selfie at the last sunset of 2025 over the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon.

A couple takes a selfie at the last sunset of 2025 over the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

Hasan Ammar/AP


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Hasan Ammar/AP

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